Opportunity International provides life-changing financial training and services to some of the poorest communities in the world.  Financial training and services equips people to build sustainable businesses that enable them to work their own way out of poverty and provide a better future for their family and communities.

However, as economic times change, new challenges arise for charity fundraising. Despite signs of post-Covid economic recovery, charitable donations in the UK are still impacted by a number of economic factors, including the cost of living crisis.

CAF’s ‘UK Giving Report 2023’ found that 24% of respondents had made, or were considering making, changes to their charitable behaviour as a result of rising prices, while Blue State’s survey of 1,540 individuals in the UK found that one in five were not intending to donate to charity at all during 2023.

This is a crucial time for charities across the UK to prove themselves as a trustworthy and effective choice for philanthropists. Recognising the importance of demonstrating commitment, transparency, and accountability to their existing and future donors, OIUK identified the need to understand their place within their charitable landscape.

“Whilst understanding that Charizone is specifically aimed at philanthropic donors”, Mary Oakes, Deputy CEO of OIUK explains, “we felt it prudent to see for ourselves how we would be rated and whether our communications landed with the public in the way we anticipated”.

Saving time, energy and resources

Undertaking in-depth charity performance reviews can be a laborious, challenging and time-consuming process. However, by providing Charity Performance Reports for OIUK and some of their closest peers, Charizone helped to uncover the impact of OIUK’s work, while identifying areas in need of improvement.

“OIUK demonstrated their commitment to transparency, accountability and best practice by seeking our expertise”, Sarah Gammoh, Charizone Founder explains.

“Through our expert-led charity performance analysis, they were able to understand their donors' perceptions, while bridging existing gaps to enhance their effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. They also recognised that their major donors would benefit from findings provided by an independent third-party.

“Our reports offer a fresh perspective, while presenting evidence in standard and comparable format for effective benchmarking. OIUK have been able to use this to enhance their competitive edge; instilling trust by sharing findings with existing donors, inspiring informed donations from new donors, and even highlighting new opportunities for growth within the organisation.”

Speaking of the Charizone process, Mary explains, “We’re delighted with the 4.5 out of 5 rating we received and the overall assessment of OIUK’s impact, governance and finance. We’ll continue to demonstrate the impact of our work whilst closing the gap on some of the areas where we need to improve.

"Charizone’s infectious passion for data will no doubt drive the charity sector forward. As an organisation proud to support female entrepreneurs, we were thrilled to be an early adopter of Charizone’s work."

If you’re a charity seeking to deepen confidence and trust with your major donors by demonstrating your commitment to transparency and accountability, let us know. We’d love to support you on your journey.