# Trust in charities essential for successful digital fundraising in emerging economies

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/04/23/trust-charities-essential-successful-digital-fundraising-emerging-economies/
- Published: 2014-04-23T16:33:51+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

A well-established digital communications infrastructure is less important in building
effective digital fundraising in emerging economies than trust in non-profits, according
to a new report by nfpSynergy and the Resource Alliance.

Overall, the report – [_Digital Fundraising – A World of Opportunity_](http://www.resource-alliance.org/data/files/medialibrary/3122/Global-Digital-Fundraising-Final-Report.pdf)–
found that digital fundraising through mobile (SMS/text and mobile web), internet
and email, was in its “infancy”.

But even where digital technology is well established, in countries such as Russia,
Brazil and South Africa, digital giving will not be fully effective if people perceive
charities as corrupt or untrustworthy.

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“Our interviews with non-profit practitioners reveal low take-up of online donation
methods and reports of public concerns about the use of personal information provided
during donations,” the report says.

“Non-profits operating in countries with high corruption levels face a challenge
in changing public perception that non-profits may be wasteful or spend donations
fraudulently.”

The report also says that efforts to introduce digital fundraising will be wasted
if nonprofit organisations are not able to build a culture of giving to take advantage
of new ways to give.

 

### Future for digital giving is positive

However the report does say that “all in the future for global digital fundraising
looks positive in terms of the impact of increased access to technology and innovation”,
reporting that there has been an increase in platforms that allow people to engage
and interact virtually with their local community, a development that is likely 
to carry on growing.

It recommends that non-profits in emerging economies should attempt to “grow digital
literacy” by providing training for staff to carry out digital fundraising; and 
try to develop micro-donations so that people can give small amounts without worrying
too much about it.

But it warns: “Any organisation which creates a digital giving platform where there
is no trust in non-profits and no giving culture is very unlikely to succeed.”

Neelam Makhijani, chief executive of the [Resource Alliance](http://www.resource-alliance.org),
said: “This new report shows how there is still a lot to learn about digital fundraising
but that it offers the global non-profit community much potential.”

nfpSynergy’s research focused on emerging economies within the following regions:
Central Eastern Europe, Latin America, South Asia, Asia Pacific and Africa, with
particular attention paid to emerging economies such as the BRICS nations (Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa).

 * **[Neelam Makhijani on effective leadership and fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/05/30/neelam-makhijani-effective-leadership-fundraising/)**(
   30 May 2014)
 * **[Why all fundraisers need to be leaders](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/07/01/fundraisers-need-leaders/)**(
   1 July 2014)
 * **[Call for speakers at Fundraising Online 2015](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/02/06/call-speakers-fundraising-online-2015/)**(
   6 February 2015)