In many major cities throughout the world, representatives from charities and other not-for-profit organisations seek to meet the general public face-to-face and encourage them to donate time, money or other support and resources. In order to maximise resources for charitable purposes, representatives are usually hoping to set up a regular donation plan with a donor, rather than asking for a discrete donation of loose change. To this end, representatives are often stationed on city streets, in shopping centres and and near monuments in order to stand a chance of speaking with pedestrians making their way around the city. Whilst these tactics can be successful in engaging donors to make regular donations, especially those who may be too time-poor to seek out opportunities to donate on their own, face-to-face fundraising has also been criticised for ‘pestering’ or even ‘bullying’ consumers. Added to this, donors who sign up as a result of face-to-face fundraising often cancel their donations later. Charities and not-for-profit organisations need to understand more about donor behaviour in order to ensure their strategies are as successful as possible, leaving them free to focus on using donated resources wisely. How can charities replicate the success of a face-to-face fundraising effort, without alienating consumers? Be creative!

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