Rogare report reveals fundraising issues for Scotland
Melanie May | 24 November 2017 | News
Fundraising in Scotland is being held back by a lack of country-specific research and analysis of giving trends and fundraising practice, and of affordable professional development opportunities, according to the latest report from fundraising think tank Rogare.
Rogare’s Critical Fundraising (Scotland) Report, launched 23 November, was researched and compiled by a task group of Rogare’s International Advisory Panel, led by Scotland-based consultant Mafe Marwick. It found a need for more investment both by umbrella bodies and charities into research and analysis. It also highlights a lack of affordable professional development opportunities, which it states is leading to a lack of skilled senior fundraisers across the Scottish profession and difficulty in recruiting and maintaining high standards.
The report says:
“Umbrella bodies and charities themselves must invest in accessing and producing Scotland-specific research and analysis that enable learning and evidence-based decision making. Additionally, they must strive to provide a comprehensive programme of training and professional development tailored to the Scottish market and accessible to fundraisers of all sizes, stages and locations.”
A number of other issues are also identified and developed in the report, including Scottish fundraising regulations, cuts in public funding, and the implications of the GDPR and other data protection legislation.
The report makes 23 recommendations for tackling the issues including:
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- Demand for fundraisers exceeds supply, so new and better recruitment processes and induction plans must be developed, with candidate packs that give greater insight into advertised roles.
- Charities should nominate an individual or a committee to take responsibility for ensuring data protection compliance. One of their first jobs should be to identify the lawful basis for processing activity in the GDPR, and to document this.
- Collaborations must be supported by improvements in training provision across the sector and recognition that achieving long-term financial sustainability through self-generated income requires investment. This can be nurtured by both national and local government through provision of training. Funders can also play a part, by permitting funds for capacity building in their grants, thereby recognising their role in helping charities’ long-term financial resilience.
- Because there is a lack of affordable professional development in Scotland, fundraisers in Scotland, at least in the medium term, will need to accept that the learning and development support for their charity will be limited. As a consequence, they will need to be proactive, to seek out opportunities and build their own personal brand.
Mafe Marwick said:
“The aim of this report is to identify and explore the main issues that affect fundraising practice in Scotland, and to offer recommendations to tackle these issues. We hope that the issues and topics developed in the report will resonate with readers, and will be a stepping stone for debate and discussion, and for fundraisers to work together in order to find solutions to the challenges identified.”
The Critical Fundraising (Scotland) Report is the second in the series following the publication of Critical Fundraising (Ireland) Report at the Ask Direct Summer School in Dublin in August. Reports for the USA and Italy will be published in the spring of 2018 with work on a Canadian report about to begin.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.