At the 2015 AFP International Fundraising Conference, Abila debuted its Donor Engagement Study, diving into the disconnect between nonprofit best practices and donor preferences. We wanted to take that study one step further with our 2016 Donor Engagement Study, digging deeper into donor engagement preferences specifically around content, recognition, events, and volunteering. This session was a special sneak preview of the results, where we shared key findings and insights into how donors want to be engaged and what activities nonprofits are doing that drive them away. Full study available: www.abila.com/DonorLoyaltyStudy Speakers: Rich Dietz, Director of Fundraising Strategy Tad Druart, VP of Marketing

1. Digging Deeper Into
Donor Behavior & Preferences:
2016 Donor Loyalty Study
1

2. Last Year
2015
Donor Engagement
Study
We set out to find the
disconnect between nonprofit
practices and donor
preferences.
We conducted two online surveys:
• Donor Survey
• Nonprofit Professional Survey
Study released April 2015.
Sneak Peak @ AFPFC 2015

3. • Fundamentals are key for nonprofit organizations.
• Donors and organizations are misaligned on communication frequency.
• Critical content is more important than frequency or channel.
• Giving (or the act of giving) makes donors feel the most engaged.
• Age/generational engagement is a missed opportunity.
• Organizations are missing opportunities not using data to drive strategy.
Here’s What We Learned

4. What Matters Most to Donors

5. How Donors Feel Most Engaged

6. of donors feel that their top charity takes
their preferences into consideration.
Only 52%

7. Nonprofit Targeting

9. Segmenting

11. • Surveyed 1,136 donors
in the US who made at
least one donation in the
last 12 months.
• The survey took place
between Feb. 3 - Feb. 16
2016.
Donor Loyalty Study
Coming
Soon!
Study Releasing April 12.

12. How Donors Engage
10%
11%
13%
13%
16%
16%
17%
18%
21%
25%
27%
29%
36%
40%
44%
56%
Participatead in advocacy on behalf of the organization
Served in a volunteer leadership role, liike a committee or board
Gave money for an occasion such as a birthday or tribute to an…
Shared/retweeted/pinned info
Fundraised for the charity/group
Followed on social media
Sponsored a friend or family member raising money
Gave to a charity through their monthly giving program
Attended or pariticapted in a fundraising event
Stayed informed through emails and/or newsletters
Bought products that support them
Spread the word or told others about the charity/group
Volunteered your time
Donated money directly through the website
Donated money directly through a check
Donated goods and services like clothing
In which of the following ways have you been involved with a nonprofit organization in the past 12 months? select all that apply.

13. Ways Donors Engage
• Donating goods and services
• Giving money
• Buying products
Giving
• Volunteering
• Attending events
• Serving in leadership role
Doing
• Staying informed
• Engaging on social media
• Advocacy
Communicating

14. Giving

15. Engagement: Giving
56%
44%
40%
27%
18%
17%
16%
13%
Donated goods and services, like clothing
Donated money directly through a check in the mail
Donated money directly through the website
Bought products that support them
Gave to a charity through their monthly giving program
Sponsored a friend or family member raising money for a
nonprofit organization
Fundraised for the charity/group
Gave money for an occasion such as a birthday or in tribute
to an individual
In which of the following ways have you been involved with a nonprofit organization in the past 12 months? Select all that apply.

16. How Donors Give
31%
38%
52%
65%
39% 41% 41%
31%
Millennials Gen X Boomers Matures
Check through mail Through website

17. Main Reasons for Donating
59%
45%
33%
18%
16%
16%
13%
8%
8%
3%
I am passionate about the cause
I know that the organization I care about depends…
I know someone affected by their cause
Moved to donate in response to an event in the…
To memorialize someone
Someone I know directly asked me to donate
Awareness through ads/communication
As a gift to a friend or loved one (birthday,…
Saw a post on social media
Other
Top
Reasons
for
Donating
It’s all about me!

18. Generational Breakdown
63% 62%
56% 55%
36%
39%
51%
65%
33% 32% 34% 33%
15% 14%
19%
27%
Millennials Gen X Boomers Mature
Passionate about cause
Organization I care about depends on them
Know someone affected by cause
Moved to donate in response to event in news

19. Doing

20. Engagement: Doing
36%
21%
11%
Volunteered your time
Attended or participated in fundraising events
such as a party, run, walk, bike, music event,
etc.
Served in a volunteer leadership role, like a
committee or board
In which of the following ways have you been involved with a nonprofit organization in the past 12 months? Select all that apply.

21. Volunteering Drives Donations
45%
24%
73%
1%
Much
more/somewhat
more likely to
donate
Did not affect
my likelihood
Much
less/somewhat
less likely to
donate
What effect did volunteering have on your decision on whether to financially support the
nonprofit? Among those who said they had volunteered.

