Joe Saxton on benefits to charities of the Internet

Howard Lake | 21 July 1999 | News

Joe Saxton, director of communications at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, writes about the Internet in the 22 July issue of ThirdSector. “My life has changed dramatically over the last year. I have become a 50 e-mails a day man,” he says. Joe explains why the Internet is significant to charities. “The real benefit to charities is that many of these technologies allow them to compete on a more level playing field than before.”

Joe Saxton, director of communications at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, writes about the Internet in the 22 July issue of ThirdSector. “My life has changed dramatically over the last year. I have become a 50 e-mails a day man,” he says. Joe explains why the Internet is significant to charities. “The real benefit to charities is that many of these technologies allow them to compete on a more level playing field than before.”

However, Saxton points out that the biggest hindrance to charities’ effective use of the Internet is the lack of technological staff. “The biggest problem for many charities is not spotting the technological opportunities but being able to attract and retain the staff to bring them to reality.” This is largely true, but it could be argued that it is not the technological skills that are lacking but the very ability to spot the technological opportunities. Using the Internet to fundraise, for example, requires little technical skill: instead it requires fundraising expertise and personal experience of using the Internet. Charities would do well to ensure they provide such access and experience to their staff.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.