DFRV collaborates with DZI to improve & widen access to data

Germany’s Deutscher Fundraising Verband (DFRV) has announced a research and data collaboration with the foundation Deutsches Zentralinstitut für soziale Fragen (DZI).

The DZI was originally founded in 1893, and is well known for issuing the DZI Spenden-Siegel (donation seal) to charities which it assesses to be efficient and have good governance and standards relating to spending donations. Its recently published annual report says that 227 organisations held the seal at the end of 2023.

The goal of the collaboration is to create better quality information and data around donations and donor behaviour in Germany, according to an announcement on the DFRV website. It will also make that data available to more organisations, with those holding the Spenden-Siegel getting access to reports previously solely for DFRV members.

DFRV notes that data published by the respective organisations have sometimes given very different answers to questions about the country’s donation habits – its own Spendenmonitor suggested total donations of €5.8bn in 2023, while a DZI report put it more than double that figure, at €12.8bn. The reason for this is because DFRV’s report focuses on public fundraising and therefore excludes all donations in excess of €1,500. DFRV says that it will talk differently about the Spendenmonitor in future, while both organisations will align on other issues such as wording of questions and classification of certain data.

Prof. Tom Neukirchen, advisory board member at DFRV, says:

“For me, a dream has come true that the forces of civil society are finally being combined in market research – and that together we will achieve much more for research and practice.”

Burkhard Wilke, managing director of DZI, adds:

“The willingness to donate requires empathy, reliable information and trust. DZI and DFRV want to strengthen this basis with the new cooperation. Cooperation in civil society is possible and necessary, especially when the actors have very heterogeneous profiles and tasks.”

Image by Tung Nguyen on Pixabay