Canadian Fundraiser eNews - Article 4

Canadian Fundraiser eNews - Article 4: "Grief giving – unsolicited, uninformed, unproductive and growing

In a plenary address to delegates at the Northwest Conference of The Institute of Fundraising held last fall in Cumbria, Britain, consultant Bruce Tait named “grief giving” as one of ten future trends that will affect fundraising in the future by diverting millions of pounds from the giving pool.

Tait uses the phrase “grief giving” to describe spontaneous contributions in response to tragic events without a stated need for support or donations. The events themselves trigger gifts because people are shocked, sympathetic, and deeply sorrowful. However, their unsolicited support does not make the right kind of difference, he says, or it does not make the same impact as an informed response to a humanitarian disaster."