Convio recently released its national research study on the “charitable giving behaviors and attitudes of Gen Y, Gen X, Boomer and Mature donors.” Their research is from a survey of 1500 donors who recently gave to nonprofits.
The bottom line is that for nonprofits to not only survive, but to also thrive they must reach out to donors in more than one way regardless of their age. And those methods must include online and offline marketing and fundraising channels.
There’s a nice synopsis of the study by Tom Belford in The Agitator blog, New Generational Giving Data. Here are two of the findings that Belford zeros in on:
1. The resilience of mail, even for the younger folks.
Even though the Matures still use mail more than online for giving and for their research, there’s a sizable number who are online. Plus the number of Matures who favor online is growing. And an equally sizable number of the younger Gen Y folks like mail.
77% of Matures give via a check in the mail compared to 25% via websites.
Take note, however, that 26% of Gen Y donors give via mail and 29% via websites
2. “Media mix” is indeed what should be emphasized.
Every generation uses all channels. To quote Convio’s #1 finding: “Fundraising is profoundly multichannel.” Their #4 finding continues the theme: “Message/channel integration is a more urgent priority than ever.”
It’s imperative for you to read this study first hand. It’s equally important for you to integrate your marketing and fundraising across multiple channels, regardless of the age of your donors.
Nope. Direct mail isn’t only for Seniors (Matures) and the online world isn’t limited to the Gen Y and Gen X crowds. Not by a long shot. Mix up your fundraising across multichannels unless you want to close your doors.
