Four in ten say financial worries ‘will make it harder to donate’ this Christmas

A survey has found that 43% of people believe their challenging financial situation will make it harder to donate to charities this Christmas than in previous years.

The findings have emerged in a survey of 2,000 people carried out by fundraising platform Enthuse for its quarterly Donor Pulse report.

Despite concerns around their finances amid the Covid-19 crisis, just under three quarters (73%) of people still plan to give money to charities over the festive season. This is up 5% on the same time last year.

But Enthuse founder and CEO Chester Mojay-Sinclaire warns that the financial issues facing donors present a “key challenge for charities” to convert “festive donors into regular givers” this time around.

Another challenge charities face in converting Christmas support into long term donor relationships is rising numbers of people opting out of marketing communications, Enthuse said.

Its report found 39% of people are opting out of marketing communications, compared to 36% who are opting in.

Among those opting out, more than half (51%) do not want to receive emails asking for further donations. Another concern is data management, with 49% fearing potential data breaches and the sharing of their personal details.



The research has also found that Generation Z is most likely to donate, and is likely to give more, this Christmas. More than three quarters (78%) of this age group intend to donate ahead of Christmas, with the average maximum donation likely to be £53.

Meanwhile, a similar proportion (74%) of millennials are planning a festive donation.

“Charities would do well to ensure they target these age groups specifically with relevant campaigns to convert these donors,” said Enthuse.

Meanwhile, the average Christmas donation of 55–64-year-olds is £33.

In November a separate report by Enthuse revealed the best days, time of day and social media platforms for charity fundraising campaigns this Christmas.

This found that between 10am and 1pm was a key time for people to consider giving.

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