Charities are getting more vocal – and it’s working

Since COVID-19 hit, a desire to help those in need has swept across the nation.

Now more than ever, people want to contribute. Giving back and supporting good causes helps us feel connected and purposeful – especially during such uncertain times. 

Should my charity highlight the impact on beneficiaries?

From homelessness to domestic abuse, the pandemic has profoundly affected those who are most vulnerable. Yet, rather than pushing vital causes into the shadows, the unfolding crisis has thrown a spotlight on them, and media coverage of the need for charitable services has increased.

The public is highly receptive and ready to help, as demonstrated by the incredible success of recent emergency appeals – they want to hear from you.

Where appropriate, it’s definitely worth letting your supporters know what implications COVID-19 might have for your beneficiaries, as well as running COVID-19-specific emergency appeals.

In our new report, The Impact of COVID-19 on Individual Giving, data gathered from February through to April shows emergency appeals outperforming forecast expectations by 40% – a fantastic result indicative of the altruistic mood nationwide. 

How can my charity harness this goodwill?

In just six weeks, a recent raffle campaign by a well-known medical research charity response rates increase by 169% and the average gift by 27% compared to the same campaign in 2019; this has nearly doubled the income the charity achieved over the whole 12 week period last year.

In general, we’ve seen the average gift across like-for-like cash campaigns rise from £20 to £21, and forecast response rates were outperformed by 25%. 

In other words: now is the ideal time to reach out to your current supporters for help. Your campaigns are continuing to work, emergency appeals are proving highly effective, and donors remain willing to give.

We recommend you carry on fundraising, using a mix of direct mail and digital channels across emergency appeals and traditional campaigns, for acquisition and retention. If you can, try to find a unifying element in your messaging, one both your beneficiaries and supporters can connect with – after all, we’re in this together. 

How quickly can you organise an emergency appeal? 

We have decades of experience in delivering industry-leading fundraising services. From our first discussion with you, we can set up emergency appeals for processing in as little as two weeks.

Our team can coordinate appeals and campaigns end-to-end, covering everything from mass mailings and response handling to payment processing and fulfilment. We’ll support you every step of the way. 

On May 28, we’re running a one-hour webinar. Gina Almond of Blind Veterans UK, Jo Stone of Battersea, and Ella Pierce of Sightsavers will share their stories of how COVID-19 has impacted finance streams. We’ll also discuss useful insights from our report, ‘next steps,’ and finish with a Q&A. To register for the webinar, please click here.