10 Incredible Fundraising Statistics From 2017

Posted by Ben Crook on 11 January 2018

With 2017 at a close we’ve pulled together 10 interesting stats on donor behaviour, which will help you elevate your 2018 strategy. Pensioners are donating online, domain names can increase donations and positive story-telling can help you raise more.

1. Those that earn less, give the most

Those who earn an annual salary of 19,000 or less give the largest proportion of their income to charity, a whopping 16.6%.

2. The majority of over 60s will soon donate online

Its reported by Qgiv that in 2017, 47% of over 60s donated online. This number has continued to rise year on year, proving that the older generation are taking technological advances in their stride.

3. 57% of people who watch videos created by non-profits will go on to make a donation

Video has been a great format for driving donations. On average a video on Facebook is 7 times more likely to be shared than a link, so it can quickly reach a new target audience.

Check out our blog on how non-profits can implement video technology to increase donations

4. Email has the best ROI for non-profits

For every dollar spent on direct email, non-profits received $40 in return! Email has been the channel that has generated the highest return on investment for marketers for the past 10 years.

5. The country to receive the most from international aid is India

International aid continues to support the countries that need it most. The countries that received the most donations in 2017 were:

1. India
2. Syria
3. Kenya
4. Haiti
5. Israel

6. Traditional media is losing influence

This year, only 5% of donors said, they were inspired to give as a result of TV and radio advertising. This likely coincides with the drop in TV viewing, which has been ongoing for the last few years thanks to catch up and viewing programmes accessed on laptops.

7. Donors prefer positivity

A colossal 91% of donors have said that positive emotions, such as hope and empathy, motivated them to donate. Barnardos released an amazing campaign Believe in me showing how vulnerable children, with the right support, can be empowered which can change their whole future.

8. The last day of 2017 raised the most money

According to a report from Network For Good, New Years Eve saw the most donations of the year, a staggering $14,398,154 in the US alone. This was an increase of over a million dollars from the previous year.

9. Domains matter to donors

Donors are 72% more likely to give online to charities with an online domain ending in .org. By contrast, 30% of donors said they would not trust donating to a charity with the domain .net, which means you may be able to raise more funds with a simple name change.

10. Fundraising events thrive

This past year, a staggering 59% of donors surveyed said that they attended a fundraising event in the last 12 months. However, millennials are more inspired to donate to charity through social media, than fundraising events so we may see that statistic lower over the next few years.

Curious to see what this means for 2018? We have collaborated with industry leaders who have shared their fundraising predictions for 2018.

(Statistics from QGiv, 2017 Global Trends In Giving Report, Media Post, Network For Good, Nonprofit Tech For Good & Nielsen)

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.