Charities engaging with the community
From small local groups run entirely by volunteers to major global organisations, the charity sector cannot survive without public donations. In fact, public donations remained the largest income source for voluntary organisations - amounting to £22.9bn in 2016/17.Unfortunately, recent years have proven turbulent for the some of the biggest and once most trusted charities. However, charities can successfully reconnect with communities and inspire donations.
Turmoil hitting charities
A two-year inquiry by Civil Society revealed the need for widespread changes and radical reform within the charity sector. It also highlighted a need to urgently take on societal challenges posed by a cocktail of demographic, digital, economic and environmental turmoil.
The Spiral of Dynamics, developed by Clare Graves, explains how and why some of these wider societal changes are impacting the charity sector. At the base point of the spiral is “instinctive survival” - as society develops, and time progresses, individuals look to broaden their horizons, to better themselves and form communities. As communities begin to integrate, we seek to improve our wider surroundings and society through personal actions or charitable giving.
When we hit troubled economic or political times, either individually or as a nation, we fall back down the spiral in both our outlook and action. Community giving tends to be shelved in favour of personal survival and self-preservation. Unfortunately, for the charity sector, the UK has faced a sustained period of uncertainty. The 2007/8 economic collapse, divisive impact of Brexit and most recently the General Election have all caused people to look inward and away from altruistic giving.
Alongside this, some charities are having to grapple with growing mistrust following a handful of high profile scandals and reports of poor fundraising practice. In 2015 a number of UK charities - including Oxfam, Save the Children and the NSPCC - faced accusations of unethical and exploitative fundraising methods. The tragic death of 92-year-old Olive Cooke sparked anger and raised a number of questions, with Olive reportedly receiving around 3,000 mailings from an array of charities in the 12 months leading up to her death.
So, despite this uncertain backdrop, how can particularly the biggest charities re-establish donor trust and re-engage with local communities?
Build your local connections
Interestingly, a recent study published in Marketing Week found that engaged donors are likely to give 50% more on average per year, so building your local presence must be a priority.
Impersonal marketing materials, while cheap to produce, often prove ineffective. By producing localised marketing materials or perhaps signing up to an online community giving platform, you are far more likely to engage with donors and tap into local issues. After all, by understanding what motivates a community, you have a stronger chance of inspiring donations and long term engagement.
Furthermore, a report by the Charity Commission heavily criticised the sector’s intrusive and often aggressive marketing methods. The report specifically referenced how direct marketing campaigns, i.e. persistent leafletting or repetitive email spam, placed too much pressure on individuals to donate. The report argued that potential donors should feel inspired by a specific cause, event or project – making localised campaigns even more of a priority.
Larger charities, with a pool of available resources, could consider empowering their local teams by developing a more bottom up organisational structure. They should offer local representatives the opportunity to design a localised campaign or project. By collaborating with these localised teams and community groups, you are far more likely to understand the specific problem and strengthen the chance of securing long term donations.
Connect with local businesses
Connecting with local businesses is another tried and tested way charities can amplify their presence. Corporate and social responsibility is increasingly important for businesses, of all sizes, and it impacts significantly on their ability to hire the top talent and win future business.
Smaller charities must capitalise on this and seize the opportunity by introducing new technology, designed to facilitate this relationship.
Larger charities, which are likely to enjoy a regular stream of donations from big businesses, should not overlook the emerging role of technology. As a society, we are now expecting more from big businesses – whether in committing to a reduction in emissions or outlining more ambitious commitments to improve the wider community. Online platforms offer a secure, reliable and transparent way for CSR activity to be tracked and reported on.
Take part in community outreach
If your charity does not have a visible community presence or “shop front”, this will be another issue impacting on its ability to engage with donors. In fact, just one face-to-face interaction can make a massive difference to supporters’ engagement levels.
Following a conversation in a shop or at a charity event, donors are far more likely to feel inspired by a cause or project. In times of uncertainty, people are unlikely to give altruistically to wider long term causes, but a positive human interaction could alter this standpoint and persuade them otherwise. After all, a conversation is far more likely to resonate with an individual than an impersonal email or leaflet.
For smaller charities, weekly or even monthly community outreach is simply unrealistic. Free online giving platforms can fill this gap, facilitating regular communication between charities and donors through automated processes and email notifications.
The charity sector continues to inspire donations from all corners of society, and despite uncertainties, the public continues to show a strong desire to donate and engage in charitable giving. In fact, one of the current online payment providers highlighted that as a nation we donated over £33.8 million via its service in 2019. In order to sustain this and increase it further, the sector must embrace new technology. Technology - which stands to transform how the sector interacts - engages and nurtures relationships with its donors and wider communities.
