Online Giving On The Rise? - Take our 2 Minute Survey
22 October 2007 at 9:43 am
In the US it is reported that Not for Profits are having increasing success with Internet and e-mail fundraising techniques – but has it increased their overall fundraising? And what is happening here in Australia?
Here’s the US situation.
According to the latest Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI) survey released by the US Centre on Philanthropy at Indiana University there is a strong upward trend in positive results from online fundraising.
In the six years since an initial survey asked about Internet fundraising, the percentage of Not for Profits reporting success with this technique has more than doubled, from 16 percent in 2000 to 34.4 percent today.
The report says success with e-mail solicitations has grown from 15 percent to 27.8 percent.
Just under half (47 percent) of those surveyed reported that the average size of online gifts to their organisation is between $US51 and $250 dollars. Almost a quarter (24 percent) said the average online gift is less than $50, while 19 percent said it was between $251 and $500. Ten percent of development officers said the average gift was more than $US500.
But here’s the rub.
Almost half (47.4 percent) of the fundraisers said that online contributions account for only 1 percent to 5 percent of their NFPs total contributions. Twenty-three percent said their organisations do not receive any donations online, while 13.2 percent received 50 percent or more of their donations online.
Survey participants also continued to rank the Internet and e-mail as the least successful fundraising techniques in the survey, behind major gifts, planned giving, direct mail, foundation grants, special events, corporate giving and telephone solicitation.
Other key findings related to online giving include:
– Nearly 80 percent of fundraisers report that their organisation communicates with constituents by e-mail, for example to send newsletters or invitations.
– Two-thirds of survey respondents say their organisation includes an opportunity to donate in its e-mails.
– Just over two-thirds (67.9 percent) report that their organisation has a donation button or link on the home page of its Web site.
– Sixty-three percent say they offer donors the opportunity to make automated online donations such as using credit cards or electronic funds transfers.
– Organisation type or mission and total revenue had little-to-no effect on the size of online gifts received or the percentage of gifts that were given online.
Not for Profits with predominately local donor bases were least likely to provide an opportunity to donate online, by e-mail or through their website and reported a lower percentage of their contributions came from online donations than did national organisations.
What about Australia? Pro Bono Australia has created an online 2 minute survey to gauge the local success or otherwise of online fundraising.
Just CLICK HERE
to take part in the survey and be in the running to receive a copy of Media Team Australia’s latest guide for community organisations called “So you’re coming to Canberra”. www.mediateam.com.au
