The world is changing quickly and nonprofit fundraisers are on the forefront of this change. The key to not being run over by fundraising trends is to understand what is coming next and prepare for the new reality. Here are 5 trends for nonprofit fundraisers to watch:
1) New giving options for donors- Because of tax law changes, giving to traditional 501 (c) 3 nonprofits will decline. People will still be charitable but they will be more likely to support their neighbor’s Go Fund Me campaign or a 501 (c) 4 organization that is working on political issues the donor is passionate about.
2) Corporate Donors Move Global-More corporate foundations are moving their giving from hometown communities to global issues to match the interests of their global workforce and customer base. This means less corporate donors for your capital campaign or to sponsor tables at your events.
3) Donors Expect Deep Personalization-Personalization in the for-profit sector is shaping donor expectations and making it increasingly essential that your nonprofit provides customized material for every donor or donor segment. Your donor that likes supporting your after school program but isn’t interested in your teacher training programs will expect that the emails and letters that they receive from you match that interest.
4) New Expectations- Donors will be more likely to ask if your internal actions meet your mission. If you are working on ending global poverty for women, do you have wage disparities by sex in your organization? If you are working on economic empowerment in communities of color, do the vendors you select for office supplies and construction projects match your mission? Make sure the inside realities of your organization, match the external mission.
5) Working Your Assets- If your nonprofit has an endowment or healthy reserves, donors will start to ask how those dollars are put to work while you are holding them. Mission investment will soon be the expectation for nonprofits of all sizes.
Since the pace of change is getting exponentially faster, you need to continually grow your skills as a future focused fundraiser. My book “Future Good: Using Futurism to Save the World”, makes it easy to develop and hone these skills.