Giving at in-person fundraising events is bouncing back, according to a new survey commissioned by fundraising technology company OneCause.
This is the third time in the past four years that the company has commissioned surveys of so-called social donors, who give by attending in-person or virtual charity events or donating to a peer’s fundraising drive. From April 26 to May 12, it polled 1,029 adults who said they had made at least one charitable donation at a nonprofit fundraising event or to a fundraising drive led by a peer within the past 12 months. Nearly three-quarters of donors said their most recent social donation was in-person, while the remaining quarter said it was virtual. That’s a marked increase in in-person giving. The April 2021 survey identified a roughly 50-50 split between respondents who gave at in-person and virtual fundraising events within the previous 12 months.
This giving behavior tracks with the increasing level of comfort that donors said they felt about in-person events. The April 2021 survey found just two in 10 donors were comfortable attending an in-person fundraising event. By contrast, this year 85 percent of donors said they were either very or somewhat comfortable attending an in-person event.
In this third pandemic year, Covid precautions — or lack thereof — figured into donors’ decisions of whether and how to give. Roughly the same share of donors said they would feel comfortable attending an event where everyone had to show proof of vaccination to enter or an event that was outside — 39 percent and 38 percent, respectively. About three in 10 donors said events that required proof of a negative Covid test result put their minds at ease.
Millennials (ages 27 to 41) continue to lead the pack in social giving, contributing the highest average annual total — $284 — across all donor age groups. Generation X (ages 42 to 57) and Generation Z (ages 19 to 26) were neck-and-neck for the second slot, contributing an average annual total of $170 and $169, respectively. Baby boomers and matures (ages 58 and older), meanwhile, gave an average annual gift of $112. Social-service organizations were the most popular recipients across all age groups except boomers and matures, who favored faith-based groups.
While the number of social donors has grown 6 