Fundraisers can’t react adequately to a uniquely Scottish landscape
Charity fundraising is suffering in Scotland because no one knows the size and the shape of the sector.
Despite the distinct nature of fundraising north of the border, it is being held back by a lack of country-specific research according to a leading third sector think tank.
According to Rogare, the problem is holding back charities’ strategic development and finances as fundraisers can’t react adequately to a uniquely Scottish landscape.
This means that Scottish giving trends and the practices of fundraisers themselves are being under-scrutinised.
Instead charities are having to rely on data culled from UK-wide research, which focusses mainly on the sector in England.
The environment in England is very different after the fundraising sector was rocked by a series of scandals that crystallised round the case of Olive Cooke, a 92 year old poppy seller from Bristol, who killed herself in 2015 allegedly after being bombarded by fundraising contacts.
Rogare’s Critical Fundraising (Scotland) Report, was researched and compiled by a task group led by Scotland-based consultant Mafe Marwick, and found things are very different in Scotland.
It called for more investment both by umbrella bodies and charities into research and analysis and also highlighted a lack of affordable professional development opportunities.
This, it said, is leading to a lack of skilled senior fundraisers across the Scottish profession and leads to recruitment difficulties and problems maintaining high standards.
Nearly a year on from the report’s publication, the situation has not changed.
Marwick told TFN: “While writing the report, we found that the main issues affecting Scotland are very interdependent.
“However, the lack of Scotland specific research and analysis underpins all other issues and has a negative effect on strategic development.
“Most of the statistics charities use on which to base fundraising decisions come from UK studies, which will exclude or not account for Scotland-specific issues, and quite a number will exclude Scotland from the studies all together.
“This makes it hard to make robust strategic decisions and for fundraisers to learn from trends, market opportunities or past activities.”
She added that cuts in public funds have required charities to diversify income streams, and since most charities in Scotland are small, many find themselves needing to raise funds without adequate expertise or resources.
Marwick also said there is evidence that restricted budgets make it difficult for Scottish charities to either employ fundraisers or invest in their training, especially in specific disciplines such as corporate fundraising, major gifts and individual giving.
Over the last few years, fundraising in England has undergone considerable scrutiny leading to the abolition of the Fundraising Standards Board, the adoption of the opt-out Telephone Preference Service and the creation of the new Fundraising Regulator for England and Wales.
Scotland also responded to the rise in public criticism of excessive fundraising approaches. But it was recognised that the landscape was different in Scotland and that self-regulation through the Scottish Fundraising Complaints Panel would be adequate.
Marwick said that there is reason to be confident that self-regulation has been a success: “After three years of disquiet regarding the changes in fundraising regulation and the implication this could have on fundraising results, Scotland seems to have found a regulating model that suits both the public and the charitable sector by offering autonomy while preserving standards, and independently assessing complaints.
“By September 2017, no complaints had been investigated by the panel, while the regulator in England and Wales was investigating four complaints a month.
“It will be interesting to know if this figure changes when the panel is better known by the Scottish public, but at present, there is reason to be confident in the present model.
Ian MacQuillin, Rogare’s director, said the report’s “analysis found that Scottish people are different from other Britons. Now is the time for that difference to be felt in fundraising, for Scotland to become an alternative locus for fundraising thought and ideas.”
