Many nonprofits are looking for major gifts, so it is important to understand how wealthy donors approach online giving. The Chronicle of Philanthropy released a study at the end of March where nearly 3,500 donors were surveyed about their giving habits. The major finding of this survey showed that “charities are turning off some of their biggest donors—people who give $1,000 or more[.]”
“Most charities are not paying attention,” says Mark Rovner, president of a fundraising consulting company, “The people responsible for larger gifts need to start taking the Internet much more seriously than they have.”
The survey polled donors who made larger donations to one cause in the past 18 months and donated on average over $11,000 to charities.
In order to reach these donors effectively, charities need to understand these statistics:
n Four out of five donors said they had made a gift online
n A little over half preferred to use the Internet for donations
n 46 percent expected to “make a greater percentage of their charitable gifts” via the Internet within the coming years.
n Charities send too many email messages was a complaint made by nearly 60% of the donors.
n 82% did not want charities to “send them messages about another organization.”
n 92% wanted year-end tax receipts electronically.
n 83% also wanted electronic updates on the charity’s finances and spending
n Three-fourths of donors found emails explaining how to make donations online or about renewing an annual gift helpful
n Messages with “an urgent tone” asking for repeat donations were turn-offs to 81%
n Only 43% found the charity’s messages well-written and useful as a connection point.
These statistics are eye-opening to how charities are perceived and the importance of strategy in online giving. It is crucial to invest in major donors, especially through online giving.
Remember, email newsletters are not just a way to add to your list of contacts. People will read them if you put the effort into them. According to the Chronicle’s survey, “most of the donors want more say on the quantity of email they receive from charities.” Give people options on the frequency of emails. Know your audience so you can write appropriate emails for each group you interact with.
It takes more effort to make these changes, but the key in relationships is time. You are not looking just for money; you are looking for people who you can invest in and who will also be committed to you. Take time to research then and understand how you can best serve them.
Additional information and quoted material taken from Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article “Wealthy People Increasingly Give Online, Study Finds.”
-- Jessica High is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is a subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online