Three Online Fundraising Trends for Nonprofits in 2019

By Peter Gamache, Ph.D. & Jackie Sue Griffin, MBA, MS, Turnaround Life, Inc.

Fundraising is an essential nonprofit activity. When it comes to online fundraising, it’s more susceptible to changes due to new trends and the rise of new technologies. The goal is to make the process as efficient as possible, almost like the sales process, and to raise as much money as you can. Ideally, nonprofits are also after repeat donors and expanding to include each demographic group in its unique way.

Doing all of this is not easy, but fortunately, there’s a predetermined path to walk. If you follow these three online fundraising trends for nonprofits in 2019, you are sure to attract more donors and supporters:

Accommodate the Mobile-Only Generation

Much is expressed about Millennials and their increasing influence on nonprofit fundraisers. There are more and more Millennials coming into the workforce, and many of them wish to give back. However, new generations are coming in and should be considered for the future of online fundraising as well. While Millennials were the focus of trends up until 2018, for next year it’s going to be essential to pay attention to those that are coming — Gen Z.

Same as Millennials, they have their quirks and different defining characteristics. To reach out to Gen Z and turn them into donors, you’re going to have to build mobile-optimized giving pages and forms. As a mobile-only generation, Gen Z won’t bother donating unless they can do it through their phone. Don’t miss out on the contributions of this demographic; work on optimizing your website for mobile.

Personalize

Another upcoming trend is personalization. Having a special gift offer that seems to be tailor-made for the contributor in question is very compelling. After all, we see these recommendations based on our preferences every day in the online space. Spotify looks at what you like to listen to and offers you similar music to discover. Amazon and Netflix do the same. As we get used to receiving relevant offers that interest us, the more we’ll grow to expect to acquire them in every aspect of our online activities. The trend to personalize the ask is going to be crucial in making people donate to your nonprofit.

Gather and Analyze Data

To successfully personalize your offers and target your ideal prospects more precisely, you’ll need to gather and analyze your data. In recent years, we’ve seen the importance of big data rising in every sector, and online fundraising for nonprofits is no exception. Without using data gathered through the nonprofit’s previous fundraising efforts, you’ll be going into your future campaigns blind. Instead, it would be much more beneficial to analyze the data and come up with a fundraising plan based on your findings.

With 2019 fast approaching, nonprofits need to stay on top of the upcoming trends to remain relevant in the online world. For more nonprofit guidance and advice, visit the Turnaround Life, Inc. website and help us fulfill our mission of assisting organizations and programs that help people turn their lives around.