Charity donors in or approaching retirement give almost twice as much on average than 16- to 30-year-old supporters

Charity donors in or approaching retirement give almost twice as much on average than 16- to 30-year-old supporters, according to new research from St Ives Group.

The findings reveal a ‘donor lifecycle’ of current versus future giving which will be useful for charities aiming to predict income for years to come. The results also give fundraising planners food for thought in terms of actual and latent support, and highlight the need for organisations to think more like donors whose attitudes change as they get older.

Marketing solutions provider St Ives Group, which counts Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, RNIB, Marie Curie Cancer Care and BHF as third-sector clients, conducted an extensive survey amongst a UK-representative panel of 1,000 consumers earlier this year. Key findings from the research include:

16- to 30-year-olds

• This age group currently includes the lowest proportion of regular donors (29%) but the highest level of people who said they will give more in the future (25%)
• 53% intend to widen their charity portfolio to give to causes beyond their current choices
• Donors in this group give an average of £88 a year to charity
• Online, SMS or face-to-face are their preferred media for donating

31- to 54-year-olds

• The amount of regular donors leaps to 39% in this age group, although just 6% say they will give more in the future
• Around one in three (34%) say they intend to add new charities to the list they donate to
• £112 is their average annual charity ‘spend’
• They prefer donating via direct debit, online or face-to-face

55 years and over

• This group contains the highest proportion of regular donors (53%) and the greatest share of people who give to one or more charities (72%)
• The average annual donation level increases significantly in this age group to £172; but only 8% intend to give more in the future
• Post, direct debit and face-to-face are their top payment methods.

Scott Logie, strategic marketing director, St Ives Group, said: “There is clearly untapped donor potential throughout the age spectrum – around a third of people said they don’t currently give to charity but one in seven have pledged to give more in the future.

“The findings of our survey point to a shift in mindset required amongst fundraisers. There are key insights here about what donors will spend now and in years to come, how to make it easier for them to give their hard-earned pounds and pence, and – if possible – move them from being one-off to regular givers, which has to be a charity’s ultimate goal.”