Third Sector magazine recently reported a YouGov poll suggesting that the public's perception of charities remains significantly at odds with reality.
The poll of 2,065 people was conducted on behalf of the charity chief executives body, Acevo, and found that people had seriously inaccurate perceptions of the charity sector. This was particularly strong in relation to matters of finance. Only eight per cent knew that the voluntary sector has an annual income of more than £30bn.
Respondents significantly underestimated the amount of money charities receive from trading and government sources. Whilst many charities rely heavily on those sources of income, the same isn't true for BMS where 76 per cent of our income is from donations and gifts. Every year we have to rely on that income in order to continue in the mission we have been committed to since 1792.
The survey also indicated that people were equally misinformed about charity spending, significantly overestimating the percentage of income spent on overheads. Sixty-one per cent of respondents considered that charities spent more than 20 per cent of income on overheads and 16 per cent put the figure at more than 50 per cent. The correct figure, for the whole sector, is significantly lower, at 12.5 per cent.
Even more encouraging is that BMS spends only five per cent of total income on fundraising and governance.
So, whilst some of the big players in the charitable sector rely on trading and government sources for income, BMS relies most on the generous, and often sacrificial, giving of churches and individuals - every year. BMS spends 95 pence of every pound donated on direct charitable expenditure.
Whether we are understood or not we'd like to think we are effective stewards of our supporters' donations and trust. And we give thanks to God for their generosity.