Fundraising Trends 2021 – Part Two: Don’t just survive, thrive!

Last week we considered the digital trends that should be factored into your 2021 fundraising planning (if you did not get a chance to read it, check it out here.) This week, we wanted to highlight three other considerations that may differentiate between surviving and thriving in 2021.

GEN Z: The Audience to Target in 2021

All successful fundraising and marketing programs are based on a solid understanding of their audience. This year, we want to ensure that our clients are planning for and speaking to Generation Z. Gen Z will be turning 25 in 2021 and over the next five years will become the largest consumer generation worth $82 billion. Gen Z should be a core consideration of your digital strategy. They grew up in an entirely digital world so adopting digital communication to speak to them is key. Organizations are finding success in engaging this younger audience in online and offline communities, speaking with transparency, and providing opportunities to connect in authentic ways.

Making a Meaningful Shift to Monthly

If you are familiar with our blog, you will know how passionate Fundraising Direct is about monthly giving. Our challenge to our clients in 2021 is to make the shift to becoming monthly-first online. Despite the clear benefits of monthly giving over one-time cash gifts (increased donor retention and higher gift values, just to name two) we still see a majority of Canadian organizations consistently offering one-time gifts as their online default. Online giving is quickly catching up to direct mail as a key source of income and it should be reflected in an organizational strategy that puts monthly giving as the priority. Your donation landing page should put monthly giving at the forefront, provide a clear case for support, and include a donation form that defaults to monthly/recurring giving.

How Agile is your Strategy? 

If 2020 taught us anything, it is that even the most well-planned strategy can be made redundant at a moment’s notice. Organizations had to pivot from in-person to online events, F2F to SMS or digital, move from campaign to emergency funds all overnight. Organizations need to continue to diversify their fundraising efforts. By consistently working across multiple channels not only do you build a more robust integrated strategy, but you also increase organizational skills and ensure that you can shift channels if the landscape requires it.