# Fundraising directors' confidence in income generation at record low

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/10/27/fundraising-directors039-confidence-income-generation-record-low/
- Published: 2003-10-27T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Fundraising directors at the UK’s top 250 charities ranked by income have expressed
their lowest levels of confidence to date on their ability to generate income.**

These are the results of a recent survey by Professional Fundraising magazine into
fundraising trends. They were shared at today’s Scottish Institute of Fundraising’s
annual conference in Dunblane by Kevin Kibble, Managing Director of Professional
Fundraising magazine.

Kibble said that “the directors of the alrgest charities, who are, in the main the
most experienced of those surveyed, are the ones reporting the lowest levels of 
optimism. One fundraising director of a nationally known disability charity, with
nearly 20 years’ experience in fundraising, rated his optimism level at just 20 
out of 100.”

## Advertisement

Length of experience in fundraising seems to affect directors’ levels of confidence.
Directors newer to the fundraising sector, or those involved in supporting statutory
funded work, are far more optimistic. They bring the general level of optimism to
59 out of 100, although that is still 15 points down on this time last year.

The survey asked fundraising directors to give their views on the future of fundraising
income over the short, medium and long-term across areas such as corporate fundraising,
event fundraising, trust fundraising and legacies.

Respondents were asked to rate their levels of optimism or pessimism about the general
climate for growing fundraising income on a scale between 0 and 100, with 0 being
very pessimistic and 100 being very optimistic.

Kibble told the delegates: “Experienced fundraisers, who have seen their organisations
through other economic cycles, are more aware of the threats to income levels in
the short-term, and whereas individual donors do not necessarily become meaner during
tight times, the same cannot be said of corporate donors or trusts.”

The most common reason cited for such a drop in optimism is uncertain economic conditions.
This was followed by worries about long-term fundraising, especially from companies
and legacies. Other concerns were high levels of personal debt amongst donors and
an increasingly competitive marketplace for donors.

 * **[First newsletter on Fundraising Management 2004 conference](https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/10/28/first-newsletter-fundraising-management-2004-conference/)**(
   28 October 2003)
 * **[New Managing Director at Rural Regeneration Unit](https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/10/30/new-managing-director-rural-regeneration-unit/)**(
   30 October 2003)
 * **[BibleLands appoints new head of resources](https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/11/02/biblelands-appoints-new-head-resources/)**(
   2 November 2003)