Donors give ideas on weathering recession

In a welcome change from surveys asking donors how badly the recession will affect their giving, a new Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) report turns the problem on its head and asks donors what they think charities should do to earn their support during difficult economic times.

How to Connect with Donors, an online survey of over 200 CAF and non-CAF donors conducted between March and June 2009, asked respondents for their views on how the recession affects charities and what they thought charities could do to alleviate the effects of the recession.

The report on the findings  identifies four broad areas in which charities could take action in order to demonstrate they are efficient, effective, and adopting cutting edge practices:

• Show responsiveness to changing times by making changes in the way they communicate, generate income and spend their money.
• Demonstrate sharpened prowess by demonstrating efficiency, impact and transparency, and by reviewing their finance to cut costs and consider partnering with other charites.
• Use electronic communcatiosn to reach donors, in particular respondents urged charities to embrace new media techniques, in particular by using email instead of direct mail, and by having a presence on social networking sites such as Twitter and facebook.
• Ensure diversification of resources by making better use of volunteers, increased investment in fundraising and launching new trading activities.

The report concludes: “Charities are busy trying to navigate their way to the calmer seas of economic stability and it is hoped that this report offers useful direction to fundraising charities on the actions that they should take… In this environment, it is more vital than ever that charities stay informed about expressed donor preferences and be ready to adapt to capitalise on them as quickly and efficiently as possible. The key in the recession is for charity fundraisers and marketers to continue to tap into new trends and preferences to ensure that they are in tune with shifting donor behaviours.”

Liz Goodey, CAF head of research at CAF, says: “This report confirms that donors are concerned about charities in the current economic climate, and have a view on how charities could change the way that they operate. This is an opportunity for charities to hear donor suggestions on what they can do to keep their operations running whilst keeping donors happy.”