Market research services

Charities and not-for-profit organisations face big challenges every day, which is why first-class insights are absolutely essential.

At Yarn, our highly experienced researchers can deliver the findings you need to supercharge your fundraising, create even better services and power transformative strategies.

Our Research Clients

Recent Research Projects

Fundraising and donations

Figuring out why people donate – or quietly scroll past
Trying out different donation messages, appeals and images to see what really lands
Spotting new types of donors and what gets them excited to give
Working out the sweet spot for suggested donation amounts
Checking how donors feel after giving, and whether they’ll come back for more

Marketing and communications

Discovering which channels actually work best
Testing campaign ideas, slogans and branding before going all-in
Understanding how well people know your charity and what they think of it
Tweaking tone of voice and messaging for different audiences (no one-size-fits-all here)

Service design and delivery

Listening to beneficiaries to understand what they truly need
Checking whether services are doing what they’re meant to do
Spotting gaps where people might be falling through the cracks
Making services easier, friendlier and less stressful to use

Strategy and planning

Keeping an eye on emerging issues and trends before they become urgent
Deciding which causes or programmes deserve the most focus
Testing demand before launching new initiatives
Understanding who else is operating in your space and how your charity fits in

Partner and volunteer management

Learning what corporate partners, volunteers and funders expect
Finding out what motivates volunteers – and what might put them off
Improving how volunteers are recruited, supported and retained

Brand and reputation management

Tracking public trust, confidence and credibility
Understanding how your charity brand stacks up against others
Keeping an eye out for reputational risks and opportunities to shine

Digital and innovation

Testing websites, apps and donation journeys to remove friction
Improving accessibility so no one’s left out
Using data to create more personal, meaningful supporter experiences

Audiences we work with

Current donors
Potential donors
Current fundraisers
Potential fundraisers
Current legacy givers
Potential legacy givers
General public
People who use your services
People who may benefit from your services
Employees at your charity
Volunteers
Corporate partners
Stakeholders from other organisations
Children and young people

Our research methods

Qualitative research

Through a range of research, our experts can help you uncover the real stories behind attitudes and behaviours. We’ll explore motivations, emotions and unmet needs to help put your audiences’ voices at the heart of your decisions. 

Focus groups
In-depth interviews
Online questionnaires and surveys
Telephone surveys
Usability testing
Observation


Quantitative research

We provide solid data-driven insights to help you make confident decisions for your organisation and the people you support. Our trusted research makes it easy to measure awareness, track satisfaction, spot emerging trends and evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns, services and other initiatives.

Surveys and questionnaires
A/B testing
Longitudinal studies
Desk research
Analytics / web metrics
Structured observations

Interpretation and reporting

For us – and for you – it’s important to remember that listening to people and collecting data are only half the story of market research. 

Careful interpretation and effective reporting are also absolutely critical to ensuring your charity makes the best possible decisions.

That’s why we pride ourselves on first-class analysis and crystal-clear findings so you can quickly understand what research really means to you. 

"We’d love to work with you again. Thanks for your patience, amazing calm and professionalism."

Magda Peel

LLF Resource and Communications Officer, Church of England

We’d love to help you understand your audience.

We can help

Get in touch