# £8.7 billion virtually untapped charity income… the NBT?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/07/26/8-7-billion-virtually-untapped-charity-income-nbt/
- Published: 2013-07-26T14:27:15+01:00
- Author: John Baguley

IMRG Capgemini are forecasting online spending to be around £87 billion in 2013 
and 85% of this is through some 50 retailers who will all give 10% or more to charity
through affinity marketing schemes, indeed several thousand online retailers have
signed up, giving charities an unprecedented new income channel.

 

Supporters download a widget to their computer and thereafter 10% of their online
purchases are credited to their chosen charity – simplicity itself.

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So, why haven’t some charities signed up? And why are others rushing to now?

 

The best promotion is by email straight from a charity to its donors but us fundraisers
tend to measure things by instant return and compared to email appeals this is slow-
burner, we buy things online now and again through the year, so the charity gets
it money now and again through the year; but year by year, purchase by purchase 
it adds up to billions in total and huge sums per charity depending on the size 
of its supporter base.

 

Like legacies, the immediate returns may not appear significant but the end results
can be amazing, especially as we are increasing our online spend massively year 
by year. Of course the widget does not need to be renewed.

 

A note of caution: This is a zero sum game and there can only be one widget on your
supporter’s computer, so if you don’t sign them up someone else may.

 

Early agencies tended to take a large bite out of the charity discount at 50% or
more but more recent entrants e.g. give4sure [www.give4sure.com](http://www.give4sure.com/)
take only 25%, white-brand their widget so the process is charity led and let donors
download it without having to give their details, neither do they have to return
to the agency site to make a discounted purchase.

 

Save the Children, PDSA and Shelter among others are driving this forward with their
supporters and I expect we will all be following pretty quickly.

 

So, could this be the next big thing?

 

John Baguley

 

CEO

 

International Fundraising Consultancy

 

www.internationalfundraisingconsultancy.com

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