Online Fundraising Platform Helps Nonprofits Raise $1B in Donations

Classy, a social enterprise that specializes in online fundraising, has helped nonprofits raise $1 billion through its online fundraising platform. To date, Classy has helped nonprofits receive 10 million donations from over 190 countries, according to a press release.

So here’s the big question: where are these donations coming from?

It comes as no surprise that online giving is becoming a more standardized way to give—it’s easier, more convenient and faster—especially with the evolution of mobile devices. And with more Millennials and Gen Zers coming onto the “social good” scene, it’s becoming the more preferred way to give.

Looking at the Classy data pool, 53 percent of traffic comes from mobile devices, 60 percent of mobile traffic comes from social media and 21 percent of transaction volume in donation pages comes from mobile devices, as reported in “The State of Modern Philanthropy: Examining Online Fundraising Trends.” In 2017, 50 percent of website visits were through mobile, which showed an 18 percent increase from 2016.

Social media plays a big role in the rise of mobile giving (remember 60 percent of mobile traffic comes from social media). To reinforce this, Classy also found that 60 percent of referral traffic comes from the social trinity: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Another interesting finding in the study is that 76 percent of all donations to a peer-to-peer campaign are made to individuals’ fundraising pages, not to the organization’s fundraising pages. This data suggests the emphasis on personal relationships—donors are donating to the person who they have some kind of relationship with. And that’s what nonprofits need to focus on.

In an exclusive interview with Scot Chrisholm, CEO and co-founder of Classy, said, “One thing that came through in the study was the importance of donor retention and how personal connection is really one of the important ways to address that issue.”

He continued, “A lot of organizations are focused on, 'how do I bring in new donors,' and less focused on, 'how can I build a real relationship with the donors who are actually giving, so that they give again.' And that’s super front of mind for us.”

For a deeper read on the study, click here. There, you will find more information on who donors are, when donors tend to donate, where donors are donating to, which campaign types donors prefer and more.