Public think charities are reaching for higher professional standards

Public think charities are reaching for higher professional standards

  • “Fundraising should be as effective as possible whilst being as unintrusive as possible - not always an easy circle to square,” Saxton comments
  • The proportion of charity supporters who see their charities as “striving to achieve the highest professional standards at all times” has risen steadily (slide 2), from 47% in 2007 to 55% in 2010 - according to new data out today.

Only one in ten (12%) of supporters now actively disagree with this sentiment.

Leading not-for-profit sector research consultancy nfpSynergy’s Charity Awareness Monitor regularly surveys a representative sample of 1000 16+ year olds throughout mainland Britain, asking them a range of charity-related questions - including how they perceive the professionalism of charities they support, and what key factors that think constitute potential barriers to giving.

Perhaps less encouragingly (slides 3 & 4), half the public (even higher incidence amongst women and 25-34 year olds) say over-persistent (50%) or intrusive fundraising (49%) would put them off giving to a particular charity; and two fifths (41%) say bad publicity would have the same effect (even higher incidence amongst those aged 65+, and lower socio-demographic groups).

nfpSynergy’s Driver of Ideas, Joe Saxton, said:

“The charity sector can by cheered by the fact that more and more supporters seemingly think charities always strive to achieve the highest professional standards. That said, this new data also suggests that charities need to make sure fundraising is as effective as possible whilst being as unintrusive as possible - not always an easy circle to square. High-profile professional standards are the bedrock of this approach - not just in fundraising but also in other areas of charities' work.”

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MEDIA COMMENT: To interview nfpSynergy’s Joe Saxton about these findings, please contact him direct on 07976 329 212 or joe.saxton@nfpsynergy.net; or, alternatively, contact Adrian Gillan (0774 086 7215; E: adrian@gillanmedia.com) for further assistance.

Note to editors:

nfpSynergy (www.nfpsynergy.net) is the UK’s only research consultancy dedicated to the charity sector and not-for-profit issues. It provides ideas, insights and information to help voluntary and community organisations thrive in an ever-changing world. Regularly harvesting the social and charity-related views of public and parliament, media and business - not to mention not for profit organisations themselves - nfpSynergy has a vast and ever-growing knowledge pool from which to extract and deliver insights.