Every year, nonprofits everywhere struggle to figure out how to keep their fundraising as fresh as possible. One of the best ways is to watch for trends and try new things. Read on to learn about the top five fundraising trends we predict you'll see in 2024 – and how you can take advantage of them.
Another year, another list of exciting fundraising trends we predict will take the nonprofit world by storm in 2024!
Whether you’re just getting started with fundraising or are looking for new ideas to bring in more donations, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll share five fundraising trends to expect in 2024, along with some practical tips to make the most out of them.
While donor-centric fundraising has been around for years, 2024 will bring a renewed focus on building donor trust.
With inflated prices on everyday expenses like groceries and rent, many people aren’t budgeting as much money for non-necessities, like philanthropy. What this means is donors need more accountability and to understand their impact in order to convince them to part with their hard-earned money.
How do you follow this fundraising trend and build better donor trust? Here are a few things to consider:
A properly branded donation form builds donor trust because it shows them that their donation is going to the right place. It creates a seamless experience for donors and encourages them to give more. Brand-aligned donation forms bring in 38% larger donations on average!
Donorbox has several ways to make your multi-step donation form fit seamlessly into your website. Customize your form colors to match your brand, change your corner roundness to fit the style of your website, and add a personalized call to action at the top of your donation form.
For your donation page, create a custom domain so your users experience a seamless transition from your website to your Donorbox-hosted fundraising page.
Learn more about the many ways you can create a better experience for your donors and build more donor trust in this blog!
These days, donors want to be empowered. They want more options to give, more recognition, and – most importantly – more information about your cause.
Donors want to be informed not only about your mission but about the specific initiative you want them to support. Plus, they want to see your mission in action so they can fully understand the impact of their gift – and trust that you’re worth it.
Start by sharing your annual report publicly. It should demonstrate how you have been a responsible steward of any funds given to you. Remember that, in addition to showcasing your successes, your annual report should be forthcoming about any challenges you may have encountered. Donors will appreciate your authenticity and trust you more for it.
Need some help producing a perfect annual report? Check out this webinar with Chad Barger and learn how to create an engaging annual report your donors want to read.
Pro tip: Creating educational videos is another great way to showcase your mission. You don’t need a professional videographer to make a compelling video! Check out this blog to learn more about fundraising videos and how to use them.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: all donor communication should be personalized.
When donors receive personalized communication, they’re more likely to feel like a part of your organization. This sense of belonging encourages them to give – and give again. Donors in 2024 will need this level of attention to feel inspired to part with some funds during a tough economic time.
Segment your audience by demographics like age, location, and giving history. Send targeted communications to groups that are more likely to respond. This not only makes your communication more personalized, but it also saves your team valuable time.
Donorbox’s donor management tools make donor communication a breeze. Easily sort your donor data by various filters and use our reporting templates to find more detailed data.
Plus, track donor communications using Donorbox’s donor profiles. You can record both inbound and outbound communication from a variety of channels – helping you keep track so you never reach out too much or too little.
Bonus: Learn how to improve your nonprofit’s transparency to build donor trust in this blog.
AI has been a hot topic in fundraising ever since ChatGPT launched in late 2022. 2024 will bring even more interest in using AI tools to create fundraising materials.
These tools are great for saving your team time and generating ideas. However, there’s a reason “authentic” was the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023. Donors in 2024 will be keeping an eye out for inauthentic appeals and AI-generated content.
If you use AI tools to create fundraising materials, it’s crucial that you take the time to customize those pieces to fit your organization’s voice.
We have two blogs to help you carefully follow this fundraising trend for better results. Learn how to use ChatGPT to generate ideas for various fundraising needs in this blog. For a more general look at AI tools nonprofits can use, check out this blog that walks through several tools and the dos and don’ts for using them.
The FIS Global Payments Report predicts that as much as $2 trillion of cash that was circulating in 2020 will be out of circulation in 2024.
People simply aren’t carrying cash as often anymore. And while it’s not a totally dead payment method yet, 2024 will continue to show an urgent need for more cashless giving options.
