Although the past few years have been tumultuous, data shows that donors have been as generous as ever. The state of fundraising in 2022 looks strong.
In November, the Fundraising Effectiveness Project released its data on the first two quarters in 2021, showing an increase over 2020. FEP did see slowdown in the second quarter, but overall fundraising was still up. The slowdown in the second quarter could be due to the abnormally strong growth in quarter one.
A few other notes from this data:
- The rise in number of donors was small (.7%) but total funds raised were up 1.7% from 2020.
- Data could show a return to pre-pandemic focus for giving. Smaller organizations are seeing fundraising growth while larger organizations have lost some ground.
If your organization has been fortunate enough to see an increase in donors in 2020 and 2021, retaining those donors will be key moving forward. FEP found that new donor retention is up 22.9%. That’s for donors who first supported an organization in 2020.
The FEP report is not the only sign of good news for fundraisers. GivingTuesday saw an increase in donors and funds.
More than 35 million Americans participated on GivingTuesday, a 6% increase from 2020. $2.7 billion was raised, an increase of 9% from 2020 and a larger increase of 19% from 2019.
Additionally, retail spending was up big during the holiday season. This increase suggests that Americans have more pocket money to spend – and donate.
Ultimately, our advice to our partners in 2022 remains the same – focus on building and maintaining relationships with your donors, embrace stewardship, stay positive and communicate your mission. And if you have significant needs to address, consider a comprehensive planning study and capital campaign.
If there is anything the pandemic has taught us, it’s the true value of human interaction. Nurturing your connection with donors is a trend that will never go out of style. Phone calls. Thank you notes. Personal visits. Zoom calls. Meet your donors where they feel comfortable but focusing on those relationships will always be invaluable.
If you have any questions about fundraising in 2022 or are interested in learning more about the Steier Group’s services, please contact us.
