September 18, 2008 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The bad economy is causing many older donors to cut back on their giving over the next few months, but young donors say they plan to step up their giving for the remainder of the calendar year, according to a poll released this month by Grizzard Communications Group, a direct-marketing consulting company.
The national poll of 495 Americans who had made at least one gift within the last year to charities other than a religious congregation found that people between the ages of 25 and 34 said they were more likely to increase their charitable giving this fall, in contrast to donors over 65 who said they planned to give less or not at all.
The poll, conducted in late July, found that 13 percent of donors plan to increase their overall contributions this fall, while 29 percent said they are reducing the amount they give to charity. Fewer than half, 44 percent, of respondents said their financial contributions will be comparable to what they gave last fall. But 29 percent said they will give less than they did a year ago, and, of those, one in four said they plan to stop giving altogether.
Focus on Young People
The survey’s findings suggest that nonprofit organizations need to reach out more aggressively to young people this year, says Terry Barber, Grizzard’s senior strategist. “This is a group of people that, by and large, nonprofits have not even begun to tap into.”
The number of individuals age 25 to 34 who said they plan to give more this year presents an opportunity for charities to cultivate relationships with younger donors, Mr. Barber says. The challenge will be for charities to find a medium and a message that strikes a chord with that age group, he adds. “They’re not going to respond to typical marketing measures like direct mail.”
Fund-Raising Methods
The poll asked donors about the fund-raising techniques that would be most likely to spur them to give, to increase their donations, and to contribute regularly.
The highest percentage of respondents, 31 percent, said they wanted details about how their money would be used. Twenty-seven percent of those polled said they respond to offers of matching gifts.
Mr. Barber said it was important to think hard about how tough economic times are affecting donors, especially as charities gear up for the end-of-year giving season. “Start adjusting your expectations,” he said. “Don’t define success in the same way you’ve defined it before, or you’re going to have a bad board meeting at the end of the year.”
A full copy of the survey is available online.
