Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media

Who Rules: Offline or Online Donors?

Written by Allyson Kapin | 2011/10/6

Where do most of your organization’s donations come from? Offline or online donors? For many nonprofits, about 90% of their donations come from offline donations. While direct mail still brings in a lot of money for nonprofits, it’s getting more and more expensive (not to mention the toll it’s taking on the environment) and online fundraising is soaring. According to a recent Blackbaud study, online fundraising grew 34% and raised over $20 billion dollars in 2010. If your nonprofit still hasn't carved out a good strategy for integrating both offline and online fundraising, you need to start now. Here's why.

Online donors represent a larger percentage of giving every year both in total revenue and in and number of donors. “In fact, 88% of nonprofits had a donation of $1000 or more online” last year, the study said. The study also confirmed what many fundraising experts have been preaching for the past few years – multichannel is key to building a base of logn term supporters. “Donors who are acquired online who give through multiple channels, are worth 3x more than those who give through a single channel.”

More Key Donor Facts:

  • The media age for an online donor is 24-55.
  • 32% of online donors earn $100K+ VS 18% of offline donors.
  • The median gift of first time online donors is almost double of offline donors - $62 VS $32.
  • Online donors also donate more money over time than offline donors. Check out infographic below by Blackbaud.

Three More Fundraising Resources:


Online Fundrasing Best Practices: Frogloop

Year-End Fundraising Brings in 40% of Online Donations. Are you Prepared?: Frogloop

Video Can Help Boost Donations in End-Of-The-Year Fundraising: Beth's Blog