This is the second in a two-part blog discussing fundraising trends in 2019.
Social Media
Leading the pack, Facebook had a banner year with their charitable giving tools, sparking several viral campaigns and a massive Giving Tuesday effort.
Livestreaming platforms can be useful tools to accelerate fundraising efforts. For example, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is tapping into the power of YouTube stars and it is helping them raise millions of dollars.
The Why America Gives report finds the majority of people feel compelled to give routinely to a nonprofit if a friend or family member has been affected by the cause - and not necessarily with the nonprofit itself. What this means is, even if you are using one of the social media channels to increase giving, donors using this method are more likely to be one-time than longer term.
Keep your online fundraising platform as the final destination to receive funds and promote it on social media, but make sure it’s a smooth, consistently branded giving experience across all of these new types of engagement channels.
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Corporations Expanding and Taking More of a Stand in Their Philanthropy
While giving by corporations constituted just 5% of overall giving in the U.S., 2018 saw an interesting development as several organizations took very bold stances on political and social issues in what could be considered part of their philanthropy. This included Nike’s marketing campaign with Colin Kaepernick, as well as Dick’s Sporting Goods and TOMS’ commitment to gun violence prevention.
We will be watching how this trend builds and intersects with charitable giving in 2019, as consumers increasingly expect corporations to reflect their own values.
There has also been an increasing number of companies launching corporate giving programs and engagement even earlier in their growth curves. Pledge 1%, for instance, is a community just five years old that brings together over 8,500 companies that have pledged to donate 1% of equity, profit, product, or employee time to charity. These companies include start-ups, and pre-IPOs, as well as established corporations—a promising sign that organizations of all sizes and stages are prioritizing philanthropy.
The combined trends of corporate and employee activism and philanthropic engagement may mean more opportunity for nonprofits to further expand corporate partnerships and facilitate deeper, more impactful involvement.