INSIGHTS AND TRENDS FOR NONPROFITS

As fourth quarter approaches, nonprofits are finalizing their strategy for this year’s final donation push. Last year, the US had a record in donations, totalling $373 billion. Donors are becoming more sophisticated in making their donation decisions, demanding accountability and transparency.

Spotlight

GORKHA FOUNDATION

The Gorkha Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, grassroots organization whose purpose is to support initiatives that reduce poverty and inequality by making sustainable improvements to the living conditions of the poor and marginalized in the Gorkha region of Nepal.

OTHER ARTICLES
Nonprofit Management

7 Essential Tips to Make Your Nonprofit Mobile-Friendly

Article | July 11, 2022

In 2011, only 11% of traffic to Classy fundraising campaigns came from mobile devices, but by 2018, it was over 50%. Not only does having a mobile-friendly campaign increase your interactions with donors, but it also builds their trust in your organization. Classy’s report Why America Gives found that 41% of donors said they’d have lower trust in how a nonprofit would use their funds if they couldn’t easily donate online or via their mobile device.

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Nonprofit Management

Nonprofits Have The Tools To Operate Remotely, But What Should They Work On?

Article | July 15, 2022

Last week we released an article outlining a list of software that can make working from home as painless as possible. The goal of that blog, and all others we post, is to share our insights to hopefully provide value for nonprofits. A few days after writing the post, I started thinking about organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. Zoom doesn’t seem very helpful if you’re trying to collect blood donations or construct new homes.

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Nonprofit Management

Is Your Nonprofit Struggling to Retain Donors?

Article | July 20, 2022

If you gather a group of nonprofit professionals and ask what their biggest fundraising challenges are, many will likely say they don’t retain enough of their donors. Are you one of them? Do you find yourself asking, “why is my nonprofit struggling to retain donors?” It’s no secret that long-term, repeat donors help you raise more money. And we know that the average donor retention rate for nonprofits hovers around 45 percent. But why has this number remained flat for years while nonprofits continue to focus on donor retention? We find there are a few key reasons why nonprofits struggle to retain donors. And you know that no two donors are the same and there is no one-size fits all approach to fundraising. But while the solution for each nonprofit may be different, many are struggling to retain donors for similar reasons.

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3 Ways to Convert Organic Traffic Into Long-Term Support for Your Nonprofit

Article | May 18, 2020

According to the 2020 M+R Benchmarks Study, 44% of all website traffic for the average nonprofit comes from Organic Search. For groups that produce a lot of content, have a physical local location, or have hyper-focused SEO strategy, that proportion can be much higher. These high numbers make sense, since nonprofits have a natural mix of relevancy and answers to some of the world’s biggest questions—everything from climate change and reliable health information to how to crate train your newly adopted pug. We also know that relevance by creating focused content is one of many excellent ways to improve search engine results page (SERP) performance.

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Spotlight

GORKHA FOUNDATION

The Gorkha Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, grassroots organization whose purpose is to support initiatives that reduce poverty and inequality by making sustainable improvements to the living conditions of the poor and marginalized in the Gorkha region of Nepal.

Related News

Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

Foundant Technologies Recognized for Connecting Philanthropic Community

Prnewswire | April 05, 2023

Foundant Technologies (Foundant), a provider of innovative software solutions for the philanthropic community, and its executive leadership team were recently honored with Higher Logic's Most Valuable Community Champion award for creating real connections and knowledge sharing through Compass, its online community for philanthropy. Compass provides more than 4,000 community members with the opportunity to explore discussions, find resources and exchange ideas that will help them achieve their missions. "We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to creating connections – between people, organizations and data – and for helping philanthropic organizations in their pursuit to change the world," said Foundant's CEO and co-founder Chris Dahl. "One of our key values is enriching the philanthropic community, and we will continue to do that, first and foremost, through our software and by fostering engagement within this community and providing valuable resources for it." Foundant's online Compass community is a free peer-to-peer forum where members can share best practices to better serve the communities they support. In three years, the community has grown to more than 4,000 users in five countries representing nearly every role in the philanthropic sector, including funders, nonprofits, scholarship providers, community foundations, and the volunteers and board members that support these organizations. Members are actively engaged in the community, with the site boasting an 86% participation rate. "Every day we have the opportunity to work with individuals and organizations that inspire us through their commitment to driving community innovation," said Jay Nathan, Higher Logic Chief Customer Officer. "These Champions of Community all go above and beyond for their customers and partners, and we are thrilled to celebrate their successes. Congratulations!" Philanthropic organizations turn to Foundant's innovative software solutions to make their work easier and more impactful, including Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) for grantmakers, Scholarship Lifecycle Manager (SLM) for scholarship providers, CommunitySuite for community foundations, NonprofitCore for nonprofit charitable organizations, and GrantHub for grantseekers. In addition to Compass, Foundant has developed a variety of educational resources for its growing base of more than 3,000 clients and the philanthropic community, including this quarter's content series offering tips and tools to help organizations work smarter, not harder. More than 5,000 people have engaged with related events and resources. In line with its mission, Foundant has donated more than $250,000 in the past two years to nonprofits and other organizations supporting communities in need throughout the 50 states. About Foundant Technologies Foundant Technologies has specialized in making philanthropy easier and more impactful through innovative software solutions and exceptional client experiences since 2007. Passionate about philanthropy, Foundant's team is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of grantmakers, scholarship providers, community foundations and nonprofits to enable change-makers to make the world a better place for all. More than 3,000 funders and nonprofits use Foundant's software to transform their organizations and maximize their impact in the communities they serve.

