Annual fundraising stats and trends are essential to creating the smartest annual fundraising plan possible. ZGIVE has rounded up the top three stats you should know for year-end fundraising.
It goes without saying: this year’s year-end fundraising strategy is going to look a little different. For most U.S. nonprofits, COVID-19 has halted, shifted, or altered its annual fundraising plans. The good news is, year-end fundraising has been trending digital for years now. Hopefully, most nonprofits are prepared to engage in virtual fundraising as their top strategy to win year-end donations.
Whether you’re an online fundraising pro or new to the game, these top three stats will help you leverage this year’s year-end giving season.
1. 70% donate through multiple channels.
Key takeaway? Because 7 out of 10 Americans donate through multiple media, utilize a multi-channel 2020 year-end strategy.
Marketing channel examples include:
Direct mail
Email
Text-to-Give
In-person
Social media campaign
Live stream event
Peer-to-Peer campaign
Corporate match
Crowdfunding campaign
Questions to take advantage of this stat:
Which channels were most successful for us in the last three years?
Is our current year-end strategy effectively using a multi-channel approach?
How many channels can we co-market efficiently with our team this year?
In what ways is COVID-19 informing which channels we should be using for our 2020 year-end strategy?
Are we considering 2020’s top virtual giving trends, such as live stream and Text-to-Give?
2. Two-thirds of new donors do not research before giving.
Key takeaway? Because most people give based solely on word of mouth and recommendations of friends and family, make your 2020 year-end outreach efforts easy to share through texts, emails, and social media posts.
Examples of shareable content:
Short, concise copy. (Think to yourself: can I sum up this paragraph in one sentence? This action step in one word?)
Infographics. If your team can’t afford an in-house graphic designer, give Canva a try; it’s f-r-e-e for nonprofits.
Videos. Post 30-second to 2-minute videos that capture the heart of your nonprofit.
Questions to take advantage of this stat:
Have we planned shareable content for year-end giving?
Do we make content sharing easy?
Do we understand what our donors like to share during the giving season?
3. 30% of year-end giving happens in December - 12% on the last day of the month alone.
Key takeaway: because most donations roll in during December, be sure to have the technology, processes, and people to steward the influx of giving effectively.
Examples of technology, processes, and people needed for the biggest month of giving:
Technology: fundraising platform, project management tools, messaging/communication tools, video tools
Processes: donor pipelines, thank-you processes, social media engagement processes
People: additional volunteers or board members to help with calls, messages, and thank-you letters
Questions to take advantage of this stat:
Do we have an all-in-one fundraising platform that is secure and easy to collect donations?
Does our team have the technology it needs to work efficiently?
Does our team have a process in place for stewarding gifts and new donors?
Is our team prepared to handle the additional calls, emails, and thank-you letters on top of their typical responsibilities?
Nonprofits can get ahead of year-end planning by taking these top three stats into account.
Take advantage of the holiday spirit and invite your donors to participate in a virtual silent auction to help you raise money at year-end. Learn how our simple, smart digital auction fundraising platform can help your nonprofit this December. Learn more at www.zgive.com.