5 Insights from the Constant Contact Nonprofit Pulse Report

I often write about different reports, surveys and other research based on nonprofit fundraising and engagement trends like the latest Blackbaud Index,  The 2012 Cygnus Donor Survey Reports on US and Canadian Nonprofit Fundraising and Global Social Media Check-Up 2012 Report. Recently I came across the Constant Contact Nonprofit Pulse – The Health and Wellness of Small Nonprofits, a report based on research gathered from 307 small nonprofit organizations across the US. Surveyed topics ranged from what worried them most to the best marketing channels and the following are some highlights of the results that I found particularly interesting:

1.  49% of nonprofits stated that so far (April/May 2012 when the research was conducted) their membership/funding had increased compared to 2011, while 39% indicated that it remained the same. These results line up directly with the fundraising results of small organizations (with fundraising revenue of under $1 million) according to the latest Blackbaud Index where smaller organizations have been consistently seeing an increase in giving patterns in 2011 more so than medium and large sized organizations. In addition, 67% expect 2012 to see an overall increase in comparison to last year.
2.  Despite the increases that smaller nonprofits are seeing, they are most concerned about how to attract new supporters (64%) and how to connect and better engage with existing supporters (59%). Although funding came in a close third (57%) in responses, it was identified as the number one concern overall. It’s clear that nonprofits face a consistent and ongoing challenge of growing their community of supporters and keeping their attention. A challenge that is further evident in other areas of the report.
3.  The top 5 marketing initiatives that were identified include: Email marketing (86%); Website (80%); In-person interactions (73%); Events (70%); and Social Media Marketing (58%). As email marketing is one of the most cost effective and direct initiatives, there are many benefits nonprofits can yield through this channel as I indicated in a recent post 5 Benefits of Email and Newsletter Marketing for Nonprofit Fundraising and Engagement and 7 Tips for Effective Nonprofit Email and Newsletter Marketing.
4. 57% of the surveyed nonprofits responded that Social Media is the marketing topic that they need the most help with and email marketing came second with 36%. Social Media can definitely be overwhelming and intimidating due to its many, varied and constantly-changing platforms. However, based on the survey results nonprofits are realizing and understanding the value of Social Media and the integral role it plays in overall marketing plans. Definitely what I had in mind when planning our Social Media Summer Series which provides some helpful tips and insights on several social media platforms, from set up and implementation to day-to-day maintenance.
5. Facebook continues to be the most powerful network for most nonprofits as an overwhelming 88% of respondents identified the platform as the most effective. Not surprising as Facebook has grown to be the largest in the world and a great way for nonprofits to expand their reach and grow their online community. I wrote about 6 Facebook Considerations for Nonprofit Fundraising and Outreach

It’s great to see a report that confirms and highlights some encouraging results that point towards areas where nonprofits need assistance with. The report also covers how nonprofits spend their time and budgets, their cash flow status and staffing requirements. Since it’s the first wave and part of an ongoing study I will report on additional results as they are available. You can read this release of the Constant Contact Nonprofit Pulse – The Health and Wellness of Small Nonprofits report for more details.

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.