Sarah Nathan  

Since completing our last round of public research in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland over the summer of 2024, we have had the chance to present at The Charted Institute of Fundraising’s conference in Scotland and the spring fundraising forum in Northern Ireland. Speaking at these events, has provided us with an opportunity to reflect on some of the findings from our research and look specifically at what it means for fundraisers in each nation. Today we would like to share what we think are the top three takeaways from the research.  
 

1. Keep messaging simple to cut through in gloomy times

Through our sector research, we have found that across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, no nation believes things are heading in the right direction. This widespread pessimism is perhaps unsurprising when the news headlines are dominated by issues affecting daily life; for example, NHS waiting lists, the cost-of-living crisis, child poverty, mental health challenges, and the housing crisis, to name just a few. Positive news is hard to come by these days.

So, how can charities break through this pessimism and encourage engagement?

We know that past experience of progress shapes future optimism. This is true for the general public across a broad range of situations, from health conditions to global affairs. When people see little progress in a specific area over time, they struggle to believe change is possible in the future. This is a problem for fundraisers who are essentially selling a belief in the possibility of change. For example, despite significant strides in reducing global poverty over the last two decades, public awareness of these achievements remains low. Marketing in this space often highlights the problems rather than the progress, leading to only 16% of the public believing that the situation has improved and an even smaller portion (13%) believing it will improve in the future.

In contrast, just over a third of the public believe the situation has improved for cancer, and 32% are feeling optimistic about the future. Messaging in the area of cancer is often built around hope and progress, emphasising breakthroughs and utilsing powerful messaging such as “Together we can defeat cancer”. Therefore, in this downbeat climate, we can see the power of focussing of on real successes and using simple messages to show how you can make a concrete difference.  
 

2. Emphasise your local credentials, even as a national brand – the desire to support local organisations has never been higher

There is a strong feeling across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that the public would prefer to give to local charities. In Wales and Northern Ireland, public sentiment is mostly split between supporting a local charity (25% and 31% respectively) and a national one within their own country (Wales 34%, Northern Ireland 36%). In Scotland, while a quarter of the public preferred to support a local charity, just over 40% wanted to give to Scottish charities.

This focus on localism is further concentrated when we look at where the public would like to see their donation spent, with well over half the public in Scotland and Northern Ireland preferring to see their donation spent within their own borders. In Wales, although a smaller number of people wished to see their donation spent within Wales, it was still the most preferred option, ahead of a desire to see it spent across the UK or internationally.

The public’s heightened focus on localism highlights how people want to see the impact of their generosity right in front of them. It is vital to emphasise your local credentials when engaging with the public, even as a national brand. Luckily, the public’s definition of local can be broad – our qualitative research suggests that visibility of your brand through something as simple as charity shops or volunteer groups can be enough for people to see you as a local organisation.
 

3. Most people are remembering less fundraising now than in recent years – there is room for more growth and investment.

There is an increasingly positive outlook on giving across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The percentage of people who have donated to charity in the past three months has now matched, or even exceeded, pre-pandemic levels. Looking ahead, a net positive proportion of the public are also expecting to give more in the coming year.  

However, there is still room for improvement when it comes to visibility of fundraising activities with the public. One of the measures we have been tracking for a long time is recall of fundraising. We ask the public if they have been asked for money by charities in the past 3 months across a range of different channels. Overall, we have seen that the number of people that are able to remember being asked for money by a charity, across the spectrum of channels, is significantly lower than in recent years. For example, in 2019 in Northern Ireland, recall of fundraising face-to-face on the street was at a high of 43% but in 2024 this stood at just 34% - a recovery since the pandemic but still not back to the status quo ante. This is a pattern we have seen across a majority of fundraising channels, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These declines in the public’s ability to remember encountering fundraising come at a time when we know media spend across charities has been increasing, which can be frustrating for organisations prioritising fundraising and comms. Unfortunately, this reflects that charities are now operating in a more competitive market. It is a difficult time for charities to have cut through but this makes it all the more important to make the business case for investment in media and fundraising.  

There is a great deal of uncertainty ahead for charities across the UK and as costs rise and government funding recedes, fundraising will likely be all the more important. By keeping messaging simple and focusing on real successes, charities can break through widespread pessimism. Emphasising local impact aligns with the public’s growing desire to support causes closer to home, while increased investment in fundraising can help charities stand out in an ever-competitive space. While the road ahead may be complex, these strategies can help fundraisers navigate the challenges and maximise their impact with the public across the devolved nations.

If you want to learn more about our research in this field or any of our work across the Devolved Nations public, consider downloading a briefing pack below or contact Sarah Nathan on sarah.nathan@nfpresearch.com