Blog

By E. Dale Berkey, Ph.D.

President, BBS & Associates

What do your donors think about the ongoing political conflicts and negative economic outlooks they’re seeing in the news day after day?

Are these reports giving them pause — causing them worry about their own lives, both present and future? Is it pushing them to make a change in how they save, spend, and — important for your ministry — give?

The answers to these questions can make a huge difference in your organization’s fundraising strategy in the days and months ahead — so BBS & Associates has done the legwork to provide you the key insights you need now!

The compelling results of our just-released Fall 2023 Donor Confidence Report — our nationwide survey of donors — is available to you today, free of charge!

Here’s what you can expect to find inside: 

Donor Insights You’ll Be Encouraged to Know

Despite so many negative headlines, there’s a lot of good news in how donors are actually feeling and planning to give. As our report reveals:

• Donors overall (53%) were somewhat or very likely to support a charity they had given to over a year ago. 

• Fears of inflation are beginning to wane. Less than half of donors — 43% — now feel inflation will have a somewhat or strongly negative impact on their annual charitable giving, compared to 56% in July 2022.

• Some Christian donors even want to give more than they did last year! 23% expect to give more in 2023 than in 2022. This is a slight uptick from the 18% seen in 2022.

Important Considerations Nonprofits Should Keep in Mind

Inside the Donor Confidence Report, you’ll also find some key nuances to pay particular attention to as you tailor your 2023-2024 fundraising strategy, such as:

• Boomer and older donors were significantly more likely than younger donors to say they would be giving the same, or less, as last year (70% vs. 60% for Gen-X and 53% for Millennials).

• 42% of Christian donors said they would be somewhat or very likely to give to a new charity that presented them with a compelling need. 

• 55% of donors overall don’t have an estate plan, and 4% were unsure if they did.

Download the Full Donor Confidence Report

And that’s not all! You’ll find even more key insights (and strategic recommendations for how non-profits should respond) in the full Donor Confidence Report — including revelations like:

• Lapsed donors’ likelihood to give again.
• How inflation is impacting donor giving.
• How donors expect to give during the end of the year. 
• Donor giving by generation. 
• The likelihood of Christian donors to give to a new charity. 
• Donor satisfaction with the direction of the country.
• Plus — taking a step beyond our June 2023 survey — new findings regarding estate planning!

Plus, you’ll receive useful recommendations from our experts on how you and your ministry can factor these findings into your fundraising strategy and connect with donors throughout the rest of 2023 and into 2024. 

Download the full Donor Confidence Report now.

For additional donor-focused insights like these, please visit https://www.servantheart.com/resources/ or reach out to Jared Matthews via jmatthews@servantheart.com or 330.576.1162.