Clayton heads Institute programme on donor motivations 3

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 7 Sep 2010

Alan Clayton will lead a research project into donor motivations as part of an Institute of Fundraising initiative to encourage more people to give, it has been announced today.

Clayton has a long history in agency work, most recently as director of innovation at The Good Agency, and is now a co-namesake of consultancy Clayton Burnett. He was approached by the Institute's Policy Advisory Board chair Mark Astarita to conduct research as part of what is being called the ‘Greater Good Project’. The Institute stresses that this initiative is not related to or replacing the mooted Right to Ask campaign.

Astarita said: “The Right to Ask is a policy and political initiative which is the day job of people at the Institute and other partner organisations. The Greater Good Project is a much wider, longer-term project to get more of the public on our side.”

For starters Clayton will conduct a feasibility study into what work is needed to motivate people to give to charity, a study he is due to present to the Institute at the end of this month. He will then lead a working party charged with implementing the proposals.

With the government keen on emphasising volunteering, Clayton said his project aims to ensure that donating remains the most common interaction between a member of the public and a charity. "The Greater Good Project will ensure that making a donation maintains its position as the easiest and most exciting option for the consumer who is shopping around for a good thing to do,” he said.

 “We need to tap into the cultural changes that are going on around us and adapt our campaigning and visioning, as a sector, to these cultural changes. And to do this without alienating our core audiences. It’s quite a challenge.”

Directory: Institute of Fundraising
Who's Who: Alan Clayton | Mark Astarita

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John Thompson
Director
Changing Business
10 Sep 2010

It would appear that all one needs to do is make more people happier with an extra-special focus on cheering up wealthier prospective donors:

(link removed)

[Reply]

Rarry Revan
Ranter
Rantingrules
8 Sep 2010

Morning all,

I read with interest in the metro this morning that "Generous Britons are the 3rd biggest charity donors in the world a new study showed...but when it comes to giving up our free time we are a bit mean".

Finger on the pulse eh Mark?

Big hugs, Rarry

[Reply]

Rarry Revan
Ranter
Rantingrules
7 Sep 2010

Hmmm, this sounds suspiciously like social marketing to me. Which makes wonder how the Institute are going to pay for the roll out of "the Greater Good".

Through membership fees? I wonder how much consultation went on with the membership before this decision was taken. I haven't heard any fundraisers crying out for an awareness raising campaign recently. I did hear quite a few crying out for someone senior to go on Newsnight and face down the critisms of face to face but that didn't happen.

So the public message could be "stop asking annoying details about costs and get your wallet out". Bound to go down well with the public.

Interesting also to see that Alan only needs a couple of weeks to do a feasibility study. Shouldn't take too long to ask the Institute's Board members what they want then.

kisses, Rarry

[Reply]

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