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Joe Saxton tops list of most influential people in fundraising

Professional Fundraising magazine has published this year’s list of the top 50 most influential people in fundraising. Joe Saxton, the new chair of the trustees at the Institute of Fundraising, tops the list.

This is the third year that Professional Fundraising magazine has called for votes for its most influential list, and for the third year running a different name is at the top. Last year’s number one, Andrew Wattt, deputy chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, is now number two. Although he leaves the Institute next year to join the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the survey took place before this move was announced.

This year’s list features 22 new entrants, which suggests a bouyant and active sector. Professional Fundraising notes that the consultants and agencies have in general lost their rankings.

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The introduction of online voting this year certainly helped boost the number of votes, with three times as many as last year being received.

So, the top 10 are:

1. Joe Saxton, nfpSynergy/Institute of Fundraising
2. Andrew Watt, Institute of Fundraising
3. Alan Gosschalk, Shelter/ImpACT Coalition
4. Lindsay Boswell, Institute of Fundraising
5. Ian MacQuillin, Professional Fundraising magazine
6. Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer
7. Adrian Sargeant, Bristol Business School
8. Ken Burnett, Cascaid Group
9. Paul Goggins, Minister with responsibility for the voluntary and community sector
10. Fiona Duncan, Institute of Fundraising (Scotland)

Sir Bob Geldof makes a new entry at number 13 this year having not featured last year.

UK Fundraising’s Howard Lake comes in at the midway point at number 25, up from number 39 in 2004. “UK Fundraising has become the best-known website for fundraisers in the UK”, explains Professional Fundraising. “Lake has been slowly moving up the list since its inception. The site has become invaluable for fundraisers throughout the UK”.

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