Only 9% of fundraisers are BAME, IoF report shows
Melanie May | 5 June 2019 | News
Nine percent of fundraisers are BAME while just 3% have a disability, according to a new report released today from the Institute of Fundraising.
“Who’s Not in the Room” reports on the data of almost 7,000 fundraisers, and aims to give a snapshot of diversity across the fundraising profession.
The IoF‘s research, based on survey data provided by over 400 fundraising charities of different sizes, explores the make-up of fundraising teams, and the organisational practices that might be holding fundraisers back or succeeding in reducing the barriers.
It shows that 9% of fundraisers belong to a Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) group and 91% are white: a figure that is lower than the government estimate that 13% of the UK population are BAME.
This varies depending on locality: for charities based in London, 11% of their fundraisers were from an ethnic minority background, although this compares to a 40.2% total BAME population in London. The West Midlands and the North West have the highest proportions of BAME fundraisers, at 13% and 12% respectively. The South West and Scotland scored just 2%.
The survey also found that just 3% of the fundraisers questioned had told their organisations that they had a disability.
The report compares this figure of 3% with the 2012 UK Civil Society Almanac, which found that 18% of the charity sector workforce had a disability, compared to 14% in the private sector, suggesting, it says, that people who consider themselves to have a disability may be significantly under-represented within the fundraising profession compared to the wider charity sector and UK workforce.
In addition:
- 4% of fundraisers identify as LBGT+
- 76% of fundraisers are female
- However, on average in total men earn 10.8% more than women
- The majority of fundraisers are aged 25-39 (57%) while 24% are 40-54, and just 9% are 55-69
Looking at organisational practices, the survey found that:
- 60% of charities have EDI as a stated value, priority or strategic objective
- 70% have an EDI policy in place
- 35% require staff to do EDI training
- 39% have someone responsible for EDI
- 13% of charities had targets in place
The survey also found that 21% of charities included socio-economic background in EDI, while 97% offer part-time or flexible working.
However, almost a fifth (19%) of the charities that responded to the survey had none of these policies in place, and no single charity did them all.
The survey also looks at how charities recruit their fundraising teams, and whether those with EDI policies take more positive action.
As one of the early commitments in the IoF’s Manifesto for Change, the findings will underpin its long-term EDI strategy by establishing a baseline against which it can track progress, better understand the barriers that exist in the profession, and work out what the IoF, and its members, can do to work towards a more equal, inclusive and diverse fundraising community.
Sufina Ahmed, Chair of the IoF’s Expert Advisory Panel on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, said:
Advertisement
“To have in one place equality, diversity and inclusion data on 6,912 fundraisers from across the UK is an incredible achievement. It gives us much needed clarity on the make-up of the fundraising profession, which will help us better target the work of the Change Collective – our movement to ensure the fundraising profession is more equal, diverse and inclusive and a profession where everyone is the right fit.”
Peter Lewis, Chief Executive of the IoF added:
“The report shines a strong light on the current under-representation of BAME and disabled fundraisers in the profession, as well as on the fact that although women comprise over 75% of the fundraising workforce, this is not reflected proportionately at the most senior levels.
“It also shows that although many charities are beginning to address equality, diversity and inclusion as an issue, many are still unable to report accurately on the make-up of their teams, over 30% do not have an EDI policy in place at all and 21% still have unpaid interns.
“The report also gives us as the Institute, and the fundraising community more widely, a clear view of the opportunity to bring a much wider diversity of talent into the profession, to help us inspire even more supporters to give to causes they care about.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.