Latest Blackbaud Giving Index
Here are the latest online and overall giving growth rates as measured by Blackbaud.
The online giving rate, comparing the three months ending May 2012 to the same three month period in 2011, is up 6.9%. The data represents actual returns for 1,792 nonprofits representing $425 million in annual online giving.
Growth was greatest, 12.9%, for nonprofits with revenue less than $1 million. By sector the growth rate was highest for Environmental & Animal Welfare groups.
The bad news is that the online growth rate for this May period represents a steady decline since January’s rate of 16.5%.
The overall charitable giving rate, also comparing the three months ending May 2012 to the same three month period in 2011, decreased 1.1%. The largest groups (annual revenue exceeding $10 million) were down 4.4%. By sector, the big loser was Human Services Organizations. The data for overall giving represents actual returns for 2,564 nonprofits representing $7.1 billion in annual giving.
Tom
P.S. Beware, Blackbaud’s summary graphics misleadingly show all figures as positive, whereas the back-up graphs display the true positive and negative growth percentages.
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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