How face to face fundraisers can stay optimistic in the face of the cost of living crisis
Working as a face to face fundraiser can be challenging, especially during difficult times of economic hardship.
With increased demand for charity services there’s no choice for charities but to carry on asking for help, which is why there’s such a need for face to face fundraisers. While it’s still the most effective way to gain the long term donations that charities need, you can see why it’s essential that fundraisers remain optimistic.
Face to face fundraisers already need an extra degree of positivity to do the job well and optimism is the hope that glues it all together.
A fundraiser needs to believe in the goodness of people, a better future and that they have the skills and influence to make a difference.
In the face of a cost of living crisis, we take a look at the current situation and offer several strategies to help fundraisers stay optimistic and continue to do the amazing work they do.
What’s the situation with donors and the cost of living crisis right now?
Over recent months we’ve seen inflation soar to 12% meaning that financial pressure is at its worst for donors and recipients of charity support.
According to the benefact group research about the value of giving, overall donations to charity fell from £9.3bn in 2021 to £4.3bn in 2022.
The report says
“This significant drop is likely down to the cost-of-living crisis, with UK inflation reaching 40 year highs throughout the year”.
That said, the Benefact report says that 64% of adults that donate to charity in 2018/19 rose to 76% of adults in 2022.
So actually, more people are giving than 4 years ago, but the average amount given almost halved since the pandemic. The average amount over a year dropped from £261 in 2018/19 to £101 in 2022.
According to another report from donations fundraising and events company Enthuse, 60% of donors are finding it harder to give to charity than they were six months ago, staying consistent with the previous quarter.
The report also found that the number of people donating to charity dropped from 75% to 71% over the last quarter, making it the lowest percentage of people giving since September 2021.
Households with earnings of less than £60,000 reduced giving by up to 6% between winter 22 and Spring 23.
However, for households with income of over £60,000 donations have remained steady with 80% continuing to donate to charity.
While 30% of donors under 40 say they’re going to increase how much they’ll donate to charity the same number will decrease or stop. Over 55s intend on staying put and won’t change how much they donate. Gen X (aged 43 – 58) are the group who have the largest portion saying they’ll increase donations.
So now we’ve learned a bit more about what we’re dealing with, what can fundraisers do to stay optimistic?
Focus on the positive impact
During challenging times, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and lose sight of how fundraising efforts can change things for the better.
One strategy for optimism is for fundraisers to focus on the positive impact of their work.
What are the charities able to achieve with the income you’re bringing them? How has this impacted the problem they’re trying to help with?
Fundraising for a cause can be incredibly rewarding and it's important for fundraisers to remind themselves of the impact their work has.
Remember that every penny counts
Maintaining a positive outlook means to remember that every contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference.
Encouraging donors to give whatever they can and sharing success stories, generates positivity for both sides of the conversation.
By not worrying about figures and instead focusing on the act of giving, fundraisers can stay motivated and know they’re still making progress.
Emphasise the importance of the charity’s cause
The work charities do is important! Fundraisers should always emphasise that as a way to keep their optimism up. The fact is, charities are doing something about a problem and that’s amazing.
Fundraisers should remember to look at the wider importance of their cause - how kindness and helping one another is important to society as a whole, as well as within communities. They should think about the lifeline that so many charity services offer to real people with real problems.
At Charity Link we raise regular monthly donations to pay for
Help for people living with sight loss and blindness (Guide Dogs UK)
Support for people living with cancer diagnosis (Macmillan Cancer Support)
Research that finds new ways of fighting and treating cancer (Breast Cancer Now)
Rehoming and caring for unwanted dogs (Dogs Trust)
Treating pets for owners who can’t afford to pay for treatment (PDSA)
Obviously with every one of these causes, it’s extremely important to the individuals they help it’s important to everyone!
Fundraisers should openly talk to supporters about how important their charities aid is and should regularly note how important they are in helping raise money for that charity.
This can give fundraisers a sense of purpose and fulfilment, even during the toughest of times.
Connecting with others
Building camaraderie is another effective way to stay optimistic.
Face to face fundraisers are often part of a team and it can be helpful to support each other and share experiences.
This can help create a positive work environment and make the work feel more rewarding and less isolating.
Fundraisers can seek out support from colleagues, supervisors, mentors or a trusted source to talk through challenges they may be facing as well as receive guidance and encouragement.
At Charity Link we offer a healthcare scheme that includes free stress helplines, wellness plans and free counselling sessions.
Set achievable goals
Fundraisers can also cultivate optimism by setting achievable goals and rewarding themselves for meeting them.
One of our most successful fundraisers Tom backs this theory up.
Tom says his immediate goal on every shift is just to focus on getting his first donor. Once he has that, he feels instantly more relaxed and confident that the rest will come.
Trying out fundraising strategies could be a part of goal setting, like committing to making a minimum number of contacts before having lunch, or pledge to try different times of the day for a week.
Another goal could be to remember to ask for gift aid with every donation or make a point of remembering to ask every donors name and then using it throughout their pitch.
