About

What this study examined

*        $381 million in online giving

*        3.6 million gifts

*        1.879 million unique donors

*        66,470 different nonprofits

*        Seven-year time span (2003-2009)

*        Donations from a wide range of nonprofit sizes and types

Why This Study Is Different

This study examines donor behavior over time, using TrueSense Marketing's Donor Health Index, a tool designed to gauge the value and long-term prospects of groups of donors.  It looks at key metrics:  How many donors were gained and lost, how much and how often donors gave, and where donors were in the long-term donor lifecycle.

It compares giving in different online venues: social networks, giving portals, and charity websites.  This presents a glimpse into what donors are doing as giving opportunities become increasingly dispersed all over the Internet. 

We have looked at these results, along with our collective experience with online outreach, and sought to not simply present data but also to convey some concrete advice for fundraisers and philanthropists who want to get the most out of using the Internet for good causes.

This study should be viewed as a big-picture survey of a portion of online giving in several of its most common forms – as well as a call to action to improve the experience of online donors.

Scope (and limitations) of the Study

The data set for this study is limited to donations powered by the Network for Good platform.  Any giving that took place on sites that do not use the Network for Good platform or that were made offline are not included.  Also, the data do not differentiate what nonprofits are doing to affect donor behavior beyond the giving transaction.  Some do a great job connecting with and engaging donors in many ways and through many channels, while others are doing little.  What they do and don't do has a big impact on donor relationships and the metrics we've uncovered.

Network for Good processes donations for charities of all sizes, but because we focus our efforts on helping small- medium sized nonprofits with their fundraising, there is a strong representation of these nonprofits in our data.  There is also a wide range of organizational types.

About Network for Good

Network for Good is a nonprofit that makes it easy for donors to support any charity, anywhere online and that helps nonprofits raise funds for their missions through simple, affordable and effective online fundraising services.  To foster continued growth in online giving, Network for Good also provides free training to nonprofits on online outreach through the site www.Fundraising123.org.  Through partnership with corporations, Network for Good enables cause marketing initiatives and charitable giving solutions.  Network for Good has processed over $450 million in donations for more than 70,000 nonprofits since its 2001 founding by AOL, Cisco and Yahoo!.

About TrueSense Marketing

TrueSense Marketing is a leader in US fundraising, producing more than 40 millions donor impressions a year.  With offices in Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Pasadena, the 70 fundraising professionals of TrueSense are watching the changes in donor behavior and responding with fact-based approaches to direct mail, online fundraising, and other media.

Special Thanks

Network for Good and TrueSense would like to thank three people who provided their thoughts, advice and insights into our findings: Mark Rovner, Roger Craver and Greg Ulrich.