Most Charities Exceeded Fundraising Goals for 2014, Study Finds
Sixty-three percent of respondents – the largest share since 2007 – saw fundraising receipts increase in 2014; this according to a report released yesterday by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative. While this is a very slight increase from 62 percent in 2013, it continues the trend of increases of 58 percent in 2012, 53 percent in 2011, and 43 percent in 2010.
The four regions of the United States had mixed results in charitable receipts in 2014:
- Among respondents in the North, just 59 percent saw increases in 2014, less than 64 percent in 2013.
- In the Midwest, 66 percent saw increases, slightly higher than 63 percent in 2013, but not enough different to meet tests for statistical significance.
- In the South, 67 percent saw increases, essentially the same as the 68 percent in 2013.
- The West had the greatest share reporting an increase of any region at 70 percent, much higher than 63 percent in 2013.
Seventy-three percent of respondents in the U.S. met their fundraising goal in 2014, which is much higher than the 59 percent in 2013 and even the 63 percent in 2012.
Fifty-three percent of Canadian organizations saw an increase, essentially the same as the 52 percent that reported increases in 2013.
However, 66 percent of Canadian respondents met their fundraising goal, also much higher than the 52 percent reported for 2013.
Gifts received through social media, used at 46 percent of responding organizations, increased at 79 percent of the organizations using the method, the highest increase in this survey. Additionally, social media, online, and email saw decreases at the lowest shares of organizations using these methods (at 3%, 3%, and 5% of respondents, respectively). Social media is supplementing, not replacing, more traditional methods, such as direct mail, events, or major gifts, all of which are used at nearly 90 percent of organizations.
The complete report is available here.