A HOLLYWOOD legend joining folk-dancers from Asturias and showing off her fancy footwork in the street is not a scene your average Oviedo resident witnesses during his or her weekly shop. Even though their northern...
Charity donations up as recession fears fade
13/06/2017
According to the latest data, 24.3% of Spanish adults regularly donate to an NGO, a figure that is 4.7 points higher than in December 2014..
"It appears that people have got over the recession, we are about to see a huge jump in the amount being donated, with surveys showing us that some six million people who currently don't donate regularly intend to do so within the next six months," said the president of the Spanish Fundraising Association (AEFR) and Director in Spain for World Vision, Javier Ruiz Gaitán, in an interview with Europa Press.
The report makes it clear that the economic upturn and the increased transparency of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in how they use funds, are fundamental when it comes to increasing the number of donors.
"There is still a small proportion of the population that doesn't trust NGOs", said Ruiz Gaitán. For that reason, it is "imperative" to have a good level of communication with the public regarding how their donations are used in order to increase the market, he added.
The importance that raising private funds is gaining, not only to sustain the third sector (the economic sector comprising non-governmental organizations and other non-profit organizations), but also for cultural, environmental and animal protection associations, was made patently clear at the recent XVII Fundraising Congress in Madrid last week.
"Fundraising was already very important for many organisations before the recession," explained Ruiz Gaitán, "but since then, many more have realised that if they want to survive, they will have to start doing it." There are numerous examples, not only of NGOs, but also of cultural foundations that have launched projects like sponsoring a theatre seat, or campaigns to bring in microdonations in order to be able to put on new shows.
This has been the biggest major change seen by the sector over the past few years: realising the importance of raising funds. "The mobilising the general public on an individual and small business level, generating private funds, has allowed us to plan our projects, and making organisations independent and sustainable is fundamental", he added.
The second major change can be seen in the level of profesionalism in the market. "Many fundraising professionals are marketing directors, and specialised training in fundraising techniques has emerged in recent years along with agencies dedicated to this sector, like those who carry out 'face to face', telemarketing, or, more recently, digital campaigns".
This growth and professionalisation was also reflected in the number of conference delegates, which for the first time ever exceeded 400.
The slogan of this year's edition - 'Together we bring about change' - echoed the changes seen so far. "The word 'together' refers to the fact that if we want to advance and create a more just society, we have to collaborate and network together. And, the second part of the slogan ('we bring about change') stresses the fact that 'fundraisers' don't only generate income, but also have to be seen as vehicles of change, as this income results in life, in improvements, in impact", concluded the AEFR president.
Photo: Red Cross flag day
Related Topics
According to the latest data, 24.3% of Spanish adults regularly donate to an NGO, a figure that is 4.7 points higher than in December 2014..
"It appears that people have got over the recession, we are about to see a huge jump in the amount being donated, with surveys showing us that some six million people who currently don't donate regularly intend to do so within the next six months," said the president of the Spanish Fundraising Association (AEFR) and Director in Spain for World Vision, Javier Ruiz Gaitán, in an interview with Europa Press.
The report makes it clear that the economic upturn and the increased transparency of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in how they use funds, are fundamental when it comes to increasing the number of donors.
"There is still a small proportion of the population that doesn't trust NGOs", said Ruiz Gaitán. For that reason, it is "imperative" to have a good level of communication with the public regarding how their donations are used in order to increase the market, he added.
The importance that raising private funds is gaining, not only to sustain the third sector (the economic sector comprising non-governmental organizations and other non-profit organizations), but also for cultural, environmental and animal protection associations, was made patently clear at the recent XVII Fundraising Congress in Madrid last week.
"Fundraising was already very important for many organisations before the recession," explained Ruiz Gaitán, "but since then, many more have realised that if they want to survive, they will have to start doing it." There are numerous examples, not only of NGOs, but also of cultural foundations that have launched projects like sponsoring a theatre seat, or campaigns to bring in microdonations in order to be able to put on new shows.
This has been the biggest major change seen by the sector over the past few years: realising the importance of raising funds. "The mobilising the general public on an individual and small business level, generating private funds, has allowed us to plan our projects, and making organisations independent and sustainable is fundamental", he added.
The second major change can be seen in the level of profesionalism in the market. "Many fundraising professionals are marketing directors, and specialised training in fundraising techniques has emerged in recent years along with agencies dedicated to this sector, like those who carry out 'face to face', telemarketing, or, more recently, digital campaigns".
This growth and professionalisation was also reflected in the number of conference delegates, which for the first time ever exceeded 400.
The slogan of this year's edition - 'Together we bring about change' - echoed the changes seen so far. "The word 'together' refers to the fact that if we want to advance and create a more just society, we have to collaborate and network together. And, the second part of the slogan ('we bring about change') stresses the fact that 'fundraisers' don't only generate income, but also have to be seen as vehicles of change, as this income results in life, in improvements, in impact", concluded the AEFR president.
Photo: Red Cross flag day
Related Topics
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