With countless negative stories and shouts of crisis, fundraising has some serious recovery steps to take. Rob White & a few nfpSynergy members of staff take a look at what those might be.

It’s been a tough few months for fundraising.

The complaints have rolled in. The media stories have been rolled out. Heads haven’t quite rolled, but people like William Shawcross have, quite justifiably, argued that the sector is in crisis.

The tragic death of Olive Cooke, criticism of telephone fundraising practices and the return of that old news-cycle boomerang, CEO salaries, have all damaged the sector again over the last few months.

As our latest data will show next week, trust in charities is at its lowest for eight years. The FRSB’s recent rise in trust is over with a 6% drop and a third of people have still never heard of them. Much has been written on what’s wrong with fundraising, including by us, so it’s time for a different approach. How can fundraising begin its redemption?

Everyone in our office values the sector we work for, but what would they change? As donors, as researchers and as charity enthusiasts, what do they think fundraising should do differently?

Andrew Ventham, Business Manager:

"I’d get rid of third party call centres. I’m uncomfortable with the idea of my money going to large businesses and ending up in the bank accounts of a select few people, even if it does provide fundraising services to a charity. I’d extend this to street fundraising and all other third party fundraising. Charities should employ the fundraisers and remove the risk of bypassing ethics and losing control over regulating their own fundraising. It’s too important to outsource."

Andrew’s concern is not a rare one. When we asked people what would put them off giving to charity, 62% of people said “not enough money going to the cause”. Worryingly, on average they also think charities spend a quarter of their money on fundraising. In reality, it’s much lower than that, but the public remain misinformed.

Fiona Wallace, Senior Researcher:

"I’d like to be able to just make a one-off donation and that be that. I’m worried now that if I give to a charity, I’ll be continually asked for more. Of course charities need a strategy to increase and maximise donations and a one-off shouldn’t be the default option that everyone will just be given, but it should be available. I’m about to make a £250 nfpSynergy donation and I worry I’ll be pursued as a higher value donor and constantly contacted going forward."

Fiona is not alone. Back to our question of what puts people off fundraising, 46% say “fundraisers being too persistent.” Some fundraising methods, like doorstep or telephone, really annoy 48% of the population. Fundraisers need to try and increase donations, but they also need to know how often people want to be contacted. They can only do this by asking, but how many actually do?

Patrick Brennan, Deputy Managing Director:

"I’d like to see exactly where my money goes. HMRC sent me a great graphic last year showing me how much of my taxes went on schools, hospitals and the like. I’d like charities to give me a breakdown of how much of my donation goes on fundraising, advertising, campaigning and so on. When it comes to spending on the cause, can we show donors how many nurses they funded, how much clean water they provided or what research into cancer they actually funded? It would be a wonderful way to show donors just how much of a difference they make."

Patrick’s viewpoint would also be shared plenty by of the general public. Two thirds of people think rebranding and London-based offices are a waste of money for charities, but only 19% feel the same way about advertising. There are plenty of activities charities can spend on that people are happy with, so why not show everyone exactly what impact their generosity is having?

Furthermore, if the public think spending 20% on fundraising is acceptable but you’re only spending 10%, it’s time to crow about it, preferably quite loudly from the nearest rooftop.

Fundraising is, of course, vital for charities. I’d also imagine few in the sector would argue that CEO salaries are out of control, as most charity workers appreciate the need for a great CEO, the value that one brings and the inevitable cost that employing one entails.

It’s important to remember though that it’s not fair to expect the public to understand exactly how charities work, at least without inviting them all on a two-day tour of your entire operation. Rather than shaking heads, there’s surely never been a better time to start taking some reasonable steps to bridge the gap.

Crisis or not, the sector has undeniably taken a real bashing in recent weeks. CEO salaries and fundraising practices are viable concerns and the questions will inevitably keep coming back – this isn’t the first time they’ve been raised after all.

Why, then, do we still not have an answer for them?

Nodding? Shaking? Squinting or puzzled? Leave us a comment below, we'd love to hear from you.