22. Event Attendance Drives Engagement
58%
1%
1%
95%
4%
Very/Somewhat
engaged
Not too/Not
engaged at all
Not sure
56% 23%
74%
0%
Much
more/somewhat
more likely to
donate
Did not affect my
likelihood
Much
less/somewhat less
likely to donate
What effect did attending the event have on your
decision on whether to financially support the
nonprofit?
How engaged with the organization did
attending that event make you feel?
**Among those who said they had attended an event**

23. Communicating

24. Engagement: Communicating
29%
25%
16%
13%
10%
Spread the word or told others about the
charity/group
Stayed informed through emails and/or
newsletters
Followed on social media
Shared/retweeted/pinned info
Participated in advocacy actions on behalf
of the organization

25. Content

26. Content is King.

27. Content is Money.

28. 72% may stop donating to an organization
based on unsatisfactory content.
Content Matters
At least
one
would
affect
whether
I donate,
72%
None
would
affect
whether
I donate,
28%
35%
25%
24%
24%
19%
14%
12%
10%
Too vague
About programs I'm…
Dull and boring
Has incorrect info about me
In an inconvenient format
Not suited to my region
Not suited to my age
Isn't personalized

29. • Nearly three-quarters say quality matters
at least somewhat, with one-third who
feel that way strongly.
• Fewer than one-in-ten say it doesn’t
matter at all.
Quality Matters

30. Personalization Makes Donors Feel
More Engaged
30%
3%
14%
71%
15%
It makes me more
engaged
It make me less engaged
(It's a little creepy!)
Don't know
Which of the following statements comes closer to expressing your opinion
When I receive something from a nonprofit organization or charitable cause that I
support that is personalized to me and my activities specifically . . .

31. Content
Recommendations

32. Most Likely To Inspire Action
Short YouTube video
(Under 2 minutes)
Short letter or online article
(2-3 paragraphs)
Posts on Facebook

33. Easiest to Consume
Short YouTube video Short letter or online article Short, self-contained emailShort YouTube video
(Under 2 minutes)
Short letter or online article
(2-3 paragraphs)

34. Most Effective in Communicating Info
Short letter or online article Short YouTube video
(Under 2 minutes)
Short letter or online article
(2-3 paragraphs)

35. Most Powerful for Storytelling
Short YouTube video Medium-length YouTube video
(2-10 minutes)
Long-form article
(More than a page)
Short YouTube video
(Under 2 minutes)

36. Most Likely to Keep Donors Engaged
Short, self-contained emailPosts on FacebookShort letter or online article
(2-3 paragraphs)

37. • Donors are most favorable to content that
was short and self-contained, such as
emails, short articles, and YouTube videos
under two minutes.
• Millennials and Gen Xers are more
tolerant of longer content than boomers
and matures.
Length Matters

38. Length Matters: Video
67%
56%
45%
40%
25%
13%
10%
21%
32%
37%
52%
64%
1 minute or less
2 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
Still watching at X minutes . . . . . . Starting to lose patience at X minutes
Don’t know
(23%)

39. Length Matters: Written Content
67%
58%
44%
34%
20%
7%
7%
16%
30%
40%
54%
67%
1 paragraph or less
2 paragraphs
3 paragraphs
4 paragraphs
5 paragraphs
10 paragraphs
Still reading at X paragraphs . . . . . . Starting to lose patience at X paragraphs
Don’t know
(26%)

40. Frequency Matters
of donors would like communication
at least monthly.
57%

41. Generational Breakdown
12%
4%
4%
4%
21%
22%
7%
12%
12%
10%
9%
4%
27%
26%
28%
14%
15%
24%
32%
33%
7%
9%
11%
24%
3%
3%
6%
6%
Millennials
Gen X
Boomers
Matures
Weekly+ Weekly Twice a month Monthly Quarterly Annually Never

42. Millennials are X times more likely to
consume this than Matures
1x
2x
3x
4x
5x
6x
10x
Self
contained
email
Short
letter /
online
article
Annual
report via
mail
Email
with
links
Long
form
article
Short
YouTube
video
Medium
YouTube
video
Longer
YouTube
video
Posts on
Facebook
7x
8x
9x
PodcastsPosts on
Twitter

43. Money

44. Donors Trust Nonprofits to Spend Money Wisely
• 93% of donors are confident that the
organizations they support are spending
money wisely.
• 52% of donors trust the organization to use
money where it is most needed.

45. Restricted Funds
When you donate, are you more likely to donate to restricted funds that can only be used for
one purpose (such as a specific program the nonprofit runs), or to unrestricted funds that can
be used however the nonprofit decides?
15%
37%
12%
32%
23%
Restricted funds,
much/somewhat more often
Donate to both equally Unrestricted funds
somewhat/much more often

46. Debunking the Overhead Myth
85%
54%
50%
47%
46%
40%
35%
25%
26%
7%
25%
28%
28%
28%
27%
32%
34%
25%
5%
13%
14%
16%
17%
22%
20%
23%
23%
Directly helping those in need
Setting up events that help deliver on the nonprofit’s…
Setting up events that raise funds for the nonprofit
Publicizing and communicating the mission of the…
Reaching out to volunteers
Reaching out to other donors
Staffing the nonprofit
Going to administrative costs – such as computers,…
Lobbying efforts
Happy Fine with it Disappointed Angry
21%
12%

47. www.abila.com/donorloyaltystudy
Abila provides software and services to
associations and nonprofit organizations
and governmental entities that help them:
improve decision making
execute withgreater precision
increase engagement
generate more revenue
Q&A
Contact Rich Dietz
Rich.Dietz@abila.com
Contact Tad Druart
Tad.Druart@abila.com