Donor Motivations for Giving Vary With Income and Education
· Among lower-income donors (income less than $50,000), the phrases that resonated as a motivation for giving were helping “to meet basic needs” or “helping the poor help themselves.”
· Donors with income between $50,000 and $100,000 were more likely than donors in either higher or lower income groups to say that they gave to “make the world better.”
· Among donors with income of $100,000 or more, the phrases selected as motivations for giving included “those with more should help those with less” or “making my community better.”
These income differences in the motivations selected were statistically significant and took into account differences in education level, marital status, and age so as to isolate the effect of income differences on motivations.
“At CCS, we advise nonprofit organizations to strengthen their donor cultivation and stewardship initiatives, including increasing their understanding of how they can best relate to donors of different backgrounds,” said Robert Kissane, President of CCS. “Donors are individuals and personalized strategies for engagement are crucial. Today’s donors want to make a difference, see real impact, and understand the return on investment of their gifts. The overall objective of giving doesn’t necessarily change as a result of geography, but this study shows that the way donors describe their reasons for giving often varies, therefore the messaging and case for support needs to appeal to that particular constituency’s motivation.”
In 2007, CCS established the William B. Hanrahan CCS Fellowship. Now the study pays tribute to the late president and CEO. The Hanrahan CCS Fellowship supports research undertaken by doctoral students in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
To read more about the findings of Understanding Donor Motivations conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and sponsored by CCS, visit http://www.ccsfundraising.com/images/stories/pdf/ccs%20report%20final%2010-19-09.pdf or http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/Research/docs/2009CCS_FinalReport.pdf
About CCS
CCS is a leading fund-raising consulting and management firm established in 1947. The firm works with major non-profit organizations in designing and implementing significant fund-raising campaigns and programs with goals in excess of $5 billion. CCS clients are among the most recognizable brands in philanthropy nationally and internationally. They are dedicated to supporting fund-raising education and programs, as well as advancing non-profit institutions through philanthropic growth. For more information, please call Kelly Albanese, Director of Marketing Communications at 212-497-7453 or kalbanese@ccsfundraising.com, or visit www.ccsfundraising.com.
