Giving Trends
November 29th was GivingTuesday, the unofficial launch of the giving season. With many calendar year-end campaigns launching, RKD Group has published eight non-profit fundraising trends to help set our expectations.
Here are a few of those trends that are worth highlighting:
- Fewer people are giving more money | In 2018, 49.6% of American households made a charitable contribution, down from 66.2% in 2000. However, donations are higher due to major gifts, bequests and foundations.
- Inflation is leaving its mark on charitable giving | From January 2021 to June 2022, the FEP reports consumer prices rose by 13.3% for American households.
- The past two years of giving is proving to be unsustainable | Furthermore, charities are reporting low retention rates of the “new wave” of COVID donors.
- Non-profits are experiencing sustained challenges | This is due to the uncertain economy and supply chain issues affecting direct mail.
Why This Matters
While direct mail is still an important aspect of fundraising, the pandemic accelerated online giving. Blackbaud reports an online giving increase of 42% from 2018-2021, with 12% of all giving now happening online (up from 8.7% in 2019). As non-profits struggle to adapt to the new normal, increasing digital giving options that are integrated with direct mail strategies will help fundraisers make the most of online platforms.
Next Step
Click here to review all eight trends and consider how they may impact your organization’s 2022 giving season.
Photo by Christian Dubovan on Unsplash