The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) has just published ‘Good Asking: The Role of Research in Efficient, Effective & Enjoyable Fundraising‘, authored by Dr Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy. Beth worked with the IoF to survey over 300 fundraisers with the aim of understanding why they process and research information about their supporters, and what the benefits are for donors, charities and the wider public.
The report sheds light on the importance of fundraisers and their work. To be successful, fundraisers need to conduct research to facilitate the efficient and accurate matching of donors and the causes they might wish to support, and to do so in a way that makes the experience as pleasurable as possible for the generous donor. The report highlights that two-thirds of major donors believe that a ‘more professional approach’ by fundraisers has been a key factor in the development of philanthropy in the UK
Beth Breeze, said: “It is crystal clear that research has played a key role in successful and ethical fundraising for decades, and it is equally clear that preventing fundraisers from using publicly available information will hurt charitable beneficiaries the most.
This report shows how research also benefits donors who want – and expect – to be treated respectfully as individuals and offered meaningful participation and involvement in the causes they so generously support. Donors are flesh-and-blood people with their own unique experiences, attitudes and preferences. Research enables fundraisers to understand and treat them as such, rather than as abstract names on a database.”
Find out more and download the report on: