Nonprofit Fundraising and the Dynamics of Cause Engagement

I have written about the importance and value of the many credible nonprofit fundraising reports now available to professional fundraisers. There is The 2011 donorCentrics™ Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report, The Nonprofit Research Collaborative (and Part 2), the Millennial Donors Report 2011 (and Part 2), the 3rd Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report 2011 and The Blackbaud Index on Charitable and Online Giving October 2011 to name a few.  These reports and the insightful analysis they provide are vital for nonprofits as they give a reference for comparison and knowledge to assist with planning future fundraising campaigns and donor engagement initiatives.

I recently came across another study of interest to nonprofits called Dynamics of Cause Engagement which was developed by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication in conjunction with Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.  The study is based on a survey of a representative sample of 2,000 adult Americans (18 years of age and over) that was performed in late 2010.  Separated into six sections, this study focuses on giving trends as well as the strengths of various engagement channels.

Dynamics of Cause Engagement image courtesy of csic.georgetown.edu

The section titled Involvement in Causes Can Trigger Individual Behavior Changes really caught my attention.  In my review of many nonprofit reports, none really examined how a supporters’ engagement to a cause changed their own personal behaviour.  We tend to forget that supporters are more than just donors that generate gifts and donations for an organization.  We know that most supporters have a personal connection to a cause either directly or indirectly and this drives them to contribute a gift or donation.

According to the Nonprofit Fundraising Effectiveness Report, a nonprofit should focus on retaining donors to avoid the cost of acquisition. Building meaningful relationships and loyalty will ultimately improve supporter giving over time. However, the findings of this study shows that engagement with supporters goes beyond raising funds and garnering support to a cause.  In fact, engagement often makes the supporter analyze the cause, assess how it has or how it could impact their own life and then make a lifestyle or behavioural change.

More than half of the surveyed American respondents (52%) cited that they made personal changes due to their involvement with a cause either through monetary support, volunteering, or other support. The top 10 areas in which most Americans reported making a change are: 48% changed voting behaviour; 40% changed recycling habits; 34% became more energy efficient; 31% became a volunteer; 25% became more tolerant of different opinions;  21% registered to vote; 20% changed behaviour towards others; 18% socialized with different people; 17% changed their diet; and 15% became an organ donor. The survey was also able to determine changes in behaviour due to engagement, by ethnicity, gender and age.

While each and every cause strives to make a difference and are passionate about its mission, it’s important to not forget that supporters share that passion and express it financially or through in-kind gifts or by volunteering their time and/or efforts. Reports of this nature help nonprofits understand what motivates supporters so they can tap into that passion and optimize their nonprofit fundraising and engagement opportunity.
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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.