Today it seems like the options for reaching donors are virtually unlimited. We can meet up for coffee, host an event, make a phone call, shoot out an email, blast a Tweet, post a video on YouTube, organize a Facebook LIVE event and the list goes on and on. It’s a far cry from the days when we’d mail out a pamphlet and pledge card, cross our fingers, and hope for the best.
Our methods for resource development have evolved over the years because of many factors including, but not limited to, the economy, technology, and politics.
It’s safe to say that we’re living in a time of great advancements in technology (particularly the internet and our reliance/obsession with mobile devices) coupled with political and economic uncertainty. Stocks are at an unprecedented high. Trust in the government is trending low. Though at times it feels like all of us in the nonprofit world are just trying to hold on and keep up, it’s nice to see some bright lights.
And that’s what we’re giving you here— 10 fundraising trend “bright lights”. Things are looking up in 2017 for nonprofits, charities, and NGOs. Here’s how you can capitalize on it all:
We are living in a time of political change, but this isn’t necessarily translating into smaller donations. On the contrary, the Philanthropy Outlook 2016 & 2017 predicts that an increase in individual and household income will help to boost fundraising efforts for nonprofits, charities, and NGOs by as much as 3.8% in 2017.
Make the prediction of an increase in individual giving work for you by:
GDP is up, business savings are increasing— and these factors have a direct and significant impact on corporate giving. Again, researchers are anticipating an upward trend of giving, with total corporate giving predicted to rise by 4.7% in 2017.
Any fundraiser who weathered the storm that was the Great Recession knows that fundraising since 2008/2009 has been extremely tough. We didn’t bounce back from pre-recession rates of giving until 2014. Even then, retention rates still haven’t fully rebounded. But as the stock market hits all-time records, companies are finally beginning to breathe a sigh of relief which can really help your organization.
Make the prediction of an increase in corporate giving work for you by:
We built CauseVox to inspire, activate, and rally supporters behind your mission because we realize it’s the relationships you form with donor that will elevate your fundraising efforts to the next level. The focus on relationships and leveraging those connections to increase your audience is what defines People Fundraising.
Here at CauseVox, we believe that People Fundraising is the future of fundraising. When you give your donors a voice, you’re reaching both current and future donors on a personal level.
Make People Fundraising work for you by:
Earlier in 2016, we posted about how to work with Facebook’s ever-changing newsfeed algorithm. But really, it isn’t just Facebook that is promoting organic content — Instagram, Pinterest, almost all social media platforms are prioritizing the posts of your audience’s friends and family over that of your nonprofit
People are still using social media. But your nonprofit’s reach isn’t going to be like it was a few years ago.
Make the trend of decreasing engagement in social media work for you by:
It’s a hard truth to swallow, but nonprofits, charities, and NGOs are everywhere. In a way, that’s a good thing. With an uncertain political atmosphere, charitable organizations may be called on to step up (even more) in areas such as women’s health, poverty assistance, immigration, the arts, and sciences.
And every single one of these organizations will need to rely on donations to offset what could potentially be a significant decrease in government grants and other aid. Therefore, you don’t just need to fundraise, you need to STAND OUT.
We suggest you take this impending shift as a call-to-action to ramp up your engagement efforts.
Use engagement opportunities as a tool to retain current supporters, capture new donors, and bring back givers. Create a varied schedule of activities depending on your average donor demographics. You want to keep supporters active and wondering what’s going to happen next.
Make the focus of donor engagement work for you by:
Donor retention rates are at the highest rate since 2008— a steady 45.9%. While we’d all like to see this number higher, this increase (from 45.7% in 2014) indicates that retention is has become a priority for nonprofits and charities.
At CauseVox, we can’t stress enough how important donor retention is for your organization. As you plan your 2017 fundraising activities, remember to constantly be thinking of ways to incorporate elements that promote donor retention.
Make the upward trend of donor retention work for you by:
Nonprofits have been slow to jump into the mobile optimization trend. If you haven’t begun to mobilize your website and emails for mobile, now is the time. Keep in mind that mobile giving makes up 17% of all online giving, and that’s a figure projected to increase in 2017.
Make mobile optimization trends work for you by:
Monthly giving will continue increasing per the 2016 M+R Benchmarks report. In fact, monthly giving accounts for 17% of all online revenue and in 2015, monthly revenue grew by 24% across all sectors, compared to 18% growth in one-time revenue.
One of the best things about monthly/recurring giving is that no matter the size and scope of your cause, it’s fairly easy to implement a program.
Make the increase in monthly/recurring giving work for you by:
Recently, nonprofits have really ramped up their storytelling—and we love this. After all, we engineered CauseVox fundraising websites so you have the space to share your story, and thus, inspire donors.
In 2017, make a concerted effort to share your story effectively. Use emotion-inducing language, create common themes and ties between your stories, and don’t forget to tell your donor exactly how their gift plays a role in the solution.
Make the trend of nonprofit storytelling work for you by:
Our in-person lives are becoming increasingly connected with our online identities, but nonprofits have notoriously been slow to the party. Maybe it’s because most non-profit work is on the ground. We’re relying on connections. Relationships. Authenticity. And there’s no denying that it’s much easier to develop a bond in-person as opposed to online. Simply put, it seems impossible to form the same donor to nonprofit relationships that we had in the past.
But here’s some food for thought: As the internet, including email and social media, have continued to grow and develop, businesses are now using this as an opportunity to collect data from clients and customers.
DATA— a nonprofit professional’s favorite word. We love data as much as we love when our coworker brings in a plate of her delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies. So as we power through 2017 and beyond, nonprofits must begin to incorporate practices of the internet of things (IoT) like our colleagues in the business world.
According to Nick Morpus of Capterra “The IoT can change the way nonprofits collect that data and just how much data they can get their hands on.”
Make the presence of the Internet of Things (IoT) work for you by:
Every year, we see new trends in fundraising and 2017 is no different. We know you’re knee-deep in planning for the upcoming calendar year, which is why it’s important to factor in these trends as you craft your calendar. You may decide to put some more money into Facebook Ads, connect your website to Google Analytics, or refresh your corporate giving materials based on expectations and trends for 2017.
If you found this article helpful, check out our other resources:
Have you noticed any of these fundraising trends? What do you expect 2017 to bring for your nonprofit, charity or NGO? Let us know in the comments below.
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