Spontaneous donors, those who made a first-time gift to a nonprofit within the past 12 months and had not planned to give to the organization beforehand, are substantially more among younger and minority donors.

The rate of spontaneous giving among Millennial, Gen Z and Black donors is 25% more than average with Gen Z most likely to spontaneously give (59% of their giving is spontaneous), according to fresh data from the Blackbaud Institute’s new report First Impressions: Spontaneous Giving Insights.

Just because it is spontaneous do not think it is a random gift. The data shows that 72% of spontaneous gifts went to organizations with whom the donors were already familiar. No matter the age range, 32% spent between 16 and 60 minutes doing research.

For Millennials and older generations, the most common way spontaneous donors learned about giving opportunities was from a friend, family member, or colleague (22% to 24%). For Gen Z, the primary driver was social media (25%), and they were more likely than other generations to say they learned of a giving opportunity from celebrities or influencers.

Factors mattering “a great deal” in the decision to give again with 75% or more of spontaneous donors include:

• They trust that the organization will do the right thing
• The organization has a good reputation
• It’s easy to donate
• The organization uses their money wisely
• Support will help those in need right now

 Roughly 33% of all spontaneous givers said they want to be updated regularly. But among those indicating an intention to become a repeat donor, the number increased to 44%.

The study shows that many spontaneous donors follow a predictable path that begins before they make their first donation and continues once they donate, according to the researchers. Small, targeted investments at key junctures on that path can increase the bottom line over time and help diversify a donor base.

The path begins with awareness. Since most spontaneous donors know of the organization before they make that first gift some investment in building awareness might be warranted.

This online survey was conducted for the Blackbaud Institute. Edge Research interviewed 1,003 adult consumers from June 4 through June 21, 2024 and first fielded a Census representative survey of adult consumers, screening for spontaneous donors.

Get the complete report here … https://institute.blackbaud.com/resources/spontaneous-giving

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Source From Non Profit Times