DM Fundraising Across the Pond An American consultant goes one on one with British colleague John Watson

By Jim Hussey

JH: So the typical British citizen pays many of their bills by direct debit?
JW: Yes. But older people still hate paying by direct debit. They’d rather send you cash.

JH: So what’s the avergage age of a typical donor over there? Over here our typical direct-mail donor is in his 60s or 70s. Are your donors much younger since most use direct debit?
JW: Yes. There are certain causes that have donors whose average age is in the 20s or 30s … for environmental groups like Green-peace. But for most charities, they’re typically older. They would be around 45 years old.