Good ask­ing: the role of research in effi­cient, effec­tive and enjoy­able fundraising. 

In this report for the Insti­tute of Fundrais­ing, researcher Beth Breeze explores the impor­tance of research in fundrais­ing and why we should cel­e­brate its use.

Written by
Beth Breeze
Added
June 07, 2017

Overview

The research activity that allows fundraisers to understand and prepare before approaching or meeting a potential donor has come under recent scrutiny’ says Dr Beth Breeze in a precis of this report. It was commissioned by the UK Institute of Fundraising to help shed light on why fundraisers need to do research and to highlight what can be achieved when this is done successfully. 

This report is therefore particularly important in such a febrile atmosphere. As one person surveyed said: ‘Without fundraising research there would be no major gift programmes anywhere’. As Dr Breeze explores, the crucial aspect is getting this research right. She notes that ‘[a study of] 82 wealthy donors found that two-thirds (65 per cent) believed that a ‘more professional approach by those seeking funds’ was a significant factor in the development of philanthropy in the UK‘.

Dr Breeze shows that ‘good, ethical and legally compliant research is not a matter for concern but for celebration. It is vital for charities, their donors and, most importantly, their beneficiaries’. We at SOFII are delighted to be able to share her crucial findings with our readers.

David Gold, CEO of recruitment consultancy Prospectus, sums this up well in his foreword:

Research undertaken by charities should be seen…as giving individuals the opportunity to support and invest in great causes, organisations and projects that will be aligned to (the donor’s) needs. Fundraisers and donors are not adversaries, we are partners in trying to achieve good things together’.

Click on the image to download the report

About the author: Beth Breeze

Dr Beth Breeze worked as a fundraiser and charity manager before co-founding the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, where she now leads a team conducting research and teaching courses on philanthropy and fundraising. She has researched and written the annual Coutts Million Pound Donor Report since 2008, co-authored Richer Lives: why rich people give (with Theresa Lloyd), The Logic of Charity: Great Expectations in Hard Times (with John Mohan) and co-edited The Philanthropy Reader (with Michael Moody). Her next book is The New Fundraisers: who organises generosity in contemporary society?

Beth has also written a wide range of research reports on topics relevant to fundraisers including ‘How Donors Choose Charities’, ‘User Views of Fundraising’ (with Jon Dean) and ‘Rising to the challenge: A study of philanthropic support for unpopular causes’ (with Alison Body). These are all freely available at https:// www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/philanth... publications/index.html

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