Donor Giving Trends for Today and Tomorrow, Part 2

• Lower-income people tend to be more generous than higher-income individuals.
• The most generous donors are more likely to give by mail and less likely than average to give online.
• More generous donors are more intentional about planning their support.
• Giving still happens because donors are involved with organizations — 42 percent of donors volunteer with their organizations, Holman said, and “78 percent of high-net donors still volunteer — often as board members.”

A surprising trend regarding high-net donors Holman shared is that the majority of them consult their accountants on what organizations to which to donate.

Unsurprisingly, however, demographics still matter. There is a “tsunami of baby boomers aging up to 65 and planned-giving territory,” Holman said. “Every day for the next 19 years, 10,000 people turn 65,” so these are the people you should be cultivating toward planned giving.

Then there is the challenge of feeding the younger-donor pipeline. The earlier you engage these donors, the more loyal they’ll be as they approach prime giving age. Increasingly, younger donors look to the Web and social media to research, interact with and donate to nonprofits. Knowing that, a static website is death, Holman said. You must constantly update and intrigue younger donors to keep their attention, and technology is the best way to do that.

Holman said several organizations are now using iPads out in the field to make it easy to educate donors on the spot about their missions and how donors/volunteers can get involved. Look for ways you can integrate the technologies younger donors use to engage them now, Holman said.

It’s a delicate balance, but every organization must find a way to focus on its core donors and simultaneously grab younger donors in order to survive today and thrive tomorrow.

Holman said that even with the shift in donor preferences taking place, some of the old tried-and-true fundraising principles continue to work today. Fundraisers should still: