How Much Do Nonprofit Professionals Know About Their Donors?

As a nonprofit professional, it’s crucial to know your donors. But sometimes that’s easier said than done. In its “Fundraising Advisor 2015 Benchmark Report,” Abila, a software and service provider for nonprofits, surveyed 270 nonprofit professionals on when and how they engage donors. The report lists three trends that have impacted recent fundraising: emerging channels, data and resource constraints. With 68 percent of respondents using four or more channels, the emerging-channels trend has proven to be an essential component in communication with donors. Online fundraising, which has become a necessity for modern nonprofits, is typically one of these channels.

When it comes to online fundraising strategies, 44 percent of respondents answered they have a single donation page, while 21 percent have multiple donation pages. One major advantage to utilizing multiple donation pages is that they allow for greater name recognition and more communication with more people. Despite the changing landscape of 
nonprofit fundraising, communication with donors continues to be vital to an organization’s success.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is nothing short of common sense—those who know more about their donors communicate with their donors more often. When asked how much they know about their donors, just 10 percent of respondents answered they know “tons.” But of those 10 percent, 19 percent said they engage their donors on a weekly basis—a significantly higher percentage than those who admitted to knowing considerably less about their donors.

The survey statistics show fundraising and communication go hand-in-hand. Nonprofit professionals who know their donors better and communicate with them more frequently will have more success in fundraising than those nonprofit professionals who do not communicate as often. So, which donor are you going to get to know today?

View the full survey here to learn more.