Global Fundraising Research Programme

How will the current economic crisis affect your organisation over the next year?

And beyond that, what might fundraising look like in 2020?

As fundraisers, we all need plans for the future. We're currently conducting two major fundraising research projects that will help you answer these questions, and plan effectively for the future of fundraising:

Global Fundraising Confidence Survey: this project involves a worldwide online survey to 100 top international experts asking them how they have responded to the economic crisis and what areas have been most impacted. Its purpose is to guide short-term thinking and action

Global Fundraising Scenarios Project: this project involves a number of small groups of regional experts meeting in a range of worldwide locations to identify what the donors and fundraising techniques of the future will look like in 2020. Its purpose is to guide long term thinking and planning

The surveys are running between June and August 2009 with the results to be unveiled at =mc's Global Fundraising Futures Seminar in London on 10th September 2009, where copies will be distributed free to all participants.

If you are interested in the Global Fundraising Confidence Report, please email our Practice Manager Moi Tu

The project is being overseen by Bernard Ross, Director of =mc. The research work is being carried out and interpreted by David Segal, =mc's Knowledge Management Specialist who completed the first Global Fundraising Confidence Survey in October 2008.

=mc Global Fundraising Confidence Survey

How is the global economic crisis affecting fundraising?

This survey is being run for the second year following its launch in 2008 at the International Fundraising Congress in Holland.

Between June and September 2009 over 100 leading fundraisers will be surveyed on-line to establish what their views are on the impact of the recession.

Their views will help identify best practice in terms of what areas of fundraising are being affected and the action fundraisers are taking now to improve results.

The experts involved – many of whom took part in the previous survey – have regional or international status and are drawn from social welfare, health, philanthropy, culture education, consultancy, international development, childcare and human rights.

The project is designed to help fundraisers look a best practice in the context of the recession. They will address how different regions and nations, types of cause, and types of donor will be affected by the global recession. They will also answer questions about their own strategic response to the economic crisis, and how they believe fundraisers must act to minimise its effect.

=mc Global Fundraising Scenarios Project

What might fundraising look like in 2020?

This project is designed to identify possible ways forward for fundraisers in the next 5-10 years.

This project will use scenario planning, which has grown in popularity in recent times – partly in response to the unstable nature of the world economy. In scenario planning, a number of alternative possibilities are developed. Each of these is given a risk and sensitivity analysis, and then the results are used to inform flexible strategicl planning.

We are inviting fundraising experts to a number of dinners/receptions/workshops around the world between May and August 2009. These experts have regional or international status and are drawn from social welfare, health, philanthropy, education, consultancy, international development, childcare and human rights.

At each of these workshops the assembled experts will be asked to create and refine a number of options and outline scenarios. They will specifically be looking at how donors, markets and technologies might change by 2020. The results will be placed on a secure wiki to allow the experts to continue to discuss the topics online. The resulting data from the various workshops will be analysed by the =mc team and then published.