Covid-19: Call for charities to answer sector-wide survey to assess impact
Melanie May | 18 March 2020 | News
The Institute of Fundraising has launched a sector-wide survey together with NCVO and CFG to try and assess how coronavirus will impact charities, and is asking charities to participate, with a deadline of Monday 23 March.
The sector bodies have been working together to influence and shape government policy on future support for the sector and need evidence of this kind to help them inform decisions.
They say that they expect fundraising directors/finance directors, or those with the overview of their charity’s finances, to predominantly be the ones filling out the survey and appreciate that respondents might not have the time or information to answer every question, but that every response will be useful.
The deadline of 23 March is necessarily short because of the need to move quickly, and so that the results can feed into policy asks.
The survey can be accessed here.
We are working with @NCVO & @CFGtweets to try to understand how #coronavirus will impact your charity & we need your help! We are asking you to fill out this survey by EOP 23 Mar so we can turn these results into policy asks: https://t.co/2V4ZT2uzt2. For full info see below⬇️1/5 pic.twitter.com/knnzqc8rqk
— Chartered Institute of Fundraising (@CIOFtweets) March 18, 2020
Advertisement
The IoF and Fundraising Regulator have also today (18 March) issued advice for all charities to reflect seriously on whether they should continue public fundraising, due to the increased health risk to the general population with Covid-19.
Following the government’s advice on social distancing, they advise carrying out a thorough risk assessment, with any decision to continue public fundraising documented and made at the most senior level.
Based on the IoF’s data on year-on-year sign ups, it predicts that if no further face to face fundraising happens in 2020/2021, there would be a loss of 800,000 supporters who would have signed up to charitable causes through door to door, street and private site fundraising, which could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds in lost income in lost income for charities over the next few years and up to 3,000 job losses if face-to-face agencies go under.
It has a blog series on what fundraisers can do to mitigate the impact, and will continue to update the coronavirus information page for fundraisers as events develop.
The IoF says it is ‘taking active steps to do all we can to help support the public fundraising sector and our members, both charities and agencies, at this uniquely difficult time.’
It has already:
- Called on Government to provide a safety net for charities through emergency funding and other support
- Called on Government to ensure that fundraising agencies are able to access financial support (such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme) noting that it estimates 3,000 public fundraising jobs are at risk in the sector
In addition, it will be taking the following steps:
- Convening a virtual forum for charities/fundraising agencies to discuss how best to work together and support each other
- Advising charities and agencies to talk to each other to see where any work can be postponed, or alternative plans put in place, to ensure the future sustainability of public fundraising
- Providing additional support and guidance where we can including getting as much clarity as possible as to how long this suspension of activity will need to be in place
The Fundraising Regulator will also be publishing practical advice over the coming days and weeks as the situation develops.
Related posts
COVID-19: launch of weekly monitor of supporter loyalty and sentiment
NPC research highlights charity & public sector vulnerability to Covid-19 crisis
Charities predict post-pandemic decline in giving
Roadmap delay & Delta variant could impact donations as public optimism falls
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.