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Nonprofit Technology

New Research Examines Evolving Social Donor Expectations

OneCause | June 29, 2022

OneCause, a leader in online and event fundraising, released findings from its latest research, The Giving Experience Study. Findings provide insights from social donors who gave to fundraising events and peer-to-peer campaigns over the past year and include what motivates their giving, when and how they will be comfortable returning to in-person events, and what influences repeat donations. The new study compares the latest survey data with findings from 2018 and 2021, examining how donor expectations have changed across generations, demographics, and by type of event involvement. Donor expectations and patterns of generosity have never been static, but the radical and sudden change brought about by the pandemic was unlike anything the world of philanthropy had seen before. After a dramatic shift to virtual events in 2020, donors came to expect on-demand, easy event and giving experiences. To unlock generosity as the nonprofit world moves toward recovery, it's imperative to understand how giving motivators and donor desires have evolved." Steve Johns, chief executive officer for OneCause Key findings include: Social giving continues to grow. As the general population looks for ways to reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues after long periods of pandemic isolation, social giving continues to increase. In the last 12 months, 3 in 10 U.S. adults gave through auction events, peer-to-peer fundraising, or occasion/giving day campaigns. This reflects a five-year trend of steady growth in social giving. Trust emerges as a key motivator; personal connection grows in importance. This year's research revealed new rising motivators influencing the attention and behavior of today's donors. While ease, mission, and impact remain key drivers of social giving, trust, personal connection, and immediacy emerged as key motivators for the first time in 2022. Donors are excited about the return to in-person events but want nonprofits to offer virtual options. A quarter of social donors said they prefer to only engage in person with organizations they donate to or mostly in person with some virtual engagement. But donors want options – 43% of social donors still prefer to engage exclusively or mostly virtually. Choice is powerful; offering multiple options for engagement personalizes the giving experience. Social giving continues to unlock generosity in younger, more diverse donors through expanded access to philanthropy. Social giving and virtual engagement continue to boost access for donors who have been historically underrepresented in or excluded from philanthropy. Gen Z, Millennial, Black, and Hispanic social donors reported giving more money than last year and that they gave to more organizations. Opportunities to steward social donors for retention and recurring giving. A social donor's first gift shows they value a nonprofit's work. Nonprofits have a great opportunity to cultivate lasting relationships and convert more social donors to recurring givers. Feeling like a donation makes a difference continues to be the number one reason to give again across generations. "It's clear from five years of data that the influence of social donors on the world of philanthropy is growing," added Johns. "We're excited to be able to connect nonprofits with self-reported insights into the evolution of how this increasingly diverse group of donors prefers to give to and engage with the organizations they support." About the Survey The online survey of 1,029 social donors was conducted by Edge Research between April 26-May 12, 2022. Social donors are defined as anyone who self-reports giving to at least one charitable organization by attending a fundraising event; participating or sponsoring someone in a fundraising activity like a run, walk or ride; or donating or requesting donations for an occasion, challenge, or giving month or day within in the last 12 months. Data is self-reported, not transactional. Edge Research worked with an established industry sampling partner, consisting of opt-in research participants. This is a non-probability/convenience sample. Quotas were set to ensure incoming data (prior to screening for charitable donations) was census representative in terms of age and gender, region, and race/ethnicity. About OneCause OneCause is driving the future of fundraising with easy-to-use event and online fundraising solutions that help nonprofits improve the giving experience and raise more money. OneCause builds technology that optimizes everyday generosity, making it easier for nonprofit organizations to fundraise and for nonprofit supporters to give. Since 2008, OneCause has helped over 10,000 nonprofits raise more than $4 billion for their missions. Headquartered in Indianapolis, OneCause is committed to driving innovation in the charitable sector, bringing together nonprofit professionals across the world for the annual Raise Conference to exchange ideas that further fundraising.

