In order to gain maximum influence the Society must also be seen to be
involved in decision making. Young has been a Committee member of the
Secretary of State for the Environment’s ‘Going for Green’ initiative since
1994 and a member of the Department’s ‘Round Table on Sustainability’.
Political lobbying is an important part of the CEO’s role and one which she
handles with relish. In an interview with the Glasgow Herald, Young was
quoted as saying that she was ‘not convinced that Mr Major is very pro-
bird’.
However, this does not hinder the Society from aiming to achieve the
ends objectives within the ‘Future Directions’ strategy plan! Most obstacles
faced come from within the sometimes restrictive environment of the char-
ities industry itself.
The RSPB and the charity ‘industry’
Charities in the UK
The charity ‘industry’ in the UK accounts for some 3 per cent of gross
domestic product. Each year the British public gives nearly £5 billion to
over 170 000 charities. These range from large, well-known concerns like
the National Trust and Oxfam to more specific or local charities such as the
Friends of Bristol Horses and the Confectioners Benevolent Fund.
The charities which benefit most from voluntary donations can be
divided into five main groups:
1 Medicine and health– Imperial Cancer Research Fund, British Heart Foundation
2 General welfare– Salvation Army, RNLI, Barnardo’s
3 International aid– Oxfam, Save the Children Fund, Red Cross
4 Heritage and the environment– National Trust,Worldwide Fund for Nature
5 Animal protection– RSPCA
The RSPB see themselves firmly in Heritage and the Environment but are
often perceived as an Animal Protection charity. (See Tables 2.6.1–2.6.3 and
Figure 2.6.2 for detailed information on competitors.)
The profile of the average charity supporter in the UK is predominantly
AB (a National Readership Survey classification in which As are ‘upper-
middle-class’ and from higher managerial, administrative or professional
occupations and Bs are middle-class and from intermediate managerial,
administrative or professional occupations), middle-aged, read the Daily
Telegraphand are more likely to live in the South of England. The gender
split is 50 : 50. However, within this very broad generalization there are
strong variations. People giving to environmental and wildlife charities
tend to be much younger than the average and not so well off. People who
give to ‘fluffy’ animal charities tend to be female, have pets of their own
The customer market domain: Managing relationships with buyers 135