Half of charity workers are expecting to be able to return to the office under flexible arrangements or for three days or less a week when lockdown restrictions ease.
Charity workers currently remote working were asked what arrangements they were expecting when they return to the office, as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions loosen this month.
Of those surveyed 17% said they expected to be allowed to return under flexible arrangements, which include blending remote with office-based working as well as being offered flexible hours.
A further 19% expect to work three days a week in an office, while 12% expect to be in the office two days a week and 2% expect to only be in the office for one day a week.
The survey also found that only a quarter (25%) of charity workers expect to return to office based work five days a week, while 13% expect to work in an office for four days a week.
The figures have been revealed in the latest quarterly donor research report from fundraising platform Enthuse.
It warns that workers' expectations around flexible working is “an important consideration for charities thinking about how to re-engage with workplace fundraising”.
It warns that it could be “harder to coordinate campaigns and appeals or launch on a particular day” as “there will be a lot less people in the office every day to take part in activities”.
Enthuse founder and chief executive Chester Mohay-Sinclare adds that remote working means that future employee fundraising campaigns will need to have physical and digital elements.
“This (remote working) will make huge differences to how people run their organisations to ensure they are inclusive for those working from home, as well as those at desks in an office.
“It also means that everyone who works with businesses will need to consider how they manage employee fundraising physically and virtually. Most of us have had some practice at this over the last year, but it’s going to be essential for future campaigns and appeals to have an engaging virtual element.”
This week’s the 2021Charity Digital Skills Report, compiled by Zoe Amar Digital and Skills Platform, warned that 31% of charity workers are facing burnout “from the demands of intense remote working”.
It also found that 38% of charities have found remote working “challenging”.
Importance of younger donors
Enthuse's latest quarterly report also found that the number of people who donated to charities has remained steady at 69% since October 2020.
“Despite all the challenges the public have been faced with over that period - they have understood the important work charities are doing and kept on giving,” says Enthuse’s report.
It adds that under 40s have been the most generous over the last quarter, with 81% giving, compared to 62% of over 40s.
☀️The Donor Pulse Summer 2021 report is now live!
— Enthuse (@enthuseco) July 13, 2021
The research looks into the impact of Covid-19 on workplace fundraising, the digital divide for donations and the generous giving of the under 40s.
Get your hands on the full report here: https://t.co/pLfzLjgrED#CharitySector pic.twitter.com/DsFWKiGhoO
The report says: "As well as being far more likely to give, under 40s also spread their giving amongst more different causes than over 40s.
"Nearly half (48%) have donated to three or more causes in the last three months. This underlines the importance of charities building campaigns and approaches that are designed to appeal to younger donors and supporters."
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