# Research underway to find what makes a successful fundraiser

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/04/30/research-underway-find-makes-successful-fundraiser/
- Published: 2014-04-30T08:00:15+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Do successful fundraisers share similar social skills and personality traits? What
personal skills combine to make a successful fundraiser? Dr Beth Breeze from the
Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy at the University of Kent is undertaking
research to find out.

Academic research on the charitable sector has so far focused a great deal on donors,
their views and attitudes on different types of fundraising, how much they give,
and their expectations of future charitable giving. It has also focused on the strategies
and technical skills involved in fundraising.

But very little research has focused on the qualities of fundraisers themselves.
Dr Breeze’s research is therefore investigating their behaviours, characteristics
and attitudes – the ‘soft’ rather than technical skills.

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## The Formation of Fundraisers

Her three-year research project has now developed to include launching a survey 
of 1,000 UK fundraisers. It also involves interviewing professional fundraisers 
and volunteers who have raised significant sums, together with major donors who 
have given £100,000 or more.

The research, _The Formation of Fundraisers: the role of personal skills in asking
for money_, is funded by a [Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship](http://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/ECF/ECF.cfm).

Dr Breeze estimates that there are about 31,000 paid fundraisers in the UK, who 
together help raise about £10 billion for charities.

## Why no previous research?

Dr Breeze attributes the lack of research into fundraisers themselves to charities
lack the resources and a preference to fund ‘applied’ research, such as testing 
direct mail for the benefit of their own organisation.

Such research is important, in her view, because “it is not possible to understand
the economics of charitable giving without accounting for the role of fundraising”.
She cites the example of dire predictions of dips in voluntary income during recessions
which fail to materialise. This could well be the result of “the energy and drive
of fundraisers”.

## Theoretical basis

In her research bid summary, Dr Breeze points to “studies of workplaces in which
employees’ personalities are integral to their performance, a phenomena that has
grown with the decline of manufacturing and the rise of jobs involving contact with
the public”. Referring to Arlie Hochschild’s concept of ‘the managed heart’ concerning
the strains involved in doing ‘people work’, Breeze suggests that her argument that”
personalities are commoditised in the service of capitalism does not translate easily
to situations where people are pursuing a nonprofit motive or working as volunteers”.

Yet fundraisers do of course undertake ’emotional labour’. So Breeze is looking 
to develop existing these and other theoretical ideas in a new realm.

**Take part in the survey**

To take part in the survey visit [Dr Beth Breeze’s online questionnaire](http://kbs.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cJ8t4JxxztDqMdf).