IoF chief executive Peter Lewis responded said the decline in individual giving doesn’t match what members are saying – that there has been a small increase or has it stayed the same. Lewis said data from the Civil Society Almanac should be seen to get a true picture of what people are giving.
“This is an interesting new set of data and we need to look at it more carefully and do some analysis to see what is behind the reported decline in giving. As far as we are aware it doesn’t reflect the experience of our members, with charities who have spoken to us saying that they have had an increase or giving has been at worst, flat,” Lewis said.
“We are keen to understand the data behind the headlines, particularly what types of giving and what types of charity are affected.
“We look forward to seeing how this is reflected in the Civil Society Almanac which is based on returns to the Charity Commission and reflects what people gave and not just what they said they did.”
Lewis encouraged charities to look at their own figures and trends and to think about other impacts on future earnings: “This dip does not seem to be being seen across the board. Charities need to look at their own data and monitor their own performance. They should ensure that they are monitoring not just the income that they have received but also other performance measures such as donor retention rates and participation rates that might suggest an impact on future income so that they can review their plans as needed.
“It is important that charities maintain high standards of fundraising in order to maintain their income, including using best practice supported by the Institute of Fundraising Code of Fundraising Practice and resources.”
Read the ehospice story on the UK Giving survey.
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