2009 Online Fundraising Trends
Blackbaud’s Steve MacLaughlin recently published this slide show reporting the 2009 online fundraising figures for 2,335 nonprofits (all transactions processed by Blackbaud). The report also provides year-over-year comparisons based upon returns for 1,703 organizations. It’s a "must view" presentation.
Some highlights:
- 65% of nonprofits enjoyed year-over-year (YOY) growth in online revenue comparing 2009 to 2008; 35% did not grow their online revenue in 2009.
- The median YOY growth was 21%, increasing to 35% for organizations that raised more than $1 million online.
- Overall, online revenue for all groups increased 46% over 2008.
- 46% of all online giving in 2009 was processed in the last three months of the year (30% in December alone). Interestingly, the percentage of the year’s transactions that occurred in these two periods was 35% and 18% respectively, indicating that the wallets really open up at the end of the year.
- Conversely, only 13% of online revenue was raised in the first three months of 2009 (reflecting 16% of the year’s transactions).
- The average online gift in 2009 was $145, down 5% from 2008. Highest average gifts are scored by independent schools ($372) and higher ed ($204).
Interesting data to reflect upon … and compare your online fundraising performance to.
In addition, you might find it useful to compare the Blackbaud data to these projections from Convio, another major online player. Convio estimated that overall online giving would increase from $3.1 billion in 2008 to "over $4 billion" in 2009 … a gain of perhaps 33% (less than what Blackbaud has measured). Also, Convio estimated that the number of online donors would grow from 89 million in 2008 to 110+ million in 2009, which would represent growth in the online donor pool in the range of 24% (Blackbaud has not released figures on the actual online donor growth reflected in its stats).
Tomorrow, we talk about some of the questions raised by these data.
Tom
One response to “2009 Online Fundraising Trends”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer
Very interesting information. I look forward to future reports.