[Podcast] Episode 14: What Makes People Give? Charity Fundraising in 2026

Winning a donor’s attention starts with understanding their circumstances. Charities also need to earn their trust and give them a clear reason to act. Together, these considerations shape the advertising message and where it appears.

In this episode, Natalie and Jess from All Response Media explore the charity fundraising landscape. They draw on experience across the UK and European markets. In particular, they discuss changing donor behaviour, regular giving, legacy donations and building stronger connections through advertising.

The conversation also covers audience mood, longer video storytelling, QR codes and creative testing. Throughout the episode, they share practical ideas to help charities make their marketing investment work harder.

Watch the full episode or read the blog below.

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4YQsYqcHY4dLTlFrgBrPeM?si=EzzLTXjBRKqfmtJQfI0dLg

What Makes People Give? Charity Fundraising in 2026

A fundraising campaign asks people to make a choice. First, they need to understand the cause and trust the organisation. They also need to believe their contribution can make a difference.

Natalie and Jess explore how clearer messaging and thoughtful media planning can support that decision. Beyond the initial response, they consider how charities can develop the donor relationship.

Their discussion therefore connects campaign performance with the relationships charities want to build over time.

Understanding the Pressures Facing Donors

Financial pressure provides an important backdrop to the conversation. Households are weighing essential costs against charitable giving. As a result, committing to a regular donation can become a more considered decision.

Natalie and Jess discuss how this affects charities competing for attention and support. In response, fundraising messages need to explain why someone should give and what their contribution will support. The commitment involved should also be clear.

Transparency matters throughout this process. After all, people need to understand the organisation and its work before deciding to support it. This applies to both one-off donations and ongoing relationships.

Building Relationships Through Regular Giving and Legacy Donations

Different types of giving create different opportunities for charities. For example, regular donations can support an ongoing relationship. Legacy giving, however, involves a longer decision-making process and a substantial level of trust.

The episode explores how legacy fundraising is developing across markets, including the UK and the Netherlands. It also considers how charities can introduce the idea earlier in a donor’s relationship with an organisation.

For marketers, this raises an important planning question. How can today’s communication support a relationship that may develop over many years?

Campaign objectives and measurement therefore need to reflect the time involved. In particular, the eventual contribution may sit well beyond an immediate response window.

Creating a Reason to Act Through Prize Draws

Prize draws, raffles and lotteries introduce a clear deadline into a fundraising campaign. In turn, that closing date gives charities a focus for their media, messaging and reminders.

Natalie discusses how activity can build as the deadline approaches. As a result, charities can create momentum and give people a specific reason to respond.

Meanwhile, Jess highlights the opportunity for ongoing communication. People may check emails, visit a website or follow prize updates more regularly. These interactions also give charities further opportunities to explain their work and build familiarity.

Over time, that initial engagement could develop into a lasting donor relationship.

Reaching People in a Receptive Moment

Audience attention is a central theme of the episode. People often divide their attention between television, their phones and other activities. Consequently, the viewing context becomes an important part of media planning.

Natalie and Jess discuss environments where they have seen audiences become more engaged. For example, they explore live sport and shared viewing occasions.

They also consider mood through All Response Media’s Work.Rest.Play approach. Someone who feels relaxed and engaged may be more receptive to a fundraising message. In contrast, stress, tiredness and distraction can create a different response.

For charity marketers, this encourages a broader view of audience planning. Alongside audience demographics, consider what people will be doing and how receptive they may feel.

Giving the Story Enough Time to Build Trust

Longer video formats give charities more space to explain their work. For example, they can show the impact of a donation and help viewers understand the need.

Natalie discusses how additional time can support trust through explanation and storytelling. Similarly, Jess explains how a 90-second advert can provide room to build an emotional connection. It can also present the problem and solution, alongside a clear call to action.

The useful question, therefore, is how much time the message needs. A fundraising advert should help people understand the cause and feel confident taking the next step.

To assess this, charities can test how effectively the creative uses the available time.

Making the Next Step Clear

Once a campaign has earned someone’s attention, the response needs to feel straightforward.

The episode considers how charity calls to action have evolved. For example, options now include telephone numbers, website addresses, text-to-donate services and QR codes.

However, Natalie and Jess note differences in QR-code adoption across markets. Their observations therefore underline the value of testing response methods with the intended audience.

The call to action also deserves a clear role within the creative. Viewers need to understand what they are being asked to do and how to do it. In addition, they need sufficient time to respond.

Finding Stronger Creative Through Testing

Jess discusses using creative testing and AI tools to identify patterns across charity campaigns. In particular, this includes exploring which messages, images and storytelling approaches appear to resonate.

For example, they discuss the role of first-person testimony from beneficiaries. Hearing directly from someone affected by a cause can build a powerful connection to the work being funded.

Similarly, showing a tangible solution can help people understand what their money could achieve. Examples include providing medical support, nutrition or clothing.

Before committing more media budget, charities can test these creative choices. They can then develop the approaches that show promise.

Connecting Campaign Performance With Donor Value

A quick response is one part of the performance picture. However, Natalie and Jess also discuss response quality and its potential value over time.

Different channels can generate responses at different speeds. Therefore, understanding donor value can help charities make more informed investment decisions. For example, this includes considering ongoing support, average contributions and potential future giving.

The conversation also explores measurement approaches including geo testing and performance media modelling. Alongside these methods, they highlight the importance of connecting marketing data with CRM information.

Together, these insights can help charities understand how channels work together. They can also show how campaign activity contributes to sustainable fundraising.

Watch the Full Conversation

Watch Natalie and Jess explore how charities can earn attention, build trust and improve their creative. They also discuss measuring campaign impact and understanding long-term donor value.

For more information about All Response Media’s charity marketing insights, contact [email protected].