New flexible working patterns could impact workplace fundraising, report suggests
Melanie May | 13 July 2021 | News
With the working from home guidance set to end on 19 July, the latest edition of Enthuse’s quarterly Donor Pulse Report explores the impact this will have on workplace fundraising, as well as changing habits and attitudes to charities, fundraising and donating over the last three months, and the last year.
The Donor Pulse Report finds that while for 75% of people the likelihood of them getting involved in fundraising activity when they return to the office has stayed the same or increased, the split between home and office working could present challenges for charities. A total of 55% of the public said time challenges prevented them from previously taking part in workplace fundraising and these will likely be even more difficult with the new flexible arrangements.
26% of these people stated they had been unable to take part previously because they were too busy at work, while 16% said they weren’t there on the day the fundraising activity took place, and a further 13% said the activity taking place outside of work hours stopped them taking part.
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With 50% of people working three days a week or less in the future, these problems could be exacerbated, says Enthuse, with knock-on effects for workplace fundraising.
It suggests that charities that make sure their campaigns have a virtual option as well as a physical one and offer ‘flexible fundraising’ options will be better placed with businesses looking to run inclusive activities.
Chester Mojay-Sinclare, Enthuse Founder and CEO, said:
“Workplace fundraising will not be business as usual as people return to their workplaces. To tap into the enthusiasm for helping raise more, charities will need to add new engaging virtual elements to their campaign so they work as both virtual and physical events. Companies need to be mindful to be inclusive of staff both at home and in the office and campaigns that can do this will be better placed to succeed with businesses. They also need to foster an environment where people feel comfortable taking time to switch off their laptops in order to dial up fundraising for good causes.”
Digital Divide
This edition of Donor Pulse also suggests that the shift to online giving has continued to accelerate over the last quarter, with 44% of the public surveyed for it donating online – up 7% from a year ago. Under 40s have been the main drivers of this increase with 62% of Gen Z and 64% of millennials donating online, though there have also been increases for 40-64 year olds over the last three months. 40-54 year olds rose from 34% to 38% donating online and 55-64 year olds went from 22% to 29%.
The last quarter saw the first rise in a year for donations through consumer giving platforms rather than direct through a charity’s website. However, there was also an increase in the number of people who could not remember the name of the charity or the cause that they gave to. Overall there is a 15% difference in the ability of donors to recall the charity they gave to when giving directly via a charity’s website and using an online giving platform. One reason given was that the charity’s branding was not clearly visible, cited by 46% of donors.
More giving stats
The study also reveals that donors have continued to give. A year ago, 59% of the public had made a donation at the start of the pandemic. This rose three months later to just under 7 out of 10 people, and has stayed at the figure of 69% since October 2020. In the last quarter under 40s have again been shown to be the most generous with 81% having given, compared to 62% of over 40s.
46% of the public gave to two or more charities in the last three months, with 30% giving to three or more. These figures are an increase on the last quarter where 42% gave to two or more charities, and 25% gave to 3 or more. Under 40s are both more likely to give and also to spread their giving amongst different causes, with Gen Z the most generous. Nearly half (48%) of 18-24 year olds have donated to three or more causes in the last three months.
The types of charities given to has broadly remained stable, though there have been rises in support for children’s charities moving from 27% to 32% of donations and education charities moving from 9% to 13%.
Those who have given in the last three months are also far more likely to give than those who haven’t, according to Enthuse, with 88% of recent donors likely to give again and just 27% of those who haven’t given planning to donate soon.
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.