The Evolution of Marketing and Fundraising in the Not-For-Profit Sector

ARE WE MAKING AN IRREVERSIBLE SHIFT TO DIGITISING A SECTOR KNOWN FOR ITS GENUINE HUMAN TOUCH?

There are two trains into London. One leaves in 5 minutes, the other is delayed indefinitely. If you run now, you can make it. You can delete that paragraph to your manager grovelling about being late again. You might even get a seat this time –

 

Where there was once a clear path to your gate, a stall has magically appeared. Charity. Fundraising. A group starts to congregate, you try to push past, the escalator is clogged, you feel bad, you love charity, you want to donate, but you can’t stop now, you fumble for your ticket, a whistle sounds, oh no – “this train is now ready to depart” –

 

You’ve missed your train.

 

You wonder to yourself; how can they be raising any money? Everyone is pushing past in a rush to get to work, averting their gazes, keeping their heads down. Where is the efficiency behind placing a face-to-face fundraiser in the middle of peak public travelling?

 

In 2023, the world is impatient as ever, everyone whizzing around at lightspeed, all eyes glued onscreen, digital consumption at an all time high. Stepping into central London is itself absolutely overwhelming at the best of times. Does traditional face-to-face fundraising still have a place in places like train stations? Are we making an irreversible shift to digitising a sector known for its genuine human touch?

 

The connections a charity can make with the public, in person, can be undeniably invaluable. Raising awareness by speaking to a sincere person promoting an authentic cause is how fundraisers have been doing it for years. But during that time, what changed? Where can we pinpoint the swing in mindset?