Report shows match-funding encourages public donations
Melanie May | 12 July 2016 | News
More people are likely to donate to charity and give more money if they know their donation will be match-funded, according to a report co-commissioned by The Big Give, RBS and Charities Trust.
The research reveals that donors give 2.5 times more to charity on average when they know their donations will be match-funded. The average value of a matched donation was £333 compared with only £132 for those that were un-matched.
In addition, the research shows that:
- 84% of respondents felt that they were more likely to give if matching was offered.
- Over one third (37%) of respondents said that they only gave to a matched funded appeal because of the match funding.
- One in three donors (36%) said that they gave a larger gift because matching was applied to their donation.
- Match-funding was rated the most likely factor to encourage donors to give more, scoring more highly than emergency appeals, and Christmas or other religious or cultural festivals.
- 38% of respondents said that matching was ‘very likely’ to make them give more to charity, with a further 47% being ‘quite likely’ to give more as a result of matching.
The report also identifies a growth in the number of leading companies in the UK that are now offering match-funding to their employees, who donate money via payroll giving schemes or through fundraising activities.
Alex Day, director of the Big Give, said:
“In a time where fundraising is under increasing scrutiny, it is vital for funders and charities to work together to find innovative ways to encourage donations from the public. The research shows that match-funding is a fantastic way to not just incentivise donations but to truly create a situation where the sum is greater than the parts.”
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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.