The post-Brexit donor: segmenting the UK charitable marketplace using political attitudes and national identity

Abstract

Prior attempts to segment charitable donors have utilized a range of demographic, psychographic and behavioral factors. However, such work has not factored in an individual’s level of national identity or their attitudes to political issues, which appear especially relevant given the current United Kingdom (UK) political and social landscape. The current study segments charitable donors in the post-Brexit marketplace, with emphasis on charities that serve local, national and international beneficiaries. A survey methodology based was employed on a broadly representative sample of 1004 respondents. A k-means cluster analysis led to the identification of six distinct donor segments based upon their national identity, political attitudes and charitable giving preferences, with post-hoc analysis of both the cluster variables and donor demographics providing further cluster definition. Whilst some segments demonstrate clear preferences for domestic charities and nationalistic tendencies (Anti-EU Nationalists), others have more internationalist worldviews and heightened support of international charities (Educated Liberals). The findings underline the influential role that an individual’s political attitudes (particularly their views on Brexit and overseas development aid) and national identity have on their charitable giving, and therefore offers new insights to fundraisers seeking to target donors efficiently.