# Why are people cancelling direct debits in this recession?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/30/why-are-people-cancelling-direct-debits-recession/
- Published: 2009-03-30T20:50:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Some my larger clients report that they, and others, are experiencing the cancellation
of direct debits; which did not happen in the last two recessions on any scale. 
Indeed, those with direct debits, standing orders and those using other committed
giving mechanisms were the backbone of their individual income streams.

My conjecture (and I would be very interested in your views on this) is that the
most effective organisations have now moved committed giving far from their hard
core supporters to the softer multitude who just do not care so much. So, those 
cancelling in this recession are not just the few who have lost their jobs; but 
those, for example, on fixed mortgages who are simply trying to reduce their debts.

Any views?

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## Comments

### By: Redina Kolaneci

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/30/why-are-people-cancelling-direct-debits-recession/#comment-3577
- Published: 2009-04-02T17:11:31+01:00

Well, in my opinion, each charity needs to find out 
 how many of their donors have
cancelled direct debits.

 I have a healthy suspicion about some of the headline type 
 of statements made
in our trade press about donors cancelling direct debits. The best place to start
is by finding out:

How many have cancelled their direct debits in the last 6 \-8 months? 
 What is 
the value of their contributions?  How did we acquire these donors?  More importantly–
how did we communicate with them? what did we do (or not do)to bond with these donors?

My suspicion is that the issue is not simply spreading the 
 net too wide but also
that some charities have failed  to truly connect with these donors – hence the 
donors  don’t care that much and are happy to walk away.

In my experience, truly satisfied and delighted donors 
 rarely defect – so if a
charity fundraiser spends some time  to find our why their donors are defecting –
they can surely do something about it. The situation is  not as hopeless as it seems–
even people on fixed  mortgages have good hearts.

 Redina Kolaneci 
 Senior Fundraising & Marketing Consultant McConkey/Johnston International
UK [http://www.mcconkey-johnston.co.uk](http://www.mcconkey-johnston.co.uk)

### By: johngodfrey

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/03/30/why-are-people-cancelling-direct-debits-recession/#comment-3578
- Published: 2009-04-09T08:12:17+01:00

I endorse what Redina says. Very likely many donors are reviewing their spending.
Those who had established direct debits to charities in more buoyant times will 
be making new decisions based as much on the quality of engagement with each charity
and the responsiveness to their generosity that they have experienced.

Those charities that are sensitive to and appreciative of their donors are also 
those who are doing the most good in the community, I suggest.

John Godfrey
 [http://www.artfulfundraising.com](http://www.artfulfundraising.com)