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Charities hit by credit crunch

Charitable donations are suffering because of the current economic downturn according to a recent survey.

Half of those questioned in a telephone poll indicated that their current financial position had limited their donations to those affected by the cyclone in Burma.

This was in spite of the fact that awareness of aid appeals for victims of the Burma cyclone was high at 83 per cent and that over half (56 per cent) felt that not enough is being done to help those affected.

The research by NEMS, a market research company with a 25 year pedigree, also found that concern about finances meant that 31 per cent of those who regularly donate to charity expect to donate less in the near future.

NEMS Director Geoff Siggens - who, in his spare time, helps his wife run a pet rescue centre - says that charities have to make the most of the money they have, especially in the lean times.

"When donations slump as members of the public tighten their purse strings during a downturn in the economy, a charity’s marketing budget is often the first thing to be hit," he points out.

"Naturally I would argue that this is the wrong thing to do but, if it has to be, then charities need to make the money they do have work much more effectively for them."

NEMS, which has already carried out work successfully on behalf of a number of charitable organisations, is offering charities the chance to a free question for every two they buy, on top of the existing rate card discount, during the summer months.

Geoff adds: "Market research is a great way to determine awareness of a cause, effectiveness of a campaign or the way forward strategy-wise but not all charities can afford to explore such a method so we are offering a helping hand."

NEMS, which is based in the North East of England but has major clients all over the country, is happy to advise charities on the best questions to pose within one of its twice-weekly omnibus surveys, in order to achieve their objectives. And the charities will have the resulting data within 2 days of interviews being completed.

Further information is available from Geoff Siggens, Director, NEMS Market Research. Tel 01642 373355