Donorbox offers a variety of cashless giving tools to help all organizations capture more cashless, in-person donations:
The Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app turns your tablet and paired card reader into a nimble donation kiosk. Donors can simply select the amount they want to give, optionally provide their email address for a receipt, and pay with a card, smartphone, or smartwatch.
Build Your Donation Kiosk Today!
Learn more about leveraging donation kiosks to raise more cashless donations in this blog.
While your donors may not have cash in their pockets, they likely have something else – their smartphones.
Donorbox Text-to-Give makes it easy to give to your cause right from a smartphone. Donors simply send a text to receive a link to your online donation form. From there, they can complete their donation using UltraSwift™ Pay and their preferred digital wallet.
When they’re ready to repeat their gift, they can do so through a quick text – no need to re-enter their information!
Donors of all tech skill levels have likely encountered QR codes these days. Scanning a QR code is an efficient way to get connected with any information that lives online – like your donation page.
A free QR code is automatically generated for every Donorbox campaign. You can edit the link, change the file type, and download it right from your campaign dashboard.
Cash may be on its way out – and it’s making room for alternative currency types like cryptocurrency and stock giving to make a splash in 2024.
When it comes to giving stock and crypto, there are some serious benefits for both donors and nonprofits. Donors enjoy double the tax benefits by avoiding capital gains taxes and gaining a deduction on their annual taxes. Nonprofits often receive more major gifts from donors who may have fewer liquid assets to give.
Donorbox’s integration with The Giving Block makes stock and crypto giving easier than ever for both you and your donors! Learn more in this blog.
Bonus: Learn how to educate your donors about crypto and stock donations in this free resource, which includes a template to craft the perfect materials! The more they know about it, the more you can take advantage of this 2024 fundraising trend.
The experience economy has created consumers who are interested in exceptional customer service and companies with unique qualities.
The fundraising sector is no different. Donors expect organizations to go above and beyond to attract their interest with unique experiences and exciting engagement.
Here are some ways you can tackle this fundraising trend in 2024.
These aren’t your grandmother’s fundraising events! Creating unique experiences for your donors is a great way to get them more involved in 2024.
Consider hosting an event that’s relevant to your mission. For example, we love how Refuge Hope Partners highlighted their mission of cultural exchange through a night of cuisine and cultural performances!
They used Donorbox Events to sell tickets at four different tiers. Donorbox Events lets you set ticket limits and deadlines while showcasing the tax-deductible amount of each ticket level. You also have the option of asking for additional donations on top of ticket sales!
Tickets are delivered electronically and include a unique check-in code and QR code that you can enter or scan to quickly check your guests in.
Need some inspiration? We have tons of unique fundraising event ideas on our blog, including cornhole fundraisers, scavenger hunt fundraisers, and more!
Nothing brings in more funds for your organization than a little friendly competition – and that’s exactly what this fundraising trend entails!
Spark more participation in 2024 by offering prizes for your top fundraisers. Donorbox Peer-to-Peer makes it easy to create a campaign and either invite fundraisers via email or allow anyone to sign up to fundraise on your behalf.
Each peer-to-peer campaign comes with a built-in leaderboard to keep your competition going, like this one from Man Down Cornwall’s campaign –
Bonus: Learn more about how challenge gifts can inspire urgency and create a better giving experience for your donors in this blog.
What better experience for your donors than to join an enriching membership program?
In 2024, membership programs should offer unique perks and exclusive access. This will get donors more excited about connecting with your organization – and more willing to give.
We love how the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation clearly outlines the benefits associated with each tier of its membership program. The foundation uses Donorbox Memberships to easily accept repeat donations that donors can change or cancel at any time through their own Donorbox account.
While 2024 may provide nonprofits with some unique challenges, we believe there will be exciting opportunities to raise more and build better relationships with donors.
These five fundraising trends for 2024 have one thing in common: making giving an easier and better experience for donors. Donorbox has helped more than 80,000 organizations raise a collective $2 billion in donations by providing a superior donation experience. With a 4x faster checkout, intuitive design, and customization options, our donation forms help donors give more with less effort.
Ready to fundraise smarter in 2024? Sign up for free today and get started in just 15 minutes.
For more fundraising insights, check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a curated collection of blogs and resources delivered to your inbox every month.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower