Donors overly generous when surveyed about giving

Fundraising | 24 Jul 2008

A recent survey by the school found that just 11.8 per cent of respondents could accurately recount how much they had donated in the past year, while 65.3 per cent reported being more generous than they actually were. Donors to two national charities were surveyed for the project. The information they provided was then crossreferenced with the amount they had actually given.

The study concluded that honest failure of memory was a major factor, with more than one in five under-reporting their generosity. However, researchers argued that many donors had convinced themselves of a higher level of gift because of a desire to believe they’re as generous as society expects them to be.

Giving surveys came under fire in the April issue of PF, with Intelligent Giving declaring that “charity research is in a mess”.

However, those who conduct the research have defended their work. Karl Wilding, director of research at NCVO, said that while surveys may be flawed, they are consistent and useful tools in tracking trends in charitable giving.

For more information on the Bristol Business School’s report see So Why Is The Data From Giving Surveys So Unreliable?

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