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Nonprofit Technology

Bloomerang Launches New Dashboard and User Interface Updates to Improve Fundraisers' Productivity

Bloomerang | June 27, 2022

Bloomerang, the complete donor management solution for thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits, announced the availability of a new user-centric dashboard to improve fundraisers' day-to-day productivity and monitor fundraising campaign performance and overall organizational health. In addition to the refreshed dashboard, Bloomerang's user interface (UI) updates seek to enhance accessibility via improved screen reader support, reduced animated movements, increased readability and scannability, revised colors and visualizations to compensate for red-green colorblindness, and more. Fundraisers can rely on Bloomerang to provide the information they need to take the next best actions and have a full picture of their organization's data and fundraising health–all from one easily accessible location. These latest updates help customers make the most of their precious resources–so they can spend more time on their mission and fundraising programs. We're excited to deliver a more intuitive information hierarchy, simplified data access and management, and improved accessibility. Our goal is to continuously drive innovation and lay the groundwork for more customization in the future, while staying focused on ease of use and simplicity of experience for the nonprofits we have the privilege to serve." Tammy Hammond, Bloomerang's Chief Product Officer The new dashboard in Bloomerang includes visual snapshots of: Recent constituents with a new constituent quick-add button Amount raised by week, month, and fiscal year Donor retention rate with customization capabilities Recommended first-time donor call list Most recent reports Fundraising campaign goals and progress tracking, including customizable date ranges Active tasks assigned to you and your team In addition to the new fundraising dashboard, Bloomerang's UI accessibility updates include: Logo and font update to match Bloomerang's new visual identity Less scrolling and a brighter look with a full-screen width and white background Better iconography with red-green colorblind accessible icons, improved labels and wording, and highlighted navigation tabs Search functionality for information stored in the database is accessible on any page Fewer clicks to access needed information and fundraising functionality save time and improve productivity for fundraisers Michelle Gorham, Chief Advancement Officer for YMCA of Rock River Valley has benefited from clearer insights into their donor data through the use of Bloomerang's fundraising dashboard, UI updates, and functionality. The availability and organization of this data has directly improved their productivity and communication segmentation. "Most importantly we know our donor retention which is not something we knew before. I also now have information about key interests of our most generous donors and have the ability to create reports that can show me all the donors who have said they care about 'academic programs' or 'camp' or 'disease prevention programming' so that we can engage in important conversations with them." This latest release supports Bloomerang's vision to deliver the donor management and fundraising platform of the future. Earlier this year, Bloomerang was named a "Best Place to Work in Indiana" in 2022, and launched a new brand identity to better articulate the value and services offered to the nonprofit community. Bloomerang's suite of online fundraising tools also strengthens nonprofits' ability to cultivate deeper relationships with their donors and increase the impact of their fundraising campaigns. About Bloomerang Indianapolis-based Bloomerang is the complete donor management solution that helps thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits deliver a better giving experience and create stable, thriving organizations. Combining robust, simple-to-use technology with people-powered support and training, Bloomerang empowers nonprofits to work efficiently, improve their donor relationships and grow their donor bases. With Bloomerang, nonprofit professionals love their work and have another teammate in the cause.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

