Fundraising is a crucial part of Christmas

By Diane Mackie, Institute of Fundraising

Christmas is the season of goodwill but the reality is that most people don’t give to charity -even at this time of the year - unless they are asked to first.

What’s more they are unlikely to continue to make donations to a cause if their gift is not appropriately acknowledged or their support encouraged by the charity. 

This is where the crucial role of charity fundraisers comes in.  They harness the desire many people have to make the world a better place, bringing money in to their charities from new individual supporters as well as ensuring continued support from existing donors.  The Institute of Fundraising is the professional membership body for fundraisers, setting the standards for all those who raise money for charity.

And although fundraising happens all year round, the Christmas period is a really important time for charities and fundraisers who want to tap into the goodwill traditionally associated with the season.

But with so many charities out there working hard to raise funds and to help people and causes, standing out from the crowd can be a significant challenge.

Getting the message across

To my mind it’s all about clear communication.  Charities need to be able to articulate clearly to potential donors getting across messages such as ‘what problem in the world does their cause exists to help resolve?’ or  ‘How can a single donor make a big difference to our work?’ or ‘is there a special service at Christmas which we can tell people about?’

Charities deal in issues and projects which can inspire emotional and heartfelt responses, so they need to try to harness this sort of messaging wherever they can in the way they ask for money and promote their fundraising initiatives. 

Of course, the current economic environment and impact of spending cuts mean that the heat is on for charities. There is intense competition for donations as many people have less money these days. Some charities have had to restructure the services they provide to those in need. 

But the fact remains that many people do love to support charity, particularly at Christmas time – some good examples of seasonal fundraising include encouraging people to make a donation to a Christmas appeal, selling Christmas cards or gifts, and arranging carol concerts in aid of charity.   

And with online channels rivalling traditional forms of communication, particularly for younger people, there is certainly a part for online giving to play at this time of year – especially when many people are busy coping with the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  Online donation sites such as MyDonate, can make it easy to give money to charities, in a way that is tax-effective, making your fundraising appeal look attractive to others – and for charities to collect much needed income efficiently. 

Charities need to work harder than ever for your donations, even at Christmas time.  For the sake of those in need, long may people continue to give to, and support, charities across the UK.