Charity attitudes towards online fundraising

Charlotte Harris

Justgiving

Summer 2008

Introduction…

• These are the results of an online survey taken in the Summer 2008 by charities who use Justgiving

• Individuals from 656 charities responded with their views

• Results were revealed in the January 2009 edition of Professional Fundraising magazine: http://www.professionalfundraising.co.uk/home/content.php?id=1596&pg=4&cat=96

Which of these statements is closest to how you see your charity’s use of online fundraising?

57%

22%

16%

5%

I feel we’re having a good go, but could dobetter.

I feel we’re trailing other charities, but we'renot sure what to do next.

I feel we’re way behind.

I feel we’re making the most of onlinefundraising.

As a source of fundraising income, over the past 12-18 months has the Internet...

21%

44%

26%

9%

exceeded expectations?

met expectations?

not quite met expectations?

been very disappointing?

Thinking about online fundraising, which of these statements best describes the current staffing situation at your organisation?

91%

5%

3%

1%

It’s one of many jobs that I (or one of mycolleagues) have on the list.

We have one dedicated member of staff foronline fundraising.

We have 2-4 dedicated members of staff foronline fundraising.

We have 5 or more dedicated members of stafffor online fundraising.

Off the top of your head, when thinking about the amount of money you raise from individuals (not including legacies or major gifts), what proportion do you think you raise online compared with traditional ‘offline’ routes?

49%

21%

12%

3%

13%

2%0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

0 - 10% is raised online. 11 – 30% is raised online. 31 – 60% is raised online. 61 – 100% is raisedonline.

I don’t know. I'd rather not say.

What do you think are the barriers in your organisation either to using the Internet for fundraising or to using it more that you currently do? You can choose more than one.

64%

45%

44%

41%

36%

29%

25%

21%

20%

5%

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Sector opinion (eg until there is greater sectorconfidence in the medium, we're hesitant to

move forward)

Leadership (eg there's a lack of understandingof the medium or its value at a senior decision-

making level)

Risk (eg it's uncharted territory - otherprogrammes generate money in the here and

now)

Scope (eg it's such a massive area, we mightend up biting off more than we can chew)

Cultural (eg decision-making on this issue takestime)

Technological (eg we don't feel we have thetechnology in place to move forward any

further)

Database (eg getting our database to work withthe requirements of online giving is difficult and

we don't have the capacity to address it)

Staff understanding/expertise (eg it's a bit of agrey area for us)

Financial (eg we cant afford to invest in thisarea at the moment)

Resource (eg we've got too much on as it is)

Please consider the following statements and indicate whether you...

1%

1%

1%

2%

3%

3%

3%

4%

4%

5%

8%

8%

10%

11%

24%

8%

10%

14%

16%

31%

42%

38%

21%

25%

31%

38%

33%

54%

43%

55%

22%

21%

31%

19%

25%

31%

40%

28%

26%

34%

28%

30%

17%

28%

14%

48%

50%

36%

46%

31%

20%

18%

39%

39%

20%

20%

20%

17%

15%

6%

21%

19%

18%

17%

10%

3%

3%

9%

6%

9%

6%

8%

2%

3%

1%

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

We compare profiles of online and offline donors.

We have a specific donor development plan for our online donors.

Our organisation is prepared to take risks when investing in onlinegiving.

We keep up-to-date with online giving (eg attending specialistconferences, membership of relevant IoF special interest groups).

We’re recruiting new donors via our online strategy.

I feel confident in our ability to harness online fundraising for ourcharity.

We are starting to see a return on Internet fundraising and areprepared to invest more in it.

We have a planned online fundraising strategy.

I do not feel confident in our understanding of online giving.

Our CEO is involved in our online fundraising strategy and/orunderstands the potential.

It is our fundraisers who are leading the organisational use of theInternet.

Our Director of Fundraising is involved in our online fundraisingstrategy and/or understands the potential.

Online fundraising is ad hoc.

I am excited by the potential of social networking and unleashing oursupporters’ creativity.

I would like to have the time to investigate more about the Internetand fundraising.

strongly agree agree neither agree nor disagree disagree strongly disagree