5 Key Global Nonprofit Fundraising Trends from the 2011 World Giving Index

For the most part, the nonprofit fundraising and related reports I have reviewed tend to focus on the North American market.  2011 donorCentrics Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report, the 3rd Annual Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report 2011, The Nonprofit Research Collaborative report (and Part 2) and the 2011 State of the Nonprofit Industry Survey were all reflective of predominantly US charities.  So when I came across the World Giving Index 2011, I was very curious to learn the global state of charitable giving.

Developed by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), an international charity based and registered in the United Kingdom, the CAF mission includes helping transform the lives of people in communities around the globe by focusing on motivating society to not just give more, but to give effectively.

The 2nd edition of the global report helps charities understand the state of charitable giving in their own country in comparison to others, as well as on a global scale and focuses on three main areas: i) monetary donations, ii) volunteered time to an organization and iii) help of a stranger who was in need.   Facilitated by polling company Gallup, 150,000 participants were surveyed in 153 countries posing questions in the three listed areas.

The 5 Key findings of the report include:

1. Overall giving rose by 0.08% – Although, the increase may seem insignificant, it is quite substantial considering the size and scope of the survey and ultimately translating into a considerable increase in number of people who have given.  Noteworthy, is that the increase can only be attributed to donation of time and in-kind gifts and not monetary donations given the following point #2.
2. Monetary donations fell by 0.01% – A clear indication that the global economic crisis is still looming and affecting what donors can contribute, however it seems that those who cannot afford contributing financially are turning to non-monetary ways of supporting worthy causes.
3. Older age groups amongst fastest growing supporters – In both money and time, it’s the older generation that has significantly grown in comparison to their younger counterparts, indicating that giving patterns and behaviours begin to shift as donors grow older.
4. Richer countries do not translate to most giving – Only 5 of the World Bank’s Top 20 countries by GDP made CAF’s top 20 in the World Index of Giving, quite possibly indicating that those in countries that give the most, do because they see firsthand the need to support those in need.
5. USA leads the pack as the most giving nation – Despite ranking 5th in the first edition of this index, they have risen to the top spot, with positive increases in all three areas.  Unfortunately, our native Canada fell four places from 3rd to 7th in 2011.

Also included in CAF’s report are recommendations for the government, charities, companies/corporations and the individual such as governments should appoint independent regulators to maximize charities effectiveness and companies promoting and encouraging a culture of giving amongst their employees. CAF’s concise recommendations aim to help charities with sound advice on how collectively we can improve global giving despite challenging economic times.

The Top 10 Countries in the World Giving Index include: 1st – USA; 2nd – Ireland; 3rd – Australia; 4th – New Zealand; 5th – United Kingdom; 6th – Netherlands; 7th – Canada; 8th – Sri Lanka; 9th – Thailand; 10th – Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Interestingly the CAF has opened the lines of communication with and between individuals concerned with nonprofit fundraising and the current state of giving by creating the hashtag #WorldGivingIndex on Twitter to encourage feedback, opinions and participation.  A summary is scheduled to appear on the Index’s 3rd report in 2012.
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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.