Foundant Technologies Recognized for Connecting Philanthropic Community

Prnewswire | April 05, 2023

Foundant Technologies (Foundant), a provider of innovative software solutions for the philanthropic community, and its executive leadership team were recently honored with Higher Logic's Most Valuable Community Champion award for creating real connections and knowledge sharing through Compass, its online community for philanthropy. Compass provides more than 4,000 community members with the opportunity to explore discussions, find resources and exchange ideas that will help them achieve their missions. "We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to creating connections – between people, organizations and data – and for helping philanthropic organizations in their pursuit to change the world," said Foundant's CEO and co-founder Chris Dahl. "One of our key values is enriching the philanthropic community, and we will continue to do that, first and foremost, through our software and by fostering engagement within this community and providing valuable resources for it." Foundant's online Compass community is a free peer-to-peer forum where members can share best practices to better serve the communities they support. In three years, the community has grown to more than 4,000 users in five countries representing nearly every role in the philanthropic sector, including funders, nonprofits, scholarship providers, community foundations, and the volunteers and board members that support these organizations. Members are actively engaged in the community, with the site boasting an 86% participation rate. "Every day we have the opportunity to work with individuals and organizations that inspire us through their commitment to driving community innovation," said Jay Nathan, Higher Logic Chief Customer Officer. "These Champions of Community all go above and beyond for their customers and partners, and we are thrilled to celebrate their successes. Congratulations!" Philanthropic organizations turn to Foundant's innovative software solutions to make their work easier and more impactful, including Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) for grantmakers, Scholarship Lifecycle Manager (SLM) for scholarship providers, CommunitySuite for community foundations, NonprofitCore for nonprofit charitable organizations, and GrantHub for grantseekers. In addition to Compass, Foundant has developed a variety of educational resources for its growing base of more than 3,000 clients and the philanthropic community, including this quarter's content series offering tips and tools to help organizations work smarter, not harder. More than 5,000 people have engaged with related events and resources. In line with its mission, Foundant has donated more than $250,000 in the past two years to nonprofits and other organizations supporting communities in need throughout the 50 states. About Foundant Technologies Foundant Technologies has specialized in making philanthropy easier and more impactful through innovative software solutions and exceptional client experiences since 2007. Passionate about philanthropy, Foundant's team is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of grantmakers, scholarship providers, community foundations and nonprofits to enable change-makers to make the world a better place for all. More than 3,000 funders and nonprofits use Foundant's software to transform their organizations and maximize their impact in the communities they serve.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology

New Research Examines Evolving Social Donor Expectations

OneCause | June 29, 2022

OneCause, a leader in online and event fundraising, released findings from its latest research, The Giving Experience Study. Findings provide insights from social donors who gave to fundraising events and peer-to-peer campaigns over the past year and include what motivates their giving, when and how they will be comfortable returning to in-person events, and what influences repeat donations. The new study compares the latest survey data with findings from 2018 and 2021, examining how donor expectations have changed across generations, demographics, and by type of event involvement. Donor expectations and patterns of generosity have never been static, but the radical and sudden change brought about by the pandemic was unlike anything the world of philanthropy had seen before. After a dramatic shift to virtual events in 2020, donors came to expect on-demand, easy event and giving experiences. To unlock generosity as the nonprofit world moves toward recovery, it's imperative to understand how giving motivators and donor desires have evolved." Steve Johns, chief executive officer for OneCause Key findings include: Social giving continues to grow. As the general population looks for ways to reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues after long periods of pandemic isolation, social giving continues to increase. In the last 12 months, 3 in 10 U.S. adults gave through auction events, peer-to-peer fundraising, or occasion/giving day campaigns. This reflects a five-year trend of steady growth in social giving. Trust emerges as a key motivator; personal connection grows in importance. This year's research revealed new rising motivators influencing the attention and behavior of today's donors. While ease, mission, and impact remain key drivers of social giving, trust, personal connection, and immediacy emerged as key motivators for the first time in 2022. Donors are excited about the return to in-person events but want nonprofits to offer virtual options. A quarter of social donors said they prefer to only engage in person with organizations they donate to or mostly in person with some virtual engagement. But donors want options – 43% of social donors still prefer to engage exclusively or mostly virtually. Choice is powerful; offering multiple options for engagement personalizes the giving experience. Social giving continues to unlock generosity in younger, more diverse donors through expanded access to philanthropy. Social giving and virtual engagement continue to boost access for donors who have been historically underrepresented in or excluded from philanthropy. Gen Z, Millennial, Black, and Hispanic social donors reported giving more money than last year and that they gave to more organizations. Opportunities to steward social donors for retention and recurring giving. A social donor's first gift shows they value a nonprofit's work. Nonprofits have a great opportunity to cultivate lasting relationships and convert more social donors to recurring givers. Feeling like a donation makes a difference continues to be the number one reason to give again across generations. "It's clear from five years of data that the influence of social donors on the world of philanthropy is growing," added Johns. "We're excited to be able to connect nonprofits with self-reported insights into the evolution of how this increasingly diverse group of donors prefers to give to and engage with the organizations they support." About the Survey The online survey of 1,029 social donors was conducted by Edge Research between April 26-May 12, 2022. Social donors are defined as anyone who self-reports giving to at least one charitable organization by attending a fundraising event; participating or sponsoring someone in a fundraising activity like a run, walk or ride; or donating or requesting donations for an occasion, challenge, or giving month or day within in the last 12 months. Data is self-reported, not transactional. Edge Research worked with an established industry sampling partner, consisting of opt-in research participants. This is a non-probability/convenience sample. Quotas were set to ensure incoming data (prior to screening for charitable donations) was census representative in terms of age and gender, region, and race/ethnicity. About OneCause OneCause is driving the future of fundraising with easy-to-use event and online fundraising solutions that help nonprofits improve the giving experience and raise more money. OneCause builds technology that optimizes everyday generosity, making it easier for nonprofit organizations to fundraise and for nonprofit supporters to give. Since 2008, OneCause has helped over 10,000 nonprofits raise more than $4 billion for their missions. Headquartered in Indianapolis, OneCause is committed to driving innovation in the charitable sector, bringing together nonprofit professionals across the world for the annual Raise Conference to exchange ideas that further fundraising.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology

