The Missing 50
Half of UK adults don’t give to charity. But why?
Steve Law
Fundraising strategist and charity sector nerd. This tool is based on evidence from 43 sources. Use it freely in workshops — I hope it sparks good conversations.
Half of UK adults don’t give to charity. But why?
Explore why 50 of these 100 people don’t give to charity
This section lets you explore why 50 people from a typical UK audience don’t give to charity. Use it to understand the barriers before planning your response.
All 100 people are shown at once. Green faces already give. The 50 non-donors don’t — click any of them to explore their story. The colours show which segment or barrier type they belong to (use “Colour by” to change).
The 50 non-donors fall into 7 distinct audience segments. Selecting a segment highlights those people in the grid so you can see who they are.
11 evidence-backed barriers explain what stops people giving. Each is grounded in real research. Selecting a barrier highlights the people most affected.
This tool draws on 43 peer-reviewed studies, government statistics, and sector reports. Each barrier and intervention is linked to its sources — click any source chip to read the key finding.
Every barrier, segment and intervention card in this tool is grounded in published research. Click any title to read the original source.
What this simulation reveals about non-donor psychology — and what it means for your strategy.
Built on 43 peer-reviewed sources. If it shifted your thinking — or saved your team hours of research — I’d love to stay connected. Follow for more evidence-based fundraising insights, or help keep this tool free.
All 24 evidence-backed intervention cards — scroll to browse. Each targets a different barrier. No combination converts everyone, but the right mix can move thousands.
These people didn’t convert this time. Here’s why, in their own words.
I created The Missing 50 to make non-donor psychology tangible for fundraisers — turning dry statistics into 50 people with real names, real barriers, and real lives. The evidence is solid; the gap is closable. Follow me on LinkedIn for more evidence-based fundraising insights, or buy me a coffee to help keep this tool free.