December Nets 48% Of Online Fundraising Dollars
Steve MacLaughlin at Blackbaud is first out of the blocks in terms of sharing 2008 online fundraising results.
One stat in particular astounded me: amongst roughly 2000 nonprofits using Blackbaud fundraising software, fully 48% of their online fundraising contributions — in terms of dollar value — were received in the month of December!
Here’s more of what Steve reports:
Steady Annual Growth — Organizations had steady growth in their online giving through the first and second quarters of 2008. There was a slight decrease in online giving during the third quarter of the year, specifically the month of August. The final months of the year saw online giving rebound leading up to the typical end-of-year giving spikes. December and June were the two largest months for online giving.
Average Online Gift Growth — Nonprofits in the analysis had an average online gift of $152.12 in 2008. Nonprofits in the education, healthcare, faith-based, and foundation sectors typically had much higher average gift amounts. Organizations focused on event-based and peer-to-peer online fundraising had lower average gift amounts, which is consistent with industry trends.
December Giving Trends — Nonprofit online giving in the last month of 2008 quadrupled in size compared to prior months. This is a trend Blackbaud has consistently observed for the past three years. December accounted for about 21% of the year’s transaction volume, but 48% of the total dollars raised. The average online gift for the month of December increased to $248.82 for the nonprofits in the analysis.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa! Good data here against which to compare your own results.
Tom
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