2012 Cygnus Donor Survey Released
July 10th, 2012
DISCUSS OUR LATEST E-NEWS ARTICLE BELOW!
Effective websites are crucial for donors; over-solicitation is frustrating. These are just two fundraising insights found in the executive summary of the 2012 Cygnus Donor Survey . . . Where Philanthropy is Headed in 2012 released last month. This fourth annual survey conducted by Penelope Burk and Cygnus Research found that 83 percent of survey respondents indicated that they research nonprofits they plan to support and that they do so most commonly by visiting the organization’s website. Also, when reporting changes in giving that they had made in the last five years, donors surveyed ranked “reducing or eliminating support to charities that over-solicit” among their top two changes.
There is much more to consider from the survey, however, and numbers to wade through in four specific categories: Monthly Giving, Athletic-based Fundraising Events, Websites, and How Donors Manage Their Giving.
According to survey participants, 29 percent of donors who have been asked to join a monthly giving program continue to be active participants, and 81 percent of those who give monthly expressed a very high level of satisfaction with the option. Monthly donors, however, are not necessarily any more likely to become higher level donors than non-monthly contributors.
71 percent of those surveyed noted that they “sponsored at least one participant in an athletic-based fundraising event within the last two years.” 14 percent of those who were later asked to make a direct contribution did so.
The Survey also reviews how donors gave last year and predicts donor giving patterns for 2012, producing the following statistics:
- 54 percent surveyed supported the same number of causes in 2011 as in 2010; 46 percent supported eleven or more causes.
- 41 percent gave more in 2011 than in 2010 and 15 percent gave less.
- 50 percent of donors who gave $10,000 or more in 2011 increased their giving from 2010.
- For 2012, 28 percent plan to give more in 2012 than they did in 2011. For those who give over $10,000 per year, 25 percent planned to increase their giving.
Download the executive summary of the 2012 Cygnus Donor Survey here and don’t forget to check the sidebar for testimonials from survey respondents.
And don’t miss the Opening Plenary Session at TVI 2012 where Jocelyn Harmon will present, “The Changing Face of Philanthropy,” a discussion of some of the latest and most influential trends in fundraising. See the TVI 2012 website for more details!
FOR DISCUSSION: Going back to the first two points of the article, effective websites are crucial for donors; over-solicitation is frustrating. What components should a website have to attract donors and/or provide visitors the information they need to become donors? What do donors mean by over-solicitation and how do you know when you are over-soliciting?
Posted by CNP Staff
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