4 Nonprofit Giving Channels and Options Trends for 2015

To get a handle on what’s in store for 2015, NonProfit PRO rounded up some of the nonprofit industry’s finest, who were kind enough to share their nonprofit trends for 2015. Here are four trends on giving channels and options.

GIVING CHANNELS/OPTIONS
Richard Perry, founding partner, and Jeff Schreifels, senior partner, Veritus Group
1. An increase in online giving. As younger, more tech-savvy boomers age and have more disposable income, more of them will be giving online. We will also start to see more organizations using online communication to report back to donors the impact of their gifts in more creative ways.

Erica Waasdorp, president, A Direct Solution
2. My hope and expectations for 2015 will be that virtually every organization, small and large, has a monthly giving program in place and is really focused on growing it. I foresee a further growth of recurring giving growing through text/mobile giving opportunities. Organizations and donors will finally see that they can support an organization at any level.

The Dutch have an expression: “He who does not honor the small is not worthy of the large,” and that holds very true with monthly giving.

Rich Dietz, senior product manager of digital fundraising, Abila
3. Online and mobile: Online and mobile have played an increasingly key role for organizations the last few years, and that will continue in 2015. Social will play a key role in the “attention economy,” and responsive design will be necessary to allow supporters to access an organization’s website at any time from any device. 2014 was the tipping point for more Web traffic coming from mobile devices than desktop computers. According to Pew Research Center, more than 90 percent of all Americans own a cell phone.

Allison Porter, president, Avalon Consulting Group
4. Digital continues to soar. There’s no denying that, while mail is still the heavy hitter in direct response fundraising, digital wins for fastest growth as a channel. But how does it fit into your program? Most organizations are still trying to figure that out. The key is to invest responsibly — with the goals of engaging those multichannel donors that we know are the most productive, and positioning your organization as modern and relevant in an increasingly digital world. Ensure that your digital strategies are aligned with what you’re already doing, and collaborate across departments and offline channels for seamless messaging and maximum impact. With so many options, determining your digital strategy can be tricky — but keep in mind that the payoff is better engagement with your donors, prospects and advocates.