# Charities must show donors more impact, says survey

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/04/charities-must-show-donors-more-impact-says-survey/
- Published: 2009-02-04T07:24:55+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

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.

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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.

 

www.directmarketing.co.uk

 

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## Comments

### By: Alastair Irons

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/04/charities-must-show-donors-more-impact-says-survey/#comment-3526
- Published: 2009-02-04T11:16:14+00:00

This research reinforces both the NSPCC’s experience and TW CAT’s.

As revealed at the Institute of Fundraising convention, when the NSPCC researched
its high value donors – at the time they had circa 10,000 giving £1,000 to £5,000–
the donors said they wanted to know exactly where their money would be spent, then
see that it had been spent wisely.

CAF research has found that these donors make up some 60% of individual giving income
and are predominently AB rather than the ABC1 that makes up many a ‘typical’ donor
base.

Here at TW CAT we see that as well as TELLing high value donors (unlike the NSPCC,
for many charities that may mean gifts of just £50+) of the business case for support
we also need then to SHOW them the results of their investment.

Hence it’s worth doing as the commercial sector does, and ‘resourcing the money’–
investing more heavily in those donors who, in line with the Pareto Principle, make
up some 80% of a charity’s income, yet consitute only 20% of the usual donor base.

Alastair Irons

Executive Creative Director, [http://www.twcat.co.uk](http://www.twcat.co.uk)
 Chairman
of Trustees, [http://www.iprescue.org.uk](http://www.iprescue.org.uk) Director, 
[http://www.ourworldoursay.org](http://www.ourworldoursay.org)