The truth about giving compiled from 250 million lines of data
The More Partnership has just published a great (free) booklet that illustrates some important truths about giving. The facts you'll find inside are based on analysing the supporter files of 33 British universities. That's a load of data. In just one year, it adds up to 161,000…
Why do donors stop giving?
Back in 2009, Bluefrog undertook a huge qualitative research exercise to identify and highlight the reasons why donors stop giving to charities. The paper we published at the time is as relevant today as it was then. So I thought it might be useful if…
How soon does the sorry window close?
When a friend or colleague is bereaved, it can be hard to know what to do or say. The struggle to find the right words can even end up in avoidance; all because you don't want to upset them through saying the wrong thing. The…
Why don’t all donors care about impact?
A new report on donor attitudes has just been published by Ipsos Mori. Undertaken on behalf of New Philanthropy Capital, the survey looks at issues of trust, general levels of satisfaction, thoughts on CEO salaries and the importance of impact. It was this final area…
There are three types of supporter
CAF have just released a new report that segments the UK population according to their attitude to charity. They have identified three key groups – The Civic Core, The Middle Ground and Zero Givers. The Civic Core, volunteer the most, donate most goods to shops,…
Give donors what they value and they will reward you
A new study aimed at improving our understanding of donor motivation and behaviour has just been published by New Philanthropy Capital. The report, Money for Good UK, looks at both mainstream and high-income (£150k+ household income) donors. It's a hefty 90 pages long, so whilst…
If you want people to read your appeals, remember this…
There's a very common eye condition known as presbyopia that affects about 30% of the population. But it's far more common amongst donors to charity. That's because most charity donors are well over 40 – the age where the lenses in your eyes start to…
The impact of peer-pressure on giving (or ask the stingiest people to give last)
Sarah Smith, Frank Windmeijer and Edmund Wright from the University of Bristol have just published an interesting paper on the impact of the 'peer-effect' on giving to charity. We've seen from previous studies that knowing how much someone else has given to an appeal can…
Why donors don’t want to hear from you
A report has just been published that adds to the growing body of evidence that shows many charities are still getting something wrong when it comes to donor communications. The study, commissioned by the REaD Group, asked 1,500 UK adults about their attitudes to charity…
What can you do to make your ad go viral?
One thing that the Kony 2012 phenomenon has created is a renewed interest in viral advertising amongst charities. Seth Godin and Jeff Brooks have some words of advice on your chances of achieving the same sort of impact as Invisible Children, but if you are…
The Essentials
‘Tis Halloween. Keep to the light and beware the Four Fundraisers of the Apocalypse!
Why do people give? The Donor Participation Project with Louis Diez.
A guide to fundraising on the back of a postcard
What does the latest research tell us about the state of fundraising?
How do donors manage their philanthropic budgets?