The Institute of Fundraising and NCVO are in talks to develop a giving and fundraising almanac to strengthen and combine research into philanthropy and fundraising, the organisations revealed yesterday.
Speaking at a panel debate on giving data at the Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention, Institute chief executive Peter Lewis and NCVO’s director of public policy Karl Wilding initially sparred over last year’s UK Giving report, which estimated a 20 per cent decline in individual giving, but said they are committed to working together, particularly in a joint venture almanac.
NCVO produces the Civil Society Almanac each year which draws together data from government, industry and NCVO’s own research. However, this looks at trends in giving, not fundraising.
After criticising the UK Giving report, which he described as unhelpful in potentially creating norms of low giving, Peter Lewis declared “love is breaking out” between the NCVO and the Institute.
Discussions about creating a ‘Giving and Fundraising Almanac’ are still in the early stages, but it would involve pulling together and analysing the year’s research on both asking and giving. The NCVO and Institute are in the process of finding funding for the project. Lewis told civilsociety.co.uk that such a project would not be expensive, potentially costing in the region of £25,000.
The panel, which saw Wilding and Lewis joined by Prof Cathy Pharoah and Prof Jen Shang, ended with not a single individual in the audience raising their hand in agreement with the statement that they have, at present, the right data on giving and fundraising.
Wilding: UK Giving messaging not right
In opening statements, Lewis took a shot at the UK Giving report, arguing that the headline that giving was down by 20 per cent “is not true”. Lewis said the public argument within the sector which followed the release of the report last year was unhelpful.
Wilding acknowledged that it may have been unhelpful that the top-line figure took away from the nuance of the research.
“I don’t think we got the messaging right,” said Wilding. “But I stand in front of you and say I absolutely stand by the research.”
Wilding cautioned fundraisers against unrealistic expectations about what research into giving and asking can actually uncover.
“I want you to be realistic about what we do,” he said. “Some of what you want us to measure, we can’t.”
Wilding said that the research community needed to get better at communicating with fundraisers, but argued against a “field of dreams” approach, whereby ‘if you build it, they will come’.
The newly-in-post director of public policy said that the sector too needs to better distinguish between quality research and “crappy web-based surveys that organisations are trying to sell you”.
Cass Business School’s Cathy Pharoah offered her support for the UK Giving report, but dismissed a question from the audience that a thirst for data – particularly into donor behaviour and motivation - meant that fundraising could become too homogenised.
“There’s far too much homogenity among fundraising already,” she said. “It’s the most homogenised approach I’ve ever come across.”
