our blog
The State of Modern Philanthropy
by sean staggs
It is no surprise to anyone that the past two years have inexorably changed the face of fundraising, especially P2P fundraising. As we continue to navigate this new fundraising landscape, we notice how things are evolving and ways to adapt your fundraising efforts.
Here are five takeaways on the state of modern philanthropy:
The first takeaway is the fundamental change in expectations of constituents. What may have passed as an acceptable ‘virtual’ event experience 2 years ago will no longer suffice to engage constituents. Gone are the days of having a ‘virtual’ participation type and treating them the same as in-person event participants.
As we move into 2022, and back to in-person or hybrid events, it is essential to design a journey for all constituents, regardless of how they are engaging with the organization.
The idea of trying to futureproof your organization’s fundraising efforts may be hard, but there are ways to minimize fallout. Just like a stock portfolio, diversification is key to weathering future downturns. In the case of non-profits, it is having multiple ways your organization raises money.
Organizations with direct response, strong recurring donor bases, and peer-to-peer fundraising options are going to be better positioned than one that relies too heavily on one type of fundraising.
To maximize lifetime value you want to provide a great experience for supporters, that allows them to donate the way they want to donate. Mobile-optimized donation forms are table-stakes. More than half of traffic is coming from non-desktop devices.
To get to the next level and accommodate modern philanthropy, you need to be sure to have a variety of payment options: Credit cards, ACH, Donor-Advised Funds, and digital wallets (ApplePay, GooglePay, PayPal). Let donors give how they want to give.
You also want to be sure to have easy pathways for sustained giving options, monthly, annually, quarterly as part of the donation experience.
And finally, as donation experience goes, having creative matching options can take your fundraising to the next level. Go beyond just offering company match, but craft unique match challenges.
And now, perhaps more than ever, supporter retention is paramount. When offering recurring donation options, be sure to be maximizing your retention by adding tools that help update changed or expired credit cards automatically.
In this era of modern philanthropy, campaigns such as Giving Tuesday have high volumes of first-time donors. Having a thoughtful engagement strategy specifically for these constituents will help improve odds of getting future donations from that first time donor.
Looking forward to 2022!
As we gear up for 2022, remember that we are living in a new normal. Our industry has changed considerably in a very short period of time and it is up to us to continue to adapt and relate to the times. Many of your peers are having great success, despite the pandemic. Wishing you a successful 2022 that brings many opportunities for reinvention and creativity!
And check out more informative blogs from Charity Dynamics here.
Sean Staggs is a Principal Consultant at Charity Dynamics.
He brings a variety of non-profit experience to bear for his clients as he has worn many hats at both the local and national non-profit level.
