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Giving in the first quarter of 2024 remained basically flat compared to the last quarter of 2023, according to new research released Thursday. The GivingPulse report is based on weekly surveys of Americans about their giving habits.
“Over all, what we found is not any significant change in the overall rates of giving, so it’s pretty stable,” says Woodrow Rosenbaum, chief data officer for GivingTuesday, which conducts the research and compiled the report.
He says the fact that donor generosity is stable means nonprofits have opportunities to tap into that generosity. The survey found that giving dipped in February but rebounded in March. During the period of decline, there was also a drop in the number of appeals donors received, suggesting people are willing to be generous when they’re asked, the report says.
Not asking is a “missed opportunity,” says Rosenbaum. He says in the fourth quarter of last year, GivingPulse found that people who hadn’t contributed in the previous quarter did give when asked. Based on responses to the GivingPulse survey, the report estimates that an additional 7 percent of respondents would have donated in the first quarter of 2024 if they had been asked.
“We’re not asking all people to participate in giving,” he says. “We’ve seen lots of indications over the years that solicitation is lower than it should be. Yet in moments where we, the sector, do engage more broadly, we see a terrific and immediate response.”
While nonprofits need to ask donors to give more often, it’s crucial that appeals are made in the right context so donors don’t feel like their only interactions with the charity are requests for money, Rosenbaum cautions.
“We need to change this dynamic from the only engagement is a transactional solicitation to understanding our supporters are generous people,” he says. “If we think of ourselves as storytelling organizations, that’s how we get welcomed to engage more often. And, yes, that includes soliciting more often.”
The report highlighted the connection between volunteering and generosity. “When monetary donation rates were at their lowest in Q1, volunteers made up over half of remaining donors,” the report said. Rosenbaum says fundraisers shouldn’t undervalue volunteer involvement.
“Volunteering is a very strong way of driving other contributions, as well as maintaining connection and retention of those supporters,” Rosenbaum says. He suggests organizations that don’t have strong volunteer opportunities should consider thinking of ways supporters can volunteer virtually or participate in advocacy. “People being advocates for your cause is a really good way of giving them an opportunity to support you in a way that feels meaningful,” he says.
Other highlights from the report:
- There was a small uptick in the share of donors giving just money, rather than money, time, and items. Rosenbaum said it wasn’t clear why. It could be that people are donating to international causes, which typically would skew toward funds rather than time or items.
- Giving by people who plan their charitable donations in advance remained stable, while spontaneous giving dropped 5 percent, indicating that more “planners” kept giving in the new year.
- International giving increased 22 percent among informal givers — people who donate to individuals or nonregistered groups, such as neighborhood associations — but was steady for formal donors — those who donate to registered charities.
- Seventy-six percent of respondents under the age of 30 said they hadn’t been solicited in the previous week. People ages 25 to 34 were most likely to say they’d respond to an appeal.
