Why should I donate to your charity?

I get asked this question quite a lot – Why should I donate to your charity?

So I thought I’d visit this very topic in this post (albeit, objectively).

A blunt version of the answer is - I can't tell you. What I can do is provide you with the things you need to make an informed decision, but ultimately, I can't give you a reason to donate.

I can’t tar every charity with the same brush. There’s hundreds of thousands of registered charities in the UK, all with differing missions, visions, and values. Some have paid members of staff, others are completely voluntary. Some fund projects locally, others internationally.

The important thing that all charities share is that they all exist to create a better or more equal society, locally, nationally or globally.

I want to digress slightly and invite you to consider how private businesses are operated. Trust me on this one.

  

Any successful business has strong values, a good clear strategy, and a structure of investment to help them achieve their goals. Okay, sometimes greed can take over in the private sector leading to scandals and unethical practice, but ultimately, their methods of being the best are worth emulating. As consumers we buy from companies that we know, like and trust. Often this comes from clear and honest ambitions and values (rather than awful ad campaigns).

Is there a difference in how a good charity should be run in comparison to a successful, profitable business? Absolutely not.

Consider Bill Gates, one of the most successful business people in the world. He once said (and I’m paraphrasing here), that if any charity was to have sustained impact, it must be conducted like a business – with discipline, strategy and a strong focus on outcomes. Donors should be seen as stakeholders who expect a return on their investment through achievement of the charitable aims.

So for donors, when you give your money to charity you need to think of it as an investment, rather than an instant contribution to something specific. After all, it’s not like you donate £1, and the person who received that £1 then nips over to the shops to buy a test-tube.

As a donor, focusing on “penny to pound” cost ratios means nothing. It’s impossible to run any organisation on an 8p to the £1 ratio, and often this is twisting statistics. 

Your focus should be on the charity’s mission, vision, values and, importantly, their success. Afterall, it’s the end result that’s important, right?

When you consider supporting a charity, look at their values and make sure they align with what you value. I’m proud to be part of a charity that has very strong core values, and a professional approach that brings outstanding results. I am also a proud supporter of other causes, small and large, new and old, that I can identify with.

Donors should take pride in supporting their charity. You should feel like the core values were written for you, and that your investment is a wise one.

Consider this scenario. A new charity, aiming to provide a dedicated service to the public that doesn’t yet exist, is asking you to donate to them. The charity has clearly defined goals, shares it’s core values with you, and invites you to be part of the foundations. Imagine the pride you will feel after you’ve donated £10, and two years down the line they are incredibly successful and raising millions a year. It was your £10 that helped achieve that. Your £10 was wisely and appropriately invested, and the end result is an independent and successful public service improving the lives of thousands around the UK.

  

My experience of volunteering, working for, and contributing to some amazing charities has led me to rethink the way I donate. I look at the bigger picture, I look at the fit between my values and the values of the charity, and I learn to trust the charity with my hard earned pennies. 


For me, that's what does it. Everybody's different when it comes to donating to charities, and some people consider other approaches. What do you look at when you consider donating to a charity?

Thanks for reading!

D