Online Poll Results Help Shape International Fundraising Congress Sessions

The questions explored a range of subjects, including legacies, women in philanthropy and integrating social media and mobile into fundraising programs. When asked why all fundraisers do not also promote legacies, 38% of respondents cited a lack of information as the main reason, with 12% pointing the finger at not knowing how to ask for a legacy. Karen Osborne’s assertion that women drive philanthropy globally divided opinion with 47% of respondents agreeing, while 33% of respondents disagreed. The results also showed that among those who completed the survey, a lack of budget and resource was the top barrier to implementing social media within their organizations, with 40% identifying this as the single biggest hurdle they face. Use of SMS and social media to raise money was rare among those who completed the survey, with 57% of respondents admitting to not raising any money through SMS, and a massive 59% of respondents never having raised any revenue directly from Facebook or Twitter.