# From the Olympics to climate change – how issues around us impact charitable support

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/09/01/from-the-olympics-to-climate-change-how-issues-around-us-impact-charitable-support/
- Published: 2021-09-01T17:37:11+01:00
- Author: Guest Blogger

**Whether you started your day marvelling at 13-year-old Team GB skateboarder Sky
Brown or ended it by being captivated by the escapades of Love Island, it is is 
fair to say the summer television has had much of the nation glued to their screens.**

But do you know the impact these televisual highlights have on the way think and
behave, and how that could affect charitable support?

To put it into context, our **Public Sentiment Tracker** measured a **10% increase**
in the relative importance of sports and recreation charities as the nation got 
behind the incredible efforts of Team GB during the Tokyo Olympics.

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And following events on Love Island, we saw a **jump of seven per cent** for people
who agreed that ‘romance/personal relationships’ was a priority following a steady
40% during the months of May and June.

Whether a guilty TV viewing pleasure or something more serious like government policies,
economic shifts or climate change, it is clear that the issues around us have a 
direct and measurable impact on how people are weighing up their priorities. **The
end result is that some charitable causes are capturing more attention, at certain
points in time.**

If we can track how people are feeling, how the general mood shifts as current affairs
and national or global events wax and wane, then this insight can help our understanding
of how this might influence their support for certain charities and causes. This
is information that could be vital in helping charities engage with and relate to
their supporters and potential supporters in a timely and more relevant way.

About Loyalty’s research includes a weekly survey of 2,000 members of the public.
We ask them how they are feeling. Each week we investigate the news and topical 
issues that are capturing people’s attention and the relevancy to charitable causes.

![Quote from Richard Spencer - "If we can track how people are feeling, how the 
general mood shifts as current affairs and national or global events wax and wane,
then this insight help help our understanding of how this might influence their 
support for certain charities and causes".](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/
2021/09/richard-spencer-quote-current-affairs-charity-donors-202108-1024x1024.png)

## Refugees reaching the UK

For instance, in early July, when there were stories in the media about record numbers
of refugees coming to the UK, we saw a **10% increase** in net agreement that ‘controlling
immigration’ should be a government priority. At the same time, we measured a **
6% increase** in the relative importance of ‘overseas aid’ as a charitable cause
and we saw an increase in the view that investing in social services and welfare
should be a priority.

## Climate crisis and COP26

This week, there has been a lot of coverage about the report from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the run up to COP26 in Glasgow later this year.
We are anticipating measurable shifts in those who see ‘climate and sustainability’
as key priorities and environmental charities are almost certainly to benefit over
the coming weeks if they proactively communicate during the window of heightened
interest and feeling.

## Tokyo Paralympics

The same predictions apply for disability charities. Disability causes have scored
relatively low interest in recent months but as the public engages with the Tokyo
Paralympics at the end of this month, we’d expect to see this boosted with renewed
interest and support.

Understanding public sentiment goes beyond what’s trending on Twitter. It goes deeper
into how people are feeling, how it’s changing their views and focus, and ultimately
how they behave.

These are critical insights for charities looking to communicate more effectively
with a deeper level of engagement, this can only be achieved by knowing what your
audiences are feeling, thinking about and how that affects their behaviour.

16 August 2021

_**Richard Spencer** is a director of research based agency **About Loyalty**, which
helps charities understand their supporters and potential supporters to grow supporter
loyalty. He’s also a member of the UK’s IOF Supporter Experience Project. Richard
was the Director for the Commission on the Donor Experience, he has held senior 
positions at RSPB, Scope and The Children’s Society._

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