Most Annoying Fundraising
21 May 2015 at 9:19 am
Almost one in two people in Britain find it “very annoying” to be asked to give to charity on their doorstep or over the telephone, according to new research.
A third of people also dislike being approached to sign up to a charity in the street, with collection buckets the preferred way to be asked for money according to the latest report from research consultancy, nfpSynergy.
The research revealed that 48 per cent of people find doorstep and telephone fundraising very annoying and only one in 10 say they understand it’s an effective way to raise money.
Telephone fundraising also has the highest "net annoyance score" (40 per cent), a rating that takes into account both those annoyed by a particular fundraising method and those who understand its effectiveness.
The survey found that 35 per cent of people say they are very annoyed about being approached by a street fundraiser and over a quarter are bothered by text messages asking for cash. Other methods that irritate the public include mail outs or letters (22 per cent), emails (20 per cent) and online adverts (14 per cent).
The new data, based on a survey of 1,000 British adults, did show that some fundraising methods sit well with the public. Over a third were happy to be asked to donate as they pass collection tins or charity buckets, while around one in five are happy with leaflets or television adverts.
People were also asked how they would want to be asked to give. Just over a quarter said they preferred via street cash collections and TV adverts, while around one in seven favoured leaflets and emails.
“This data is yet another sobering reminder of the irritation fundraising can cause and it’s become all too tempting to chase that extra pound without worrying about the long term damage,” nfpSynergy’s chief Joe Saxton said.
“The good news is, it is possible to change how people see fundraising. A decade ago, street collections were widely despised, but now a fifth of people understand they’re effective, even if they don’t really like them,” he said.
“Charities simply must listen to donors and the public because ignoring today’s irritation only makes it more difficult to raise funds tomorrow.”
