02 August 2016
Technology trends are forever changing and it is safe to say that our society is very quickly turning digital. From smart phones to smart TV’s, to Google Glasses and Virtual Reality, our society has fully immersed itself in the digital world.
The digital world has had huge effect on our shopping and money habits. We bank online, we shop online, we can transfer funds from one account to another with a touch a button on our smart phones. But does this affect the non-profit sector? The answer is yes, a lot!
Studies have shown that online giving had increased by 9.2% in 2015, which may not sound like a lot considering that year 93% of funds given to non-profit organisations were given in a traditional sense (phone, cheque, events). However, it’s the future of fundraising that will see the biggest impact and it’s important to think about who the future fundraisers will be.
Our society wants convenience and it also wants immediacy and this is exactly what the online world can provide. Social media channels allow individuals to keep up to date with everything that is going on in the world – in real time. You can see live video streams, immediate twitter up dates, instant photographs and this immersed feeling is exactly what the next generation craves.
This is why social media continues to grow in importance for non-profit organisations. More than half of those surveyed in the BlackBaud Charitable Giving Survey, said that after they had engaged with causes via social media, they had been inspired to take further action. Furthermore, 59% of those people donated money. The journey of communicating, supporting and donating to a charity has been made quicker and easier with social media and online giving. Regular updates, real time information and links directly to a donating payment platform makes the process quick and simple. It’s much easier then receiving a letter, writing out a cheque and sending it in the post.
The future of fundraising looks digital. It’s going to be quick, fresh and immediate. Traditional fundraising methods aren’t to be forgotten however; they still play a crucial part in the fundraising process. But future fundraising campaigns will instead include a partnership of traditional and digital methods to increase effectiveness and target the millennial, digital generation.