Rob Gethen Smith: Over 60 per cent of charity supporters likely to opt in if asked

27 Jun 2017 Expert insight

Blackbaud's Rob Gethen Smith has looked at the results of a recent survey the organisation undertook into data provacy, and finds that donors know what they want, but just don't know they are getting it.

  • Nearly 80 per cent of Brits think it’s important that they only receive marketing communications when they’ve given explicit consent to receive them
  • Nearly 90 per cent of Brits think it’s important to have a single, simple ‘opt-out’ button to never receive fundraising requests from a specific charity in the future
  • However, of those who regularly engage with a charity, 62 per cent would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ opt in to future fundraising communications, if asked to do so by the charity

UK charity supporters are becoming more discerning when it comes to their personal data protection; and yet there are signs of encouragement for fundraising teams as GDPR approaches. According to new independent research commissioned by Blackbaud Europe, 80 per cent of adults in the UK only want to receive marketing communications for which they have given explicit consent. Likewise, only 8 per cent think that it’s ‘not important at all’ to only receive marketing communications for which they have given explicit consent.

How important is it that you only receive marketing communications when you’ve given explicit consent?

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However, despite this growing sensitivity around supporters’ personal data, a massive 62 per cent of individuals who regularly engage with a charity would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ opt in, if asked to do so by that charity. This is a reason for significant encouragement for fundraising teams who are keen to make sure they can continue to contact the majority of their current supporter base, after May 25th 2018, using consent as the legal basis. (Remember, it’s not all about consent! Learn more about the six legal bases for processing personal data here.)

If asked by a charity you regularly engage with to ‘opt in’ to fundraising communications, would you? 

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Also, whilst the report shows that many Brits do not want to receive fundraising communications they haven’t asked for, nonetheless the majority are not aware of the upcoming changes to legislation. More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of Brits do not know what the GDPR is, and only 1-in-12 (8 per cent) think they know exactly what it is. In other words, the vast majority of consumers do not know that in less than a year, their rights will be greatly strengthened when it comes to data erasure, data portability and – of course – consent.

Do you know what the GDPR is?

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As regards UK charity regulation, when asked how important it is to them that they have a single, simple ‘opt-out’ button to ensure they never receive fundraising requests from a specific charity in the future, almost 9-in-10 (87 per cent) think it’s important, with over half (56 per cent) thinking it is ‘very important’. What’s fascinating is that, when asked separately, only just over 1-in-10 (11 per cent) of Brits have heard of the Fundraising Regulator, and incredibly only 6 per cent have heard of the Fundraising Preference Service.

How important do you think it is that you have a single, simple ‘opt-out’ button to never receive fundraising asks from all charities in the future?

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Have you heard of the Fundraising Regulator and/or the Fundraising Preference Service?

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Rob Gethen Smith, director of customer engagement for Blackbaud Europe, said of the findings: “There is plenty for UK non-profits to be encouraged by in this report. It is undeniable that UK consumers across the board are becoming more protective of their personal data – and so they should be! More and more individuals are of the opinion that their person data is theirs to do with as they wish, and this should come as no surprise. However, the fact that over 60 per cent of individuals who donate to, volunteer for, or fundraise for a charity would be likely to actively opt in to continue receiving fundraising communications, is hugely encouraging. When GDPR started being widely talked about in the charity sector last year, the fear was that opt-in rates would be in the single digits. On the strength of this report at least, it does not look like this will be the case.

“When it comes to individuals’ tolerance to charities’ direct marketing specifically, in some respects the findings are not surprising. Only 18 per cent would be more tolerant of being contacted without consent by a charity, and I think this shows not only that the poor media coverage of certain organisations over the last couple of years has had an effect, but that consumers want control. Interestingly, young people are more likely to be more tolerant: 28 per cent of under-34’s said they’d be more tolerant of being contacted without consent if it was a charity, whereas only 12 per cent of over 55’s said they would. This may give those non-profits with ageing supporter bases a particular challenge.

“But it’s also an opportunity. What’s really interesting in this report is that consumers know what they want, but they don’t know they’re getting it! With such a small proportion of the survey respondents being aware of the GDPR and the Fundraising Preference Service, there is a big opportunity to educate individuals on their new rights as European citizens, and the new regulations that UK charities operate under. Demonstrating that the UK non-profit sector is responding positively to the negative publicity it has received will go a long way to restoring supporter confidence where needed.

“There’s no doubt that the British public is one of the most committed in the world to supporting social good, and new legislation isn’t going to change that. We just have to be more transparent about what we’re doing with their data, and put more effort into demonstrating the impact of the money they give.”

The research was conducted in collaboration with Censuswide, with 1,164 respondents aged 16+ in GB between 24-25th May 2017.  The survey was conducted from a random sample of UK adults, equally representing age ranges and UK regions. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles. 

Civil Society Media wishes to thank Blackbaud for its support with this article

 

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