Fundraisers optimistic about major gift income over next two years
Howard Lake | 1 July 2013 | News
Research by Good Values and the Institute of Fundraising suggests that fundraisers are optimistic about the state of major gift income. Indeed 95% of the 88 fundraisers surveyed expected to see an increase in income from this source over the next two years.
The survey covered charities with a major gifts programme and those that we just starting out. Of those actively seeking major gifts, almost one third said that they had raised over £1 million from this source in the last financial year. Their average return on investment was 1:9.
The charities that responded to the survey indicated that it takes most organisations between 18 months to three years to build a successful major gift fundraising programme. That said, only 10% of organisations have a fully developed major gift fundraising programme.
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Challenges to major gift fundraising
The report identified two areas that could challenge major gift fundraising:
- only 30% of the research participants felt that they had a clear and compelling Case for Support
- recruitment of skilled major gift fundraisers, especially those in senior positions, is a challenge for many organisations
Paul Gillespie, Co-Founder and Director of Good Values, said: "This research investigated the practical elements of major gift fundraising such as cultivation, fundraising models, average income, and return on investment.
"It highlights some critical areas for organisations to focus on if they are to deliver real success in major gift fundraising. Notably, the importance of internal leadership at the most senior level alongside a clear and compelling Case for Support, as well as the need for a systematic and structured approach to a fundraising discipline that has been viewed by many as more of an art than a science."
Photo: £50 notes in a fan by Hamsterman on Shutterstock.com
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.