2008 Online Giving Trends

It's only been a few days since the end of 2008, but I wanted to share some very early online giving trends from Blackbaud clients. This information comes from approximately 2,000 nonprofit organizations using Blackbaud's Internet solutions.

Steady Annual Growth
Organizations had steady growth in their online giving through the first and second quarters of 2008. There was a slight decrease in online giving during the third quarter of the year, specifically the month of August. The final months of the year saw online giving rebound leading up to the typical end-of-year giving spikes. December and June were the two largest months for online giving.

Average Online Gift Growth
Nonprofits in the entire analysis had an average online gift of $152.12 in 2008. Blackbaud customers usually have higher average online gift amounts than nonprofits using other vendors and this trend continued in 2008. Nonprofits in the education, healthcare, faith-based, and foundation sectors typically had much higher average gift amounts. Organizations focused on event-based and peer-to-peer online fundraising had lower average gift amounts, which is consistent with industry trends.

December Giving Trends
Nonprofit online giving in the last month of 2008 quadrupled in size compared to prior months. This is a trend Blackbaud has consistently observed for the past three years. December accounted for about 21% of the year's transaction volume, but 48% of the total dollars raised. The average online gift for the month of December increased to $248.82 for the nonprofits in the entire analysis.

Keys to Success
Nonprofits typically focus on existing or lapsed donors during end of year appeals, and Blackbaud customers tend to use multi-channel campaigns (direct mail, telephone, web, email, etc.) as part of these fundraising efforts. This continues to be a winning approach to building a successful online fundraising program. Organizations using the Internet mostly for donor acquisition and without integrated strategies usually see higher attrition rates than other nonprofits. Moving into 2009, the nonprofits that concentrate their efforts on their existing donor base and leverage integrated marketing efforts will do a better job of weathering the storm.