Finding Creative Ways to Connect Your Charity With Donors
8 March 2017 at 11:31 am
To be effective, charities need to find creative ways to connect with the public to make their voices heard and Chaos Media works with not for profits on their media strategies to make them work.
Research conducted by Roy Morgan on behalf of Chaos Media found some interesting facts on the giving habits of Australians.
Charities play an essential role in our society, delivering necessary services to our communities and to provide support to those who need assistance, often in places that government funding may not reach.
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) reports that Australian charities receive $6.8 billion in donations and bequests. However, with approximately 54,000 registered charities in Australia, the decision of which causes to donate to can often be complex.
New research commissioned by Chaos Media reveals that two-thirds (61 per cent) of Australians donate to charities or not-for-profit (NFP) organisations. The analysis also revealed that the main reason Australians donate is trust in the organisation.
The research was released to coincide with Give Now Week 2016 (28 November to 4 December 2016). It found that Australian-born Australians are more likely to “give with their heads” (58 per cent) and 48 per cent of overseas-born Australians “follow their heart” when it comes to giving to a cause.
It seems philanthropy is frequent for Australians, with a third donating to charities every month and one in three people who donate monthly will give more than $500. Young people are some of the most frequent givers, with a third of those aged 25 to 29 donating every month, while lack of awareness was found to be the key reason people do not donate to a cause.
Glenda Wynyard, co-founder of Chaos Media said: “The media plays an integral part in driving awareness for charities to educate people about the importance of their cause and why donations are critical. To be effective, charities need to find creative ways to connect with the public to make their voices heard.
“With so many great causes fighting for our attention, it makes for an incredibly competitive environment within the third sector. This ongoing generosity is vital for our communities, animal welfare and the environment.”
The research also uncovered that one in four will donate to charities that focus on issues that have affected someone they love, a friend or family member. In fact, for every $1 donated to an environmental cause $3 is given to an animal cause and $7 to a human cause.
Michael Bennett from youth mental health charity headspace commented on the findings: “We find that many of our donors and volunteers are often driven by personal experiences and feel a strong motivation to support a cause that has affected themselves or their families.The statistics speak volumes about the compassion and generosity of Australians towards their communities.”
While Samuel Marwood from wildlife fundraising platform Edge Pledge said: “These findings are incredibly encouraging, particularly the frequency and amount people in Australia are donating. However, there is still so much that needs to be done to raise awareness of the essential role that all our charities play in society. Continued support and donations are essential for the delivery of our projects.”
During Give Now Week, people were encouraged to focus their attention on the many ways we can all make a difference, particularly in the lead up to Christmas. Charities and NFPs rely not just on donations, but also people donating their time, which can be just as important for a charity to deliver on its mission.
Find out more about Chaos Media and their work at http://www.chaosmedia.com.au/.
About the Research
Research methodology: Roy Morgan conducted online research on behalf of Chaos Media of 996 participants aged over 14 years. Nationally representative quotas based on age, gender and location were applied. The data was then weighted based on current Australian Bureau of Statistics population estimates to reflect the Australian population who fall within this demographic.
An infographic showing media’s influence on donor behaviour can be found at http://www.chaosmedia.com.au/donor-media.
