9 Tips for Cost-Effective Market Research for Charities

When budgets are tight, research can feel like a “nice-to-have” rather than a priority.

But for charities, qualitative market research is a powerful way to understand the people who matter most — your supporters, donors, beneficiaries, and volunteers — and to make sure every penny you spend delivers impact.

Good market research for charities doesn’t just help charities raise awareness. It also reassures stakeholders, proves effectiveness to donors, and builds stronger connections with communities. The challenge, of course, is cost: how do you get valuable insights without stretching an already limited charity market research budget too far?

Want to know what charities are prioritising right now? Take a look at our recent Charity Market Research Pulse Survey for fresh insights.

1. Start with Clear Research Objectives

Every successful project begins with a clear purpose. Before spending on methodology or recruitment, ask yourself, the team, the stakeholders:

• What decisions will this research inform?
• Who do we need to speak to?
• What are the “must-have” questions vs. the “nice-to-haves”?

Being focused upfront avoids wasted budget on irrelevant data and ensures your market research for charities delivers real impact.

2. Work with a Specialist Fieldwork Agency

We understand that staff time can be limited; so that is where a fieldwork agency can step in. A good partner can:

• Handle consent forms, NDAs, GDPR compliance, and safeguarding (vital when working with children or vulnerable people, and working on sensitive topics).
• Provide advice on feasibility and methodology based on their experience, ensuring that you are getting the most out of the research.
• Offer full-service support — from screener writing and recruitment to project management and moderation.
• Manage participant recruitment efficiently, saving you time and ensuring you reach the right audiences.

That said, if you have the internal capacity to conduct interviews yourself, this can save money. But even then, an agency can provide expert recruitment, feasibility checks, and guidance that reduce risk and free up your team.

3. Get your Recruitment Right: Why Screeners Matter

Recruitment is where many budgets leak. A bad recruit can derail a whole project, wasting both time and money.

A well-designed screener doesn’t just check boxes. It helps you:

• Balance demographic mixes and spread of opinions so you’re not hearing from the same types of people.
• Consider who you really want to speak to — for example, are your existing supporters (who are already engaged) the best audience, or do you need perspectives from outside your base?
• Think about relevance — do you want people who engage with similar charities, or those who are less familiar with the sector?
• Be clear on exclusions — sometimes knowing who you don’t want to speak to is just as important as who you do.
• Reflect on motivations — with budgets tight, it may be worth including people who have spare time to volunteer or donate in other ways.

And finally, don’t fall into the trap of trying to cover everything at once. Screeners should focus on the right questions that get you to the heart of your objectives, rather than piling on “nice-to-have” extras. Working with experts to design your screener can make all the difference.

4. Keep Participants Engaged to Reduce Dropouts

Dropouts can cause chaos in qualitative research. That’s why it pays to work with a partner who understands how to keep participants engaged.

A few tried-and-tested tactics include:

• Over-recruiting to allow for natural dropouts without disrupting quotas.
• Running confirmation calls so participants know exactly what’s expected of them.
• Building rapport early — from the first contact through to reminder messages.
• Clear, honest communication about time commitments, incentives, and the purpose of the research.
• Quick, fair incentive payments that make participants feel valued and respected.

Opt-in communities are a great way to build trust and ensure respondents know what to expect. And with the right systems in place, replacements can be found quickly if needed. In fact, we previously worked with a UK charity and achieved a 95% engagement rate — proving just how effective this approach can be (read the case study).

At Angelfish, our opt-in community is built on trust and transparency. Respondents know what to expect, and we have systems in place for last-minute replacements if needed.

5. Choose the Right Methodology for Your Budget

Not every project requires a venue or in-person group. Remote methodologies — from online focus groups to video depth interviews — can be significantly more cost-effective, cutting out venue hire, catering, and travel.

But the methodology isn’t just about saving money; it’s also about choosing the best fit for your goals. For example:

• Online communities are great for exploring themes like why people donate, or for gathering personal stories and lived experiences over time.
• Focus groups can be used to test messaging for adverts or upcoming campaigns, providing quick and useful feedback before launch.
• WhatsApp engagement is a low-cost way to keep people involved and avoids expensive platform fees, while also giving access to harder-to-reach groups.
• Pre-calls can be especially valuable if your research covers sensitive topics, helping to build rapport and trust before the main session.

The key is matching your method to your objectives — that’s how market research for charities can stay cost-effective and insightful.

6. Balance List Recruitment With Free-Found

Many charities hold supporter or member lists, and these can be a real asset. List recruitment often works well when you need:

• Quick turnaround — lists can provide faster access to respondents.
• Engaged participants — warm samples (people who already know your charity) are often easier to contact and more likely to respond.
• Comparison opportunities — they let you see the difference between those who are already involved in your work and those who may not be yet.
• Cost savings — when the list is accurate and well-managed, it can be cheaper than recruiting entirely from scratch (providing they’re a warm sample)!

That said, lists aren’t always enough on their own. People may be too close to your charity to give fresh perspectives, or they might not be representative of the wider audience you want to reach.

That’s why many organisations combine list recruitment with free-found methods — tapping into opt-in research communities, social media, or referral networks. This balance helps ensure you’re getting both quick wins and broader insights.

7. Handle Vulnerability with Care

Many charities need to hear from people in vulnerable situations — whether that’s individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or lived experiences. Getting this right takes time, sensitivity, and flexibility.

Some tips to consider:

• Allow more time — don’t rush recruitment; it can take longer to engage vulnerable participants.
• Invest in conversations — time on the phone helps build trust and makes people feel comfortable.
• Be clear upfront — make sure respondents understand project requirements before they agree to take part.
• Offer choice — for example, some may prefer a phone call over video, or need adjustments if phone recruitment isn’t accessible (e.g. for hearing-impaired participants).
• Support respondents — provide options and check-ins so they feel safe throughout the process.

At Angelfish, we’re RAS-accredited and trained to handle sensitive conversations with care. We use phone validation to reassure participants and improve data quality — a step that keeps people engaged and prevents fraudulent responses. We also follow the MRS Code of Conduct, ensuring ethical and respectful engagement with all participants.

8. Bring your Audience Personas to Life (And Use Them Wisely)

Segmentation and personas can be incredibly powerful tools for charities — but only when used in the right way. They should guide your recruitment, not restrict it.

A few tips to keep in mind:

• Use personas with confidence — they can help you visualise your audiences and bring segments to life in research.
• Stay flexible — people don’t always fit neatly into boxes, so be open to natural variation.
• Don’t overstretch them — if segmentation becomes too rigid, it can make recruitment more difficult and less representative.
• Think of them as a guide, not a rulebook — personas work best when they inform your thinking rather than dictate every decision.

Used well, personas can help you hear directly from the types of people who matter most to your charity, adding depth and human stories to your existing data.

9. Be Smart About Stretching Your Budget

Finally, a few simple rules of thumb for maximising value:

• Focus only on “must-have” questions to avoid scope creep.
• Use consultants for moderation if you don’t have in-house expertise — it’s more cost-effective than training internally for one-off projects.
• Keep research agile. Splitting projects into phases can spread cost and allow learning to build.
• Lean on your fieldwork agency for project management — it saves staff time and reduces hidden costs.

Final Thoughts

Qualitative market research for charities doesn’t have to drain your charity’s budget. With clear objectives, smart recruitment, and the right partners, you can gather the insights you need to make decisions with confidence — without overspending.

If you’d like to learn more about how we support charities, explore our charity market research page or take a look at our charity case study for inspiration.