# Research improves fundraising effectiveness says IoF report

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/04/13/research-improves-fundraising-effectiveness-says-iof-report/
- Published: 2017-04-13T09:00:19+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The vast majority of fundraisers believe that research helps them to be more effective,
a report for the IoF has found.**

 

The Institute of Fundraising’s [_Good Asking_ report ](http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/guidance/research/good-asking/)
looks at why charities research and process supporter information, and reveals that
90% of fundraisers believe that conducting research enables fundraisers to better
communicate and tailor their work to the interests and priorities of donors. 88%
also believe that conducting research reduces the levels of unwanted or irrelevant
mail sent to people who do not have the capacity to give at a particular level or
do not have a connection to the cause.

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Almost 
all of the charities surveyed have undertaken or commissioned prospect research(
94.5%) while a similarly high number have undertaken or commissioned wealth screening(
88%).

 

Almost all respondents also agree that:

 

 * Conducting research enables their charity to raise funds from individuals (92%)
 * Research allows them to raise funds in 
a cost-effective way (90%)
 * Research enables communications to be tailored to suit the interests and needs
   of individual supporters (90%),
 * Being able to tailor communications enhances the experience that is offered to
   donors (90%).

 

The report was conducted for the IoF by Dr Beth Breeze from the University of Kent,
and surveyed more than 300 fundraisers to understand why they process and research
information about their supporters, and what the benefits are for donors, charities
and the wider public.

 

A representative survey of the UK population also found that 60% of those who prefer
charities to tailor the communications they send them, think that charities should
be able to use information that is publicly available, for example doing Google 
searches or drawing on newspaper articles, to tailor their approach to their supporters.

 

The report also shows that two-thirds of major donors believe that a ‘more professional
approach’ by fundraisers has been a key factor in the development of philanthropy
in the UK.

 

The survey was conducted online in February this year, with the results based on
347 responses, the majority of which came from fundraisers working or volunteering
for major or large charities with annual income over £1 million.

 

Beth Breeze, director of the [Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent](https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/philanthropy/),
and author of the report, said:

 

> “It is crystal clear that research has played a key role in successful and ethical
> fundraising for decades, and it is equally clear that preventing fundraisers from
> using publicly available information will hurt charitable beneficiaries the most.
> “This report shows how research also benefits donors who want – and expect – to
> be treated respectfully as individuals and offered meaningful participation and
> involvement in the causes they so generously support.”

 * **[I am a fundraiser](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/07/14/i-am-a-fundraiser/)**(
   14 July 2017)
 * **[Women more likely to support charities than men says IoF & YouGov survey](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/08/21/women-likely-support-charities-men-says-iof-yougov-survey/)**(
   21 August 2017)
 * **[Institute of Fundraising issues speaker call for 2018 Convention](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/09/11/institute-fundraising-issues-speaker-call-2018-convention/)**(
   11 September 2017)

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