Donor Nation USA
I was browsing the latest report from Giving USA on the size of the giving sector in America in 2013.
The overall giving total — $335 billion — is big. But just how big is that … what would be a good comparative measure?
What about comparative national budgets?
If you take ‘just’ individual donations ($240.6 billion) and bequests ($27.7 billion), that’s $268.3 billion.
At that level, Donor Nation USA is the 16th largest nation in the world in terms of revenue, ranking just behind #15 Sweden ($277.6 billion) and above South Korea ($267.9 billion). All US dollars.
If you add in foundations and corporate giving, the total rises to $335.2 billion, giving Donor Nation USA a ranking of #14, just behind Netherlands ($381.3 billion). Norway follows at $280.5 billion.
So, one way or the other, Americans gave more money to charity in 2013 than all but 13 nations on the planet!
Well done folks … and especially those core individual donors, whose giving was up 4.2% over 2012.
Reporting on the Giving USA report in Fundraising Success, Joe Boland wrote:
“It’s just more proof that every donor matters. While every fundraiser would love to secure that major corporate partnership and land that transformative grant, the reality is the bulk of any fundraiser’s dollars typically comes from those individual supporters. Fundraisers must always focus on their donors, cultivating them and building trusting, intimate relationships to land those future major gifts — and maybe even those future grants and corporate dollars.”
And he urges:
“…most importantly, continue being the great stewards you are for your individual donors, no matter the level. Because without them, all the great work each and every nonprofit organization does would not be possible.”
Amen, Joe.
But I’d add …
Just think how big Donor Nation USA could be if we all just upped our game a smidgen!
And just think how big Donor Nation USA could be if we actually invested smarter and seriously in fundraising, as urged by Roger here, here and very emphatically here.
Tom
3 responses to “Donor Nation USA”
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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The average household gives 4.7% of their income to charity. Not bad, but imagine if everyone tithed…that would generate an ADDITIONAL $270 Billion in donations!
We must have been drinking the same beverage last week Tom, especially the reference to Roger’s pleas https://bloomerang.co/blog/giving-usa-2014-report-what-you-need-to-know/
Thanks as always for the superb insights!
Comparative data on giving per capita?