Charitable Contributions and Volunteering

When fellow animal advocates ask me questions about research on animal protection issues, I typically ask them if they have looked at our research primers. In response, I usually hear "Research what? Where?" I am guessing that many advocates, even those of you who follow our work, are not aware of the full wealth of free data we have available. Here I want to highlight HRC's research primers, since they are a free resource that can help all advocates better understand the issues on which they are working. So let me tell you a little about them.

Written by Diane Venberg, one of HRC's 2010 interns, this wonderful overview of HumaneSpot.org shows the breadth of our research database and highlights a number of important studies. Be sure to give this blog a read if you've been wanting a taste of what HumaneSpot.org has to offer before applying for access. And if you have any research that you think should be included in our database, be sure to let us know.

Wave 3 of HRC's Animal Tracker, slated for early next year, will survey a representative sample of adults in the U.S., addressing questions like knowledge of various animal issues, the influence of concern for animals on personal choices, perceived impact of the animal protection movement, and support for the movement's goal of eliminating animal suffering. We'll also be able to compare the results with findings from the baseline survey, which was conducted in early 2008.

Continuing with our recent theme of philanthropy, an article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review argues that unrealistic expectations from funders create a "starvation cycle" for nonprofits. The article calls on funders to take the lead and break the cycle by understanding that nonprofits need to spend money on overhead and infrastructure. Without these investments, organizations risk long-term decline and the inability to serve their constituents.

A recent report on charitable giving in the United Kingdom found that donations to animal-related causes ranked thirteenth out of fifteen different social issues. For a country as generally progressive on animal issues as the UK, this may seem like a disappointment, but similar surveys in the U.S. don't even specify giving to animal causes. As an important metric of support for animal protection, we should all encourage researchers to separate animals from purely environmental issues.

Charitable donations are declining, foundation assets are shrinking, and the economic downturn isn’t done yet. So maybe there’s no better time than now to examine why people give to nonprofit organizations and how animal advocates can maximize their appeal to donors. According to research, the more specific your request and the more closely you can tie people’s donations to tangible outcomes, the more likely you are to increase and maintain your fundraising.