Predictions for GivingTuesday 2020

How Can Nonprofits Predict Fundraising Revenue on GivingTuesday 2020?

Several nonprofit sector researchers and fundraising experts are trying to answer that question. Let’s take a look at the fundraising data from past years to see what we know:

GivingTuesday Has Historically Been a Success

Each year, more and more people hear of GivingTuesday, thanks to social media and the efforts of the GivingTuesday organization itself. And each year, more and more people choose to donate.

Of course, this year is exceptional due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the GivingTuesday organization called for an emergency day of giving, GivingTuesdayNow, on May 5th. On that day, individual donors and corporations in 145 countries pulled together to raise $503 million in online donations. That week, charitable donations in response to the pandemic hit $10 billion.

DonorPerfect conducted research of the $28.6 million raised online with its platform on that day. It was found that:

With there being two GivingTuesday campaigns this year, it could be that some of your donors only had the capacity to give to one, but on the other hand, what inspired them to donate on GivingTuesdayNow may inspire a second donation to your organization on December 1st. A comforting fact is that internet searches for the phrase “Giving Tuesday” has increased 80% from last year. It’s thought that the impromptu giving day of GivingTuesdayNow further increased awareness of the campaign.

Charitable Giving is Up 7.5% in Q2 2020, Compared to Q2 2019

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) previously reported that charitable giving had decreased 6% in Q1 of 2020. However, their latest quarterly fundraising report indicates that donations and number of donors are the highest they’ve been in 5 years and that more donors were retained from 2019-2020. This could mean that donors were unsure how they’d weather the COVID-19 pandemic in Q1 and have since been able to find their bearings and better predict their giving capacity.

Charitable Giving Has Historically Hovered at 2% of the GDP

Even during the 2008 recession, charitable giving has maintained its correlation with the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP). This year, Fannie Mae predicts the GDP will fall 5.4%, which means charitable giving in the U.S. will have about 10%, when looking at the entire year as a whole.

The CARES Act Includes Incentives for Donating Through 2020

For the tax year of 2020, the following changes have been made to tax filing (Note: Donor-advised funds are excluded from these benefits. The donor must give directly to your organization.):

Additionally, there are talks about the U.S. government issuing a second stimulus check. Some recipients who have maintained employment through the pandemic may decide to use the extra funds to fund your nonprofit’s mission.

Experts are Predicting Another Wave of the Pandemic

Based on the trends of other viruses, medical professionals are suggesting that there will be another surge of COVID-19 in the fall. If that’s the case, it may be that the same need that inspired donors to give earlier this year will move them to give again to the causes and communities they care about on GivingTuesday in December.

Online and Monthly Giving Are Up

Every year, as the world becomes more tech-savvy, online giving goes up. From 2018-2019, it rose by 10%. Another type of giving that’s become more popular is monthly giving, which has increased by 22% in the same period. Since GivingTuesdayNow, nonprofits and donors alike have rapidly adapted to an all-digital era. By now, many more nonprofits may be better equipped to accept online donations as a more streamlined method of giving, and many mail-in donors may feel more comfortable giving online.

Millennials Are the Most Likely to Increase Their Giving Level

Fidelity Charitable conducted a survey of donors to determine giving trends in 2020 in response to the crisis and found that 25% of them plan to increase their giving level, while 54% said they will maintain their giving level. Of those respondents:

Those who’ve reported a plan to decrease their giving level said their top concern is due to the recession.

What Can Nonprofits Do to Be Successful on GivingTuesday 2020?

Although a monkey wrench has been thrown into, well, everything we knew in 2019, one thing you can still count on is the fact that your donors care about your cause. Here are the ways you can do your best to retain them and even attract new donors this Giving Tuesday.

Track Your Progress and Adapt Accordingly

Now more than ever, it’s important that your organization be equipped with a nonprofit CRM and an email marketing solution to record and analyze your campaign metrics in order to better-position yourself to continue what’s working and improve what’s not before the big day. Data you’ll be able to keep an eye on are:

• Open and click through rates of your emails
• A breakdown of which campaigns are performing best (direct mail, email, crowdfunding, etc.)
• Which fundraisers are finding success

Offer a Way to Donate Online

Younger generations have indicated increasing their donations in 2020, due to the pandemic. These are generations that prefer to do everything online from paying bills to staying connected with loved ones. And with technology on the rise this year and many continuing to do their part to keep others safe by staying home, providing an option to give online is a must.

Update Your Communications to Be Relevant to the Times

People are paying close attention to what’s in the headlines and want to know how they can be of service to their community and the world. Your organization is well-positioned to provide them with a solution. Review your communications to be sure your message tells the story of how your organization and those you serve have been affected by the pandemic and what your most current needs are.

Solicit Previous GivingTuesday Donors

Whether they gave on GivingTuesdayNow, GivingTuesday 2019, or even GivingTuesday 2016, reach out to these donor groups to thank them again for their previous gifts to these campaigns and make another ask for GivingTuesday 2020. These donors chose your cause as their charity of choice on this very special day, and chances are, they’d be willing to give to you again if you ask.

Seek Out Ways to Connect with Your Donors

Leading up to GivingTuesday, find ways to connect with your donors so the good feeling they get from interacting with your nonprofit’s crucial cause is at top of mind when the day of giving arrives.

• Form a committee to personally call major donors, corporations, and those who gave to your previous GivingTuesday campaigns to simply check in without making an ask.
• Implement “#TellUsTuesday,” a social media campaign to invite your supporters to share about what they love most about your nonprofit, using the hashtag or one you create for your cause.
• Offer virtual volunteer opportunities for your social media, website, research, and advocacy initiatives.

Establish Your GivingTuesday Game Plan with Time-Saving Tools

DonorPerfect has put together a collection of free resources designed to prepare you for GivingTuesday 2020. Check out the templates, webinars, and how-tos in Your #GivingTuesday Game Plan to quickly and easily set your GivingTuesday campaign goals, get the word out, recruit digital volunteers, and retain new donors beyond the big day.

Get the expert tips on crucial virtual fundraising strategies like these to make this day of giving a success from home:

Recruit Monthly Givers – Making larger asks may be challenging for your donors who may be facing financial hardship at this time. Offering your monthly gift program will give them an option to continue their support in a way that’s easier on their budget.

Launch a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign – GivingTuesday has become a popular giving tradition on social media. Give your supporters a way to share about your cause and fundraise on your behalf with a crowdfunding campaign that’s sure to catch the eyes of the like-minded potential donors in their network.

Make a Compelling DIY Fundraising Video – A Google study has found that a whopping 57% of people who watch fundraising videos will go on to donate to that cause. It’s worth considering using this medium to rally your supporters around your GivingTuesday goals.

From all of us at DonorPerfect, we wish you the best of luck in all of your GivingTuesday endeavors. We cannot thank you enough for your continued efforts to help the world’s most vulnerable populations, especially now.