How do you make the most of Christmas giving?

[AFTER A CHRISTMAS in lockdown last year, this year will see an altogether more festive affair – and it is also hoped that charities’ fundraising activities will return to something approaching normal. Helping charities to make the most of festive giving is the aim of a new report from Enthuse, the charity fundraising platform.

The report – Christmas Giving Insights – has the subheading ‘Making Christmas even more appealing’ and analyses how donor behaviour changes during the period from November to January.

Based on actual data collated from Enthuse’s platform, it aims to answer such questions as: • How important is Giving Tuesday? • Is there a ‘golden hour’ for donations? • Which weeks should charities focus their activity on?

Enthuse has worked with 4,000 charities to transform their digital fundraising and the report calls on that experience to help charities to make the most of what is probably the most important time of the year.

In its Introduction, the report’s authors state: “Judging when to release campaigns and what times of the day are most appealing to the public is challenging at the best of times. The impact of the pandemic has made this even harder as the public’s giving habits have been shifting as lockdowns, working from home and then the easing of restrictions have all changed the ways people behave.”

The researchers analysed data from the last two Christmases – 2019 and 2020 – focusing on the period from November to January, to assess how giving changed during the pandemic. The first conclusion reached was that charities should concentrate was that charities should concentrate their efforts on the month of December: November and January December: November and January are seen to follow the same pattern as the rest of the year.

For December the picture changes dramatically, with peaks and troughs of giving varying widely across the month coupled with a smaller variation overall in 2020. The most striking difference was on Christmas Eve, which accounted for 4.6% of December donations last Christmas of December donations last Christmas compared to 7% in 2019.

According to the report’s authors: “This may be because more people were working from home throughout December and there were still numerous restrictions in place limiting the number of leisure activities people could take part in. With some having more disposable income to donate, the public may have tended towards giving earlier. As we return to more normal circumstances around this festive period, it’s possible that habits may fall back to more like 2019.”

Christmas Giving Insights can be downloaded from the Enthuse website at enthuse.com/insights/ q

[TODAY, ONE IN 700 BABIES in the UK are born with a cleft lip and palate, the most common form of birth defect.

The impact on a child’s life as they grow is profound. It may affect not only the way they look, but also their speech, hearing and dental development. And it can leave deep psychological scars.

In the developing world, patients with clefts are frequently not operated on until later in life, if at all. As a result, they may be malnourished and unable to talk well or hear properly. Often, they will be social outcasts.

At CLEFT, our vision is of a future where clefts are preventable. Until we get there, we want to improve the lives of those born with cleft lip and palate – in the UK and in poorer countries around the world.

By funding research, we continue to make headway into understanding why clefts occur and to deliver pioneering new treatments that deliver kinder, more effective and more efficient care for children with cleft lip and palate.

By supporting the development of cleft centres in low and middleincome countries we aim to give children born with clefts in these poorer countries the same opportunities available to children in the UK. Each donation takes us a step closer to reaching our goal. All gifts could have a direct impact on changing the lives of many hundreds of thousands of babies and children around the world.

Please join us and help us prevent clefts for future generations. q

[FOR OVER 30 YEARS the famous animal hospital known as Tiggywinkles has been working to rescue, treat and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned British wildlife. Over that time they have proved beyond doubt that most wild animal and bird casualties can be saved and returned to the wild.

Although they specialise in hedgehogs – indeed, they derive their name from St Tiggywinkles, the name of their specialist hedgehog ward, inspired by the animal character created by Beatrix Potter – their wealth of expertise in the care of a wide range of species can now be passed on to others.

In addition, their commitment to practical education plays a vital part in the conservation of wildlife. As an accredited centre, opportunities are available for students aged 16 and over to gain a City and Guildsapproved qualification via their Apprenticeship in Animal Care scheme.

Tiggywinkles was founded by Les Stocker, who sadly passed away in July 2016. In a tribute, Les was described as ‘…a steadfast ambassador, achieving his goal to turn wildlife rehabilitation into a profession’. In another he was referred to as the ‘the spiritual heart of Britain’. He was awarded an MBE by The Queen and given the title Laureate in the 1990 International Rolex Awards for Enterprise, for his work in wildlife conservation and establishing Europe’s first wildlife teaching hospital. More recently, he gained the prestigious Honorary Associateship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The charity is happy to commemorate all who generously remember the Wildlife Hospital Trust in their will by inscribing their name on a plaque in its Remembrance Garden. Gifts are also welcome in the form of a donation or by becoming a Friend of Tiggywinkles. q

[ZANE: ZIMBABWE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY is a UK registered charity working to help the most destitute, vulnerable and impoverished people in Zimbabwe. It is the largest supplier of financial aid to elderly people in Zimbabwe who lost their life savings and pensions in the economic collapse and subsequent hyper-inflation.

This includes over 600 frail veterans and their widows who fought for the Crown. ZANE assists with rent, medical bills and food – and, crucially, also provides comfort, advice and support.

In addition, ZANE funds a clubfoot correction programme, successfully treating over 4,220 children to date. It funds the provision of prosthetic limbs for victims of landmine explosions and assists people with hearing loss. ZANE also funds education programmes including the provision of pop-up classrooms in highdensity townships for children who would otherwise not receive an education. It runs creative therapy workshops for women living in extreme poverty who are victims of political violence and trauma.

Zimbabwe remains in a state of crisis. The economy teeters on the brink of collapse. Fuel shortages are commonplace and with food prices escalating, ZANE’s aid is needed more than ever by the most destitute people in Zimbabwe. q • To find out more about the work of ZANE visit www.zane.uk.com

Friends of the Animals 4/5 Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary 14 Paws2Rescue 16 The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary 17 British Chelonia Group 20 Three Counties Dog Rescue 20 The New European Distressed Donkey Initiative Ltd 20 Pet Rescue Welfare Association 21 Last Chance Animal Rescue 22 Heartbeat Home for Horses 22 The Suffolk Punch Trust 23 Hopefield Animal Sanctuary 24 Hope Rescue 25 Wild Futures 25 Environmental Investigation Agency 26 Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue 27 Tiggywinkles 30

World Child Cancer 8 Kidney Kids Scotland 10 Youth Cancer Trust 15 Hypo Hounds 15

Prostate Cancer Research 1 Pain Relief Foundation 2 Cancer Prevention Research Trust 2 Royal College of Surgeons of England 9 Caring Cancer Trust 12/13 The National Brain Appeal 18/19 Against Breast Cancer 28 CLEFT 29

Hope Health Action 11/32 ZANE: Zimbabwe A National Emergency 30

The Respite Association 6 National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom 7 The Partially Sighted Society 8