Thread by @danielfluskey

Yesterday we had two new pieces of research - @cafonline on giving, and @IoFtweets & @PwC_UK on fundraising.

They're two sides of the same coin. My thoughts on why fewer people might be giving and what we can do about it (and a quick thread below) civilsociety.co.uk/voices/daniel-…

1. There’s a challenging environment for fundraising charities: economic uncertainty, costs of compliance, GDPR, substantive change in regulation. It's been tough for fundraising - what we're seeing now is the product of a whole number of factors that have built up over years.

2. Fewer people giving does not mean that people don't care anymore. They do. That's an excuse, not a reason. How they express their feelings (and what action they take), may well be changing. It’s our challenge to meet their values and expectations, not theirs to find us.

3. Is it the result of 'scandals'? No, I don't think so. That's chronlogy, not causation. There are more bigger underlying factors (though they might be less headline grabbing). As @karlwilding said ‘simply blaming a fall in public trust won’t do’.

4. It comes down to asking. What, when, and how people give is a product of how they are approached. UK Giving reports that people are less likely to be approached. It's not surprising that fewer people are giving if charities are asking less.

5. Our research shows charities have really stepped up in how they get a better, more engaged relationship with current supporters in a way that I think is different from before. This may explain why people that do give are giving more and why fewer 'approaches' are being made.

6. A combination of external factors are in play - the last few years have seen big fundraising agencies go into administration (particularly in public and telephone fundraising) & impacts of GDPR are starting to bite, especially in direct mail. Finding new supporters is tough.

7. Concerns about the economy and environment make it hard to plan. Some are doing less fundraising and pausing activity. This can be a short-term tactic to navigate a couple of tricky years, but hard as a basis of a long-term strategy.

8. If charities are less present, less visible, doing less fundraising, could that correspond with people saying that they trust charities less as they aren’t part of their daily experience? Maybe. The link to the presence of fundraising being a driver of trust is one to look

9. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Legacies have seen striking and real growth over recent years. Community fundraising seems to be performing well. And digital engagement continues to develop & innovate. But these all take time, investment, and a strong strategy to drive them.

10. Reversing a trend takes time and effort, Not something that can be ‘fixed’ overnight. In our research, the longer-term outlook from charities was relatively positive. The majority of charities surveyed predicted growth in the future three years.