Our Mass Events report is live! Our annual research examines mass participation events to see what inspires the general public to take part in them and use them to fundraise. We also look at the factors at play when people choose whether or not to make a donation for these events, as well as the social media platforms and communication channels that play a key role.
We hope charities find this information useful when planning for their event portfolio for the following year and the insights help to build out those all-important marketing campaigns and stewardship programmes.
So without further ado, let’s look at what the data is telling us…
Rising to the challenge
One in four (23%) people are committed to participating in a charity event in the next 12 months with a further 47% actively considering taking part. This is being fuelled by 18-34 year olds, with 14% already signed up and 19% planning to. Charities can take comfort from the fact that appetite for these types of challenges is high. And with the news of our 10 year partnership with London Marathon Events, there’s long-term stability for the future of mass participation events as a fundraising source.
Raising money for charity is a key motivator for those who take part in either charity events or distance events. Two thirds (64%) of charity event participants were motivated to take part because of the opportunity to use the event to raise funds. For distance runners, this is also a significant driver of participation with 56% stating this led them to sign up for their event.
Fundraising Effectiveness
The most successful event fundraisers start six months out from event day, with four in ten (38%) of those raising £3,000 or more. In contrast, just 8% of those who started fundraising a month from the event hit the £3,000 mark. Setting a fundraising target is also highly valuable. Nearly nine in ten (86%) mass event fundraisers who set a fundraising target hit it – in fact half of them go on to exceed that target. 70% of fundraisers with a target raised more than £500 compared to just 38% without one.
Encouragingly for charities, the number of fundraisers raising £500 – £3,000 is up seven percentage points on last year, growing from 41% to 48%. And the number raising £3,000+ has risen from 11% to 13% in that time.
When it comes to reasons why people choose to donate, the cause that’s being run for is the most important consideration. More than four in ten (44%) people say they donated to a mass event participant because they support the cause or charity. It’s worth noting that one in five (21%) didn’t donate because they either just forgot (13%) or didn’t have time when they got the request (8%). Highlighting the importance of regularly sharing a fundraising page.
“Mass participation events are leading the way for third sector fundraising income. They’re a staple for charities and it’s fantastic to see so many people committed to taking part in the next 12 months. Importantly for the sector, fundraising for a good cause is at the heart of why people choose to get involved in an event or give to someone who is.”
Chester Mojay-Sinclare, Enthuse Founder and CEO
Social Support
For charities wondering about preferred communication methods for fundraiser support, email (48%) and website (43%) lead the way, with phone calls at just 20%. Opportunities to connect with other participants – either through WhatsApp groups (39%) or online (34%) – are also valued, with a desire for a sense of community being important.
More than a third (34%) also want to be supported through apps that track fundraising – an important consideration for charities, particularly for large scale events such as the TCS London Marathon or AJ Bell Great North Run which already have these in place and are integrated with fundraising. More than half (51%) of participants said that apps made it easier for supporters to donate.
When it comes to the social media channels fundraisers use, Facebook leads the way with two thirds (65%) using it. WhatsApp (50%) has moved ahead of Instagram (45%) over the last year. As with donors, TikTok is very popular with younger participants – 42% stating they use it, with a significant drop off as age increases. While most channels have remained broadly similar in usage, there has been a notable drop in use of X (down five percentage points to 22%), and SnapChat (down six percentage points to 16%), suggesting both are starting to fall out of favour to some degree as fundraising channels.
The majority of fundraisers (54%) post two to three times a week or more, with 88% stating they post at least weekly. One in five (21%) post most days and more than one in ten (12%) post at least every day and sometimes more often.
Nearly a third (30%) of fundraisers who post every day or more raise more than £3,000 – double the amount who post most days (15%), and triple those who post every 2-3 days (9%) or weekly (7%).
Want to get the full picture? Get your free copy of the Mass Events report here.
