Has the charity telethon had its day?

BBC Children in Need has become synonymous with the word ‘telethon’ since it first hit our TV screens in 1980. That year, the Terry Wogan-fronted show raised £1m.

Since then, the annual event has raised over £1bn for disadvantaged children and young people.

However, despite the impressive amount raised over the years, the on-the-night total has been declining in recent years. In 2023, it raised £33.5m. This was down £1.5m from 2022 and £5.8m from 2021.

It’s a similar story for Red Nose Day, the BBC’s other annual charity telethon. This year, the on-the-night total was £32m. This was £10m less than 2022.
It’s even more noticeable if you compare this year’s amount to 2015. That year, the event raised £78m (more than double the amount raised this year).

The same goes for viewing figures. 2.9m people tuned in to watch this year’s Comic Relief, compared to 5.9m in 2019.

A downward trend

The data shows a clear downward trend in both donations and viewing figures.

But what’s causing it? A combination of factors.

1. The cost-of-living crisis

For one thing, the cost-of-living crisis is putting increasing pressure on consumers’ disposable income.

2.  An over-reliance on phone payments

Another factor is the reliance on phone payments, despite the growing popularity of digital payment methods.

A recent report by The Phone-Paid Services Authority revealed that charity donations via phone (calls and texts) dropped by 28% over the last year (a fall from £14.1m to £35.9m for both telethon and non-telethon fundraising). Notably, the phone-paid services regulator had forecast a drop of just £5.4m. 

The report goes on to state that charities’ use of digital payment methods, including contactless and digital wallet payment “will become increasingly important if telethon viewership continues to decline”.  

3. Fewer people are watching live television

According to media regulator, Ofcom, linear TV viewing is in a state of “long-term decline” as people are increasingly swapping live TV for streaming services.

The regulator’s latest Media Nations report reveals that the proportion of people watching terrestrial TV channels in a given week has fallen from 83% in 2021 to 79% in 2022; the sharpest fall on record.

This figure is even lower among 16- to 24-year-olds, with just 54% of young people watching any live television.

Diversification is key

The year-on-year decline signifies a clear shift in people’s viewing habits and giving preferences. 

To stay relevant, charities need to adapt. And that’s exactly what Children in Need is doing.

To diversify its income and reach new donors (particularly 16-24-year-olds, who are a key demographic), this year, the charity delivered appeals outside of its annual telethon.

Children in Need’s Commercial Director Claire Hoyle told Fundraising Magazine that the charity has undergone a “strategic shift in thinking” to attract new potential donors, including a focus on younger audiences.

“We know that younger audiences are spending more and more time on social; it’s clear that 16 to 24-year-olds tend to be on TikTok and Snapchat. So, we’ve looked at how can we create the right projects and propositions on the right platforms in the right spaces in a way that’s unique for Children in Need.”

As a result, the charity partnered with TIKTOK Live to launch a series of innovative initiatives including:

Pudsey Games: Some of the platform’s most popular content creators took part in ‘Pudsey Games’, a series of hilarious challenges designed to raise awareness and funds for the cause.

Live gifts: The charity released six limited edition Pusey gifts. Every time a gift was sent online, TikTok made a donation to Children in Need.
In total, 20.9 million gifts were sent, raising £513,000 for the charity.

The Bearpee Challenge: The charity used the platform to launch The Bearpee Challenge. Headed up by Children in Need ambassador, Joe Wicks, the challenge saw schoolchildren across the country take part in a sponsored exercise challenge where they completed 1,000 ‘bearpees’ each day across Appeal Week.

Every pound raised was matched by the Postcode Education Trust, supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, and 17,000 schools across the UK joined in.

Of the TikTok initiatives, Hoyle said “They’ve given us some good insights to build on, particularly about what works, where the points were during streaming that drove more donations, and which of the creators resonated most with our target audiences. The metrics show you what works and what doesn’t.

We’re keen to build our social media presence and see where it can take us.”

The future of the telethon

Despite the year-on-year decline, telethons remain a powerful fundraising tool.

They drive much-needed awareness and raise tens of millions of pounds for good causes.

But to keep the donations rolling in, they need to move with the times.

Meeting donors where they are (online), enabling digital payment methods, and optimising commercial opportunities on social media platforms are just three ways charities can adapt to re-engage the public and boost income.

Looking to add to your fundraising team? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.