In today’s blog post on T1D Cure Global Headquarters, I discussed our latest report in more depth and why the JDCA believes a greater percentage of donor contributions should be used towards Practical Cure research. Enjoy!
Last week we published a new report, “The Disconnect Between the Cure Message Used to Solicit Donations and the Allocation of Those Donations”.
This is an important report that discusses some of the JDCA’s essential beliefs. It is our mission to be the voice of the donor for a cure and focus research towards projects that aim to achieve this goal. One of the reasons that we believe many people give for the purpose of a cure is because the fundraising promotions and events used to raise money by the diabetes non-profits heavily rely on the message of a cure.
Special events, which include walks, galas, cycling events, etc., are among the most effective and well supported fundraisers. For the ADA, DRIF, JDRF, and Joslin, Special Events raised an estimated $180 million in 2011 and represented 49% of total donor contributions. After examining key fundraising campaigns for the four organizations, we conclude that the dominant message is that funds are being raised for a cure.
Based on the fundraising message, we believe that many donors anticipate that their donations will be used for cure research. However, this is not the case.
Source: Charity and Foundation data
1 The ADA’s 2011 data not yet available. Assumes that 2011 figures are flat with 2010.
2 JDCA estimate
Important conclusions:
– The commitment to Education/Information/Advocacy/Awareness activities far exceeded allocations to Type 1 Cure Research Grants, especially for the ADA
– JDRF increased its EIAA commitment in 2011 by $1 million while its allocation to Type 1 Cure Research Grants decreased an estimated $7 million, or 10%
– The aggregate Type 1 Cure Research Grants for three of the four non-profits combined decreased from an estimated $82 million in 2010 to an estimated $73 million in 2011
– The decrease in type 1 cure research grants contrasts with an increase in the donations that the four non-profits gathered from Special Event fundraisers, from $174 million in 2010 to $180 million in 2011
It is important to state that the JDCA is not questioning the importance of Education/Information/Advocacy/Awareness, prevention, or treatment research; however, if money is going to be raised for a cure we believe it should not be used for these areas. Fundraising messaging should align with how funds are used so that donor intentions are validated and honored.
This report has in depth analysis and financial breakdowns for each of the four charities in our coverage universe. Here’s a link to the entire report: http://www.thejdca.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/The-Disconnect-Between-the-Cure-Message-Used-to-Solicit-Donations-and-the-Allocation-of-Those-Donations.pdf
Please email us at info@thejdca.org with any questions.
– Cara
