Simplify, take it easy and look inwards, suggests Giva Sverige report

Seeking simplicity and embracing ‘slowness’ are two of the key takeaways from Giva Sverige’s Trendrapport (Trend Report) 2024.

The new report includes articles from eight experts in fundraising, civil society and communications from both Sweden and other countries.

In her introduction, Giva Sverige general secretary Charlotte Rydh writes that several clear pieces of advice emerge when reading through these contributions.

These include the importance of simplifying, with Rydh saying that given the complexity of both the issues and solutions faced by charities, it is important for fundraisers to “find the essence and make the message easy to absorb”. She also reflects on the importance of curiosity, saying that fundraisers should thinking afresh about people’s different motivations, and where to find resources and knowledge.

Rydh says that another piece of advice from the collective expertise is “take it easy”. She explains:

“In a time of constant change, several writers point to the importance of both slowness and long-termism. Allow time for reflection and evaluation.”

Rydh also notes that 2023 was a year dominated by powerful external forces such as inflation, natural disasters and conflict, which puts the onus on practitioners to “look inward”. As such, she says it was pleasing to note that many of the contributions advise looking inwards and controlling what you can actually control. Rydh writes:

“First, understand what you as an organisation stand for, and then take advantage of the inherent strength that is there.”

The individual contributors to the report include: Ruth Brännvall, CEO of Scandinavian impact investor network Impact Invest; Per Leander, secretary-general of Swedish animal rights charity Hundstallet, and Barry Hoolwerf, executive director of the European Research Network On Philanthropy.

Picture by Bruno Cervera on Unsplash