Bloomerang Launches New Dashboard and User Interface Updates to Improve Fundraisers' Productivity

Bloomerang | June 27, 2022

Bloomerang, the complete donor management solution for thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits, announced the availability of a new user-centric dashboard to improve fundraisers' day-to-day productivity and monitor fundraising campaign performance and overall organizational health. In addition to the refreshed dashboard, Bloomerang's user interface (UI) updates seek to enhance accessibility via improved screen reader support, reduced animated movements, increased readability and scannability, revised colors and visualizations to compensate for red-green colorblindness, and more. Fundraisers can rely on Bloomerang to provide the information they need to take the next best actions and have a full picture of their organization's data and fundraising health–all from one easily accessible location. These latest updates help customers make the most of their precious resources–so they can spend more time on their mission and fundraising programs. We're excited to deliver a more intuitive information hierarchy, simplified data access and management, and improved accessibility. Our goal is to continuously drive innovation and lay the groundwork for more customization in the future, while staying focused on ease of use and simplicity of experience for the nonprofits we have the privilege to serve." Tammy Hammond, Bloomerang's Chief Product Officer The new dashboard in Bloomerang includes visual snapshots of: Recent constituents with a new constituent quick-add button Amount raised by week, month, and fiscal year Donor retention rate with customization capabilities Recommended first-time donor call list Most recent reports Fundraising campaign goals and progress tracking, including customizable date ranges Active tasks assigned to you and your team In addition to the new fundraising dashboard, Bloomerang's UI accessibility updates include: Logo and font update to match Bloomerang's new visual identity Less scrolling and a brighter look with a full-screen width and white background Better iconography with red-green colorblind accessible icons, improved labels and wording, and highlighted navigation tabs Search functionality for information stored in the database is accessible on any page Fewer clicks to access needed information and fundraising functionality save time and improve productivity for fundraisers Michelle Gorham, Chief Advancement Officer for YMCA of Rock River Valley has benefited from clearer insights into their donor data through the use of Bloomerang's fundraising dashboard, UI updates, and functionality. The availability and organization of this data has directly improved their productivity and communication segmentation. "Most importantly we know our donor retention which is not something we knew before. I also now have information about key interests of our most generous donors and have the ability to create reports that can show me all the donors who have said they care about 'academic programs' or 'camp' or 'disease prevention programming' so that we can engage in important conversations with them." This latest release supports Bloomerang's vision to deliver the donor management and fundraising platform of the future. Earlier this year, Bloomerang was named a "Best Place to Work in Indiana" in 2022, and launched a new brand identity to better articulate the value and services offered to the nonprofit community. Bloomerang's suite of online fundraising tools also strengthens nonprofits' ability to cultivate deeper relationships with their donors and increase the impact of their fundraising campaigns. About Bloomerang Indianapolis-based Bloomerang is the complete donor management solution that helps thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits deliver a better giving experience and create stable, thriving organizations. Combining robust, simple-to-use technology with people-powered support and training, Bloomerang empowers nonprofits to work efficiently, improve their donor relationships and grow their donor bases. With Bloomerang, nonprofit professionals love their work and have another teammate in the cause.

Read More

Events