Dutch trust in charities higher than consumer confidence during pandemic

The coronavirus crisis has had less of an impact on donor confidence in the Netherlands than on that of consumers, according to the findings of the latest Dutch Donor Panel (NDP).

The Dutch Donor Panel (NDP), a representative group of Dutch citizens, is surveyed once a quarter by research agency WWAV and the CBF charity regulator to measure donor confidence. Participants are asked about their willingness to give, their view of charities, and their opinion on topics that are important for the fundraising sector at the time. Donor confidence is then expressed in an index, which reflects the Statistics Netherlands (CBS) measurement of consumer confidence.

According to June’s NDP, donor confidence fell sharply from -6 in March to reach -14 in June. In comparison, CBS’s index showed that while consumer confidence had been stable for just under a year at just below zero, it fell to -31 in May, rising slightly to reach -27 in June. This marks the first time since December 2012 that donor confidence has been the higher of the two.

With the pandemic seeing an increase in Will-making, June’s NDP also included questions on this topic. 14% of the panel indicated that they have started to think more about drawing up a Will in recent months, with 4.2% having updated one. This was highest among 40-49 year olds and those aged 60+, at 6% of these age groups.

The figures show a mixed picture for charitable legacies. 15% say they will consider including a charity in their Will, up slightly from previous years. However, 46% of the panel view the concept positively, down from 59% in 2014 and 53% in 2016. But the crisis saw 5% indicating that they now feel more positive about leaving a gift to charity and 10% of the under 30s.  

Wieb van de Donk, managing director at WWAV NL commented:

“Charities have played a very important role in helping people come together during this crisis, and this has been appreciated – hence trust in charities has dropped less than consumer confidence. A bigger fall in donor confidence may come later this year however as the financial impact of the crisis deepens, but if charities can make themselves visible and relevant in this crisis there are many opportunities.”

The full findings can be viewed on the WWAV site.