Even the most ‘unpopular’ cause can attract donations, says University of Kent research
Howard Lake | 17 June 2015 | News
All charitable causes, including those that are deemed by some as ‘unpopular’, can generate donations, according to a report from the University of Kent, commissioned by the charity Migrant Help.
The encouraging finding is backed up by practical advice on how ‘unpopular’ causes that are struggling to raise funds can attract donations.
In the report entitled ‘Rising to the Challenge: a study of philanthropic support for ‘unpopular’ causes‘, Alison Body and Beth Breeze from the University’s Centre for Philanthropy argue that giving to all causes, large and small, ‘popular’ and ‘unpopular’, is driven by a combination of donor preference and the ‘ask effect’.
This means that people are more likely to give as a result of:
* being aware of the need and convinced of its importance.
* feeling connected to the cause and personally motivated to respond.
* being asked, ideally in a polite and compelling way by someone they know and respect.
* feeling appreciated by the charity, and gaining personal benefits that reinforce their decision to donate.
* having confidence that their contribution will make a difference to a cause they care about.
The researchers note that, despite the British public donating £10.6 billion in 2014 (the total amount donated by UK adults, according to UK Giving 2014, published by Charities Aid Foundation), the distribution of this generosity is far from evenly spread across types of cause. Charities working in the areas of mental health, addictions, domestic violence, asylum seekers and ex-offenders appear to rouse donor sympathies less.
How unpopular is unpopular?
The research report examines the destination and distribution of donations in some depth. It then discusses barriers that affect the positioning of causes and their ability to attract voluntary donations. These barriers exist at three levels:
* within the individual charities, such as investing in fundraising;
* within the potential donor pool, such as lack of connectivity the beneficiaries;
* and within wider society, such as awareness and visibility of the cause.
But it also highlights evidence that the distinction between ‘popular’ and ‘unpopular’ causes is more complex that is suggested by those, including fundraisers that argue the cancer, children and animals are always going to attract more donations.
For example, not all charities working in the same sector, whether popular or unpopular, achieve the same level of fundraising success. For example, there are nine cancer charities in the top 100 fundraising charities: why not more if cancer is such a compelling cause? Yet they do dominate the broader and presumably popular ‘health’ category: these nine cancer charities have a combined income larger than that of the 13 charities in the top 100 who serve all other types of health issue.
Even amongst health charities, less than one per cent of giving goes to mental heath charities, the rest going to physical health charities.
Indeed, there is not a single charity supporting addiction issues, ex-offenders or refugees and asylum seekers in the top 250 charities by fundraising income.
The researchers present the ideas of The Crowding Out Effect, The Construction of Sympathy, and Labelling Theory as methods of understanding popular and unpopular causes.
How can unpopular causes tackle this?
So, what can unpopular causes do to change this? The researchers advise charities to take a more positive approach to fundraising however difficult their ‘ask’ may appear. The report presents 10 tips to help charities in this position. They won’t be new to most fundraisers, but it can serve as a useful checklist for charities wishing to re-examine their approach to fundraising.
* Actively ask donors for support
* Take a holistic approach to fundraising, embedding it throughout the charities’ activities
* Invest in Fundraising
* Re-frame the cause to engage donors’ emotions
* Empower cheerleaders and friends to fundraise on your behalf
* Seize opportunities to raise your charities profile
* Make donating an easy process for donors
* Properly thank existing donors and supporters
* Demonstrate and evidence impact
* Make donors feel part of something special
The report was presented at a difficult time for many charities. Not only do charities face ongoing public sector cuts in funding, but current public concern over some fundraising practices could lead to greater restrictions on when, how and where fundraisers can ask for donations. These problems will affect both popular and unpopular charities.
Photo: Thumbs up thumbs down by Amphaiwan on Shutterstock.com
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.