Sophie Hudson, a writer for thirdsector.co.uk, summarized a recent FRSB survey which found that many donors were concerned that their donations went on administration and fundraising, rather than on programs and outreach. The FRSB is the independent self-regulatory body for UK fundraising.
Sophie states that, “more than two-thirds of donors say they are concerned about how their donations to charities are spent, according to new research commissioned by the Fundraising Standards Board.
A survey carried out by the research company TNS OnLineBus, which polled more than 1,000 nationally representative donor adults aged between 16 and 64, found that 68 per cent of respondents were concerned about how donations were spent.
Fifty-nine per cent said they were concerned that charities spent donations on administration and fundraising.
Older age groups were more likely to have a higher level of concern about charity donations. Resondents aged from 16 to 24 were particularly concerned about charities not respecting the people who supported them, with 57 per cent citing this as a concern.
Alistair McLean, chief executive of the FRSB, said it was crucial that charities made more effort to communicate with donors.
“Donors need to understand how it all works: where the money goes, that it costs money to raise money and that that is all right,” he said.
“If we are to alleviate donors’ concerns and build trust and confidence, we need to educate the public, conveying just how committed charities are to best practice, professionalism and accountability.”
