The Status of UK Fundraising 2020 Benchmark Report
The Status of UK Fundraising 2020 Benchmark Report
By
Institute of Fundraising
The Status of UK Fundraising 2020 Benchmark Report was carried out by Blackbaud Europe together with the Institute of Fundraising. The data was collected in May and June 2020 via an online survey of 66 questions. A total of 1,990 respondents, up from 1,012 in 2019, completed the survey from a wide range of charity types and sizes.
At a time when fundraisers rightly have a lot of focus on strategy and planning, research like this is more important than ever and I am delighted that the Chartered Institute of Fundraising has been able to work with Blackbaud again for the 2020 edition of Status of UK Fundraising. It gives us a read of the room, allows us to see how different organisations have responded during the coronavirus pandemic, and what learnings fundraisers can take back to their own organisations to help inform the decisions that are taken forward.
Throughout the current crisis, I have been blown away by the creativity, resilience, and innovation that fundraisers have shown every day. This is reflected in the research, with fundraisers that didn’t shy away from trying new and different activity now being more confident in their organisations ability to weather this storm. The number of fundraisers experimenting with types of virtual fundraising they hadn’t ventured into before, and finding success, is a testament to this.
Unsurprisingly, the pandemic is seen as the biggest challenge to overcome, but I am struck that the reasons given for managing to grow income remain the same as last year: having the right people with the right skills and being willing to innovate. This emphasises yet again that the expertise of fundraisers is our most import resource, and investing in, and valuing their talent is more important than ever.
But charities are not a monolith – some will have supporters that have been hit hard by this crisis, while others might have supporters who are both able and willing to give more. Fundraisers are concerned about the health, wellbeing and financial situations of their supporters, as well as how they can remain as relevant as possible to those they engage with – challenges that look set to continue with an uncertain economic situation stretching ahead of us. However, this empathy with supporters is a strength; it makes for better fundraising, stronger relationships, and has been vital to unlocking a wave of altruism with authentic and supporter-focused fundraising communication.
Peter Lewis, CEO Chartered Institute of Fundraising
