No one can say for sure what 2010 will bring. Will there be an economic recovery? Will direct mail continue to be the king of individual giving results? Will a greater percentage of donors turn to the Web as their preference for giving?
Here from Network for Good are 5 Trends they anticipate will affect your fundraising in the months to come:
- You may see a greater number of donations with a smaller average gift size.
- As much as the media talks of a possible economic rebound, prospective supporters will still be wary of donating to new causes.
- Email outreach will continue its upward trend, meaning more email in subscribers’ inboxes.
- Recurring gifts will be a huge portion of online giving.
- As in the past, year-end gifts will account for a substantial percentage of total annual contributions.
What this means for you: You will need to work your hardest to make your mission accessible. Show where the money goes. Share the credit when your nonprofits does its great work. Make your supporters a part of the picture – not just an ATM in the background.
Your nonprofit needs to make recurring giving a priority in your online fundraising strategy – not a footnote. It needs to be an option every time a donor enters a gift amount.
As I deal with a lot of non-profits I found this a useful summary of expected trends — and what to do about them.