Sensitive Subject. Precision Recruitment.
Qual recruitment for Kokoro and a leading UK charity
The Challenge
A leading UK charity needed to test print advertising around legacy giving, leaving a gift to charity in a will. It’s a subject that touches charitable giving, end-of-life planning and people’s own personal experiences, all at once. The sample had to be tightly relevant, and every part of the recruitment had to be handled with genuine care.
The criteria also shifted between proposal stage and final sign-off. Zest checked feasibility early, then turned the signed-off screener into a workable fieldwork plan against a tight timetable, without losing precision along the way.
The Audience and Methodology
The final sample focused on people open to supporting the charity who were considering, writing or updating a will, carefully excluding anyone who had already made a legacy pledge.
Each group also needed a considered mix: current and potential charity donors, a spread of household circumstances and personal connection to the charity’s cause. Three two-hour groups, two in St Albans and one online, gave respondents the space to explore their reactions to sensitive print communications in real depth.
Methodology:
3 x 2-hour focus groups, 2 in-person in St Albans, 1 online via Zoom
Respondents:
18 participants, recruit 7 for 6 per group
Duration:
Recruitment w/c 15 June; groups 22-24 June 2026
Services:
Recruitment, screening, project management, scheduling, respondent management, incentive management
How Zest Delivered
Zest built resilience into the recruitment from day one. Every group was recruited 7 for 6, building in a reserve against late drop-out and protecting the final sample from quota drift. Each participant was screened across age, socio-economic grade, charitable giving, will status and personal connection to the cause, alongside practical checks on availability, travel and Zoom access.
A shared respondent sheet gave Kokoro live visibility of the sample as it developed, so any changes could be actioned quickly. The participant journey itself was handled with equal care. The screener used neutral language, gave respondents the option to skip more personal sections, and set out confidentiality, recording and data use clearly before anyone took part.
What This Says About Zest
Good qualitative recruitment is never just about matching a demographic profile. Here, relevance had to sit alongside real sensitivity, the right life stage, the right relationship with charity and wills, and a participant experience that made people feel safe enough to speak openly.
That’s where careful fieldwork design earns its keep. Feasibility checked early. Reserves built in. Mixed-mode logistics managed closely. The sample visible throughout. Zest created the conditions for Kokoro and the client to focus entirely on the conversation, confident that every person in the room truly matched the brief.
