Nonprofit Adviser

iStock

The annual “Giving USA” report was released last week, and, as usual, the highly anticipated results hold some helpful clues for fundraisers wondering where to focus their efforts in the months ahead.

For example, the rate of repeat giving is up, suggesting that fundraisers may do well to spend some extra time cultivating and thanking those first-time donors who seem likely to become repeat givers. At the same time, after a strong year for corporate giving in 2021, economic woes may push many companies to pull back this year.

My colleagues Emily Haynes and Drew Lindsay talked to people working the front lines of fundraising at nonprofits across the country about the results and asked what they are seeing. Some key takeaways:

• Fundraisers report unusually high rates of repeat giving in 2021. For example, 40 to 45 percent of first-time givers in 2020 to Doctors Without Borders contributed again in 2021, up from the typical 30 percent, said Kim Goldsmith-N’Diaye, director of development. The Covid-19 crisis is a big driver of the strong repeat giving. Unlike with floods or hurricanes, donors continue to have friends and family who get sick and face economic hardship, said Dale Bannon, of the Salvation Army: “This was not just a one-time event. We found that new donors coming in were more likely to give a second, third, and fourth time.”
  
• Nonprofits saw big turnouts and strong giving at in-person gatherings. For example, the University of Central Arkansas launched the public phase of a $100 million campaign in April 2021 and found people eager to attend the kickoff events with masks and other protocols in place.
  
• Corporate giving is volatile and a big question mark. Giving by America’s businesses was up 18 percent in 2021, following a 6 percent decline in 2020. With the economy and the stock market in trouble, however, some nonprofits are seeing worrying trends. “Everyone’s getting a little nervous with all of these signs of a recession,” said Michael Corey, executive director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County in Ohio. “And though I haven’t seen any signs of corporations pulling back at all, it wouldn’t surprise me one iota if they did.”

For more fundraising data, take a look at the impact of trust on giving and the latest economic data driving donor decisions. We hope you find our reporting useful as you navigate these uncertain times. Let us know if there’s something else you’d like us to cover.

Be well,
Dan Parks
Senior Editor, Digital and Data

Use your data to create a model that identifies donors with the greatest willingness to give. For instance, if certain donors have shared lots of personal information with you, such as their mailing address, how many children they have, and their job title, that shows they’re more engaged than those who have only provided an email address, says Jason Coolman, associate vice president for development and alumni relations at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Develop a scoring system based on values you assign to various actions supporters have taken. Then group supporters according to their scores and reach out to them in priority order. Learn more in How to Identify Donors With the Greatest Potential to Give, and consult the tool kit How to Use Data to Advance Fundraising. And consult our site for more than 1,300 how-to articles and tools to help you succeed.

Your Chronicle subscription includes free access to the GrantStation database of grant opportunities.

Animals. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Disaster Response program invites proposals from disaster-response organizations providing direct support to companion animals, equines, and their pet parents in communities at high risk for catastrophic natural disasters. Grants range from $25,000 to $100,000 and will fund expenses for capacity building and preparedness for future natural disasters, field rescue gear and supplies, animal transport equipment and supplies, generators and more. The application deadline is July 18.

Social-justice litigation. The Barbara McDowell and Gerald S. Hartman Foundation aims to improve the economic well-being, social conditions, and civil liberties of disadvantaged persons and groups in the United States by supporting nonprofit organizations that undertake systemic litigation. Grants for social-justice litigation aim to have a systemic impact in a wide range of areas, including access to benefits, children’s rights, disability rights, discrimination, domestic violence, environmental justice, health care, homelessness, housing, Native American rights, prisoners’ rights, refugee and immigrant rights, voting rights, and veterans’ rights. Grant applications will be accepted until August 1.