Celebrating and rewarding small successes with simple things like a cup of coffee or a break can really make the difference with motivation and positivity.
Fundraisers should never put pressure on themselves for not hitting target because as soon as they’re stressed or panicking about numbers, it puts potential donors off. Focusing on the big picture is great, but the small victories along the way are what gets you there.
Forget perfection
Don’t let ‘perfect’ get in the way of ‘done’.
The fact is, times are challenging and you have to make allowances for that. Any idea of aiming for perfectionism when you’re operating in the middle of a crisis is just unachievable and unnecessary.
If we’ve learned anything from going through the upheaval of Brexit, the Covid pandemic, the cost of living crisis and a European war it’s that we’re all just trying to do our best with the tools we have.
Celebrate the little wins and be proud of your tenacity.
Self care
We know we’re living in a high pressure world with lots of artificial stimulation and pressure. The demands on us mentally, emotionally and physically can take its toll as we struggle to adapt and prioritise.
Living in a state of constant stress can affect us in many ways, such as damaging immunity, degrading brain and heart health and suffering from skin conditions.
So it’s important for fundraisers to take care of themselves to make sure they have the best foundations for a positive mindset.
Self care can be done through exercise, healthy eating, and self-care practices like meditation or journaling.
When fundraisers prioritise their own well-being, they’re better equipped to handle the challenges of fundraising and maintain a positive outlook.
Basically the more you invest in yourself, the better you’ll feel!
A great way to get into the habit of self care and genuinely improve your life is Miracle Morning, which is a best selling book that’s sold over 3 million copies in 37 languages and is practiced daily by people in over a hundred countries.
The premise of Miracle Morning is to follow the 6 step S.A.V.E.R.S acronym every morning to boost productivity and wellness:
Miracle Morning routine: 6 steps to boost productivity
Silence – take time in silence whether in meditation or prayer.
Affirmations – Read your affirmations aloud to align your mind to what you want from your day and your life
Visualisation – With eyes closed imagine what your perfect day or life will look like
Exercise – Move your body to get your blood flowing and your heart beating
Reading – Read something inspirational or educational that will aid your life or business
Scribing – Write down anything you feel – a blog, a journal entry, a poem – anything that helps you offload and express yourself
You can also download the free ‘Miracle Morning’ app which lets you track your progress and reminds you of what you need to do to start changing your habits for the better.
Stay informed
Much as it’s easy to get hung up on the negative news headlines, it’s important to stay informed about the progress of your cause so you get a shot of positives too.
Funds raised are making a difference and by making sure fundraisers know this information too, they’ll get that sense of purpose and motivation.
Following your charities social media platforms, subscribing to their newsletters and regularly tapping into their worlds will help fundraisers stay optimistic and focused on the overall picture.
Time keeping
Another idea about keeping optimistic is to practice effective time management.
This sounds like a strange connection, but by staying mindful about how much time you’re putting in, means to prevent burnout.
Sometimes by staying disciplined and having boundaries around your work means you can maximise your efforts and keep focused. A lot of us work better under short term pressure when we know there’s an end point.
Prioritising tasks, setting realistic timelines, and taking breaks when needed can all contribute to a more sustainable and effective approach to time keeping.
Learn more about how fundraisers can spot and deal with emotional burnout
Appreciation
Practicing gratitude is a key way to stay optimistic.
Just taking a moment to appreciate everything around you helps rebalance perspective.
As a fundraiser, you could take a moment to appreciate all the good people that are prepared to give you their time to hear about your cause.
Appreciate all the donors that have dug deep and committed to helping. Appreciate the wonderful charities that care enough to do the work to try and improve the lives of the suffering.
When you look, there are infinite things to feel grateful for. From the air we breathe to the clothes on our back to our loved ones you don’t have to look too far.
Spend a few minutes a day acknowledging and recognising that you’re one of the lucky ones and it may well boost your optimism too.
Be donor focused
Fundraisers should stop seeing donors in black and white terms. Not ‘animal lovers or not animal lovers’, ‘give money or not give money’, ‘kind or not kind’.
Instead make it about human connection.
Listen; really listen to what’s going on for that person. Sympathise with their troubles and just be kind!
If they’re not able to support the cause financially, tell them what they can do instead – even if it’s just following the charity on social media or telling a friend about them, or wearing a sticker with their logo on for the afternoon. Make the potential donor feel good about whatever they can do to help.
Taking this approach not only removes the ‘business’ element of the conversation, it’s an uplifting and positive conversation. And positive exchanges will invariably help your optimism too.
Learn more about donor identity
Overall, staying optimistic during a cost of living crisis requires a multifaceted approach. Prioritising self-care, gaining support from colleagues and mentors, using effective time management, and focusing on the positive impact of fundraising efforts.
Most importantly remember everything is temporary. The economy fluctuates and there’s always change coming. Keep the faith and stay hopeful for better times.
With these strategies in place, face to face fundraisers can continue to make a difference even during tough economic times.