A better ask

Older donors will become more demanding and discriminating and fundraisers will have to work harder to gain their donations, A better ask, a new report by the Commission on the Voluntary Sector & Ageing predicts.

The report states that charities could enjoy a “funding bonanza” as the baby boomers retire with men and women over the age of 50 holding 80 percent of the UK’s wealth and those over 60 contributing more than half of all donations.

However the new generation of retirees is likely to be more demanding and less loyal than the current generation and fundraisers will have to adapt and innovate.

It states they are unlikely to settle for giving money away without knowing why it’s needed and how it’s used and that donors are likely to want a more engaged relationship with the organisations they donate to.

Already nearly half of all donors also volunteer and the report states this trend is likely to continue. Charities will need to develop stronger links between fundraising and volunteering programmes and offer a mix of giving, volunteering and social activity, the report states.

The report predicts that the blurring of lines between donor, volunteer and beneficiary is a trend that is likely to continue, along with more demanding consumer behaviour.

The baby boomers are likely to become more focused on a cause or issue, rather than specific organisations, which may require charities to take a more collaborative approach to fundraising, perhaps in a similar way to the Disasters Emergency Committee crisis appeals, the report suggests.

The report is based on interviews with fundraisers and donors across the sector and a roundtable event with fundraisers held in June.

To download the report visit http://voluntarysectorageing.org.