Giva Sverige on the value of the Fundraising Signal

Giva Sverige, the Swedish association for trustworthy giving, explains why non-profit organisations need reliable data, and how a shared tool like the Fundraising Signal creates value for its members and for the sector.

Giva Sverige and trust in charitable giving

Giva Sverige works to strengthen trust in charitable giving. Its 180 members are non-profit organisations of different sizes, purposes and geographic reach.

The association supports its members by improving the conditions for private funding through donations, grants and partnerships. A cornerstone of this work is the Quality Code, a set of ethical and financial guidelines that members commit to.

Giva Sverige also speaks for the sector and offers knowledge, training and professional development for organisations and their employees.

Rising demands on non-profit organisations

Giva Sverige sees growing complexity and trends such as digitalisation placing new demands on donor-funded organisations. Access to data, the ability to analyse it and the use of insights in decisions have become essential.

Charlotte Rydh, Secretary General of Giva Sverige, puts it this way:

"For donor organizations, it is absolutely vital to understand the impact of different initiatives, both in the short and long term."

Charlotte Rydh, Secretary General, Giva Sverige

Organisations funded by private donations face growing expectations to make professional and effective decisions with limited resources, and she expects that pressure to increase.

Without an understanding of awareness, consideration and long-term brand effects, she warns, organisations risk focusing only on short-term call-to-action marketing, which could weaken fundraising over time.

Why brand strength matters for non-profits

Rydh sees brand performance as important for non-profits too:

“A brand is ultimately just a word trying to capture the public’s combined experience of what an organization stands for, what it aims to achieve, and how well it delivers. Even if you don’t like to speak in branding terms, it remains essential to understand your organization’s impact and how to amplify it in order to truly serve your mission.”

Data in non-profit decision-making

Mårten Palmefors, Senior Analyst at Giva Sverige, emphasises the need for a data-driven approach. In his view, a stronger culture of consistent data use is necessary to increase public giving in Sweden.

“Especially in times of uncertainty, data provides a shared foundation for decision-making—reducing the risk of short-term, emotion-driven choices. At the same time, data allows organizations to better understand the real impact of their efforts.”

Mårten Palmefors, Senior Analyst, Giva Sverige

This was one of the main reasons behind Giva Sverige's collaboration with Odyssey and Silver to develop the Fundraising Signal.

The Fundraising Signal: shared data for the sector

Giva Sverige has long provided its members with statistics and reports. The Fundraising Signal extends that role, so organisations can build knowledge both individually and together as a sector.

“Access to knowledge through a syndicated tool like the Fundraising Compass is valuable both for individual organizations and for our industry as a whole. Odyssey and Silver have created an offering that is very favorable for our members, and we are pleased to see so many taking advantage of it.”
Mårten Palmefors

What the Fundraising Signal gives members

For each member organisation, the Fundraising Signal shows challenges and opportunities based on its own position. It also allows comparison with similar organisations, which puts each organisation's development in context.

Rydh concludes:

“The Fundraising Signal not only provides insight into brand development and giving behavior but also delivers a wide range of valuable sector-wide insights. We see it as delivering exceptional value compared to the cost.”

How the Fundraising Signal measures donors

The Fundraising Signal continuously measures how the Swedish public perceives non-profit organisations, what donors value and how they are likely to act.

More than 300 nationally representative interviews are conducted every month, and results are presented in an interactive platform.

Questions it answers include:

How many people know your organisation, and how many would consider donating?
Which target groups should you prioritise, and what motivates them?
How does your organisation compare with others on share of awareness and share of wallet?
Which trends are changing how people give?