# Many charities 'fail to meet expectations' of wealthier donors

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/05/15/many-charities-039fail-meet-expectations039-wealthier-donors/
- Published: 2003-05-15T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

A new study suggests that the high-handed attitude of many UK charities is losing
them millions of pounds.
“Managing Major Donors: how charities manage their relationships
with major donors”, a study published yesterday jointly by the Institute for Philanthropy
and the Ansbacher Group, has revealed that many of Britain’s charities are failing
to meet or even understand the expectations of their wealthier donors. The insensitivity
of some organisations could be costing them millions of pounds a year by deterring
continued giving from existing donors.

The study, conducted by independent market researcher Judie Lannon, is based on 
the results of a survey that set out to investigate how charities currently manage
their major donors and to contribute towards the development of Best Practice guidelines
to increase the success of future fundraising efforts from this vitally important
group.

The study quotes last year’s study by the Institute for Public Policy Research into
the attitudes of the affluent to philanthropy. “‘A Bit Rich?’ What the wealthy think
about giving” reported that “What is striking is that there is little evidence of
much thought being put into how much the rich and affluent give.”

## Advertisement

This week’s study is quite scathing of some of the charities’ fundraising capabilities.
It reports that:

 * Charities lack a strategic approach to fundraising and rely on amateurish practices
   that are rooted in the past
 * Fundraising should be part of the responsibility of trustees and senior executives
   and not simply left to the professional fundraisers
 * Opportunities for fundraising from major donors remain largely unrecognised and
   so projects lack appropriate leadership, methodologies and resources
 * Too little commitment to identify, grow and harvest relationships with both individuals
   and organisations
 * Many donors want to become more involved in their chosen charities but are given
   very few opportunities to do so
 * Donors can feel taken for granted and as a result either limit their giving or
   curtail it completely

The study sets out a set of guidelines which are intended to help charities to adopt
more professional and commercially appropriate processes.

Hilary Browne-Wilkinson, director of the Institute for Philanthropy said;

“Six per cent of people contribute some 60% of all monies donated to charities. 
Anything which can be done to improve the understanding of the needs and motivations
of this important group can only be of help to the sector as a whole.”

The study canvassed the responses of 31 people from 13 charities. It focused on 
wealthy people capable of giving more than £5,000.

A full copy of the report can be viewed or downloaded from the Ansbacher web site
at www.ansbacher.com, or the Institute for Philanthropy web site.

 * **[Tax breaks for alumni could build university endowments](https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/05/28/tax-breaks-alumni-could-build-university-endowments/)**(
   28 May 2003)
 * **[Moorfields Eye Hospital's capital appeal raises over £10 million](https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/03/31/moorfields-eye-hospital039s-capital-appeal-raises-over-10-million/)**(
   31 March 2004)
 * **[Amnesty International capital appeal reaches target](https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/06/02/amnesty-international-capital-appeal-reaches-target/)**(
   2 June 2004)