Looking at the motivations of donors - an overview

As part of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s commitment to helping fundraisers to grow giving for charities of all sizes up and down the country, in partnership with Opinium, we polled 2,000 people on their motivations and attitudes towards charitable giving.

The report features useful insights for fundraisers, both for practical day-to-day activities and for planning fundraising activities.  

The report highlights the differences between men and women and different age groups, to help fundraisers enhance their asks.  

Five key themes emerged from the report which are: 

• Donating money is considered the third most impactful way to support a charity. 
• Less than half of people who support a charity, feel they are making a difference to the cause. 
• Wanting to helping others is the main reason people donate to charity. 
• Too many asks to donate could stop people from supporting. 
• ‘Flexible asking’ is a new way to engage people who feel they can’t afford to support a charity.

There is a lot of factors and reasons at play to motivate why someone may or may not give to charity. The report can be used in conjunction with other guidance and resources available from the Chartered Institute.  

Charlotte Sherman, Growing Giving, Policy and Partnerships Manager at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, said: “The findings in Opinium’s report start to answer some of the most pressing questions our members have in to why and how people donate to good causes.  

It’s clear that there are some great opportunities out there for charities to reach passionate supporters, but there are also some substantial challenges. These can’t be overcome by one single organisation or group, and we look forward to working with the government and wider sector to create a fundraising environment that allows charities to thrive.”   

There’s room for growth and through the Growing Giving agenda the Chartered Institute is working with members to establish how government, societal influencers and charities can encourage more people to donate. We encourage fundraisers from across charities large and small to review the insight that has been gathered and consider it when planning your own fundraising activities.