UK Charities Must Show Donors More Impact, Says Survey

UK Fundraising, February 4, 2009 — Research commissioned by fundraising direct marketing agency DMS into who is more and less likely to cut their charitable donations in 2009 has found that 37% of high-value donors say that they want charities to provide greater accountability and greater focus on the impact their previous donations have made.

The quantitative survey was carried out in November 2008 via CCB FastMap's online panel with approximately 1,000 active donors.

DMS wanted to find out which giving methods were likely to be more and less affected by the current recession, and what charities could do to keep people giving during the recession.

The survey found that 15% of people intended to give less to charity in 2009 while 7% said they intended to give more. The latter group were more likely to be on a higher income and donors who were already giving larger amounts to charity.

There was some interest among respondents in alternatives to cash: 39% of people wanted charities to suggest other ways of giving, such as buying charitable goods or taking part in raffles or prize draws.

Steven Dodds, Head of Planning at DMS, said: "Supporters just want to be shown that their donations are really making a difference. This research shows that they are increasingly looking to charities to create greater value, impact and accountability for their donation."

DMS, part of The Direct Marketing Group, presented its findings to clients in December as part of a 'Fundraising in Recession' seminar because the agency believed that many clients had not had experience of fundraising through the UK's last recession.

DMS' client base includes Oxfam, Asthma UK, Cats Protection, SSAFA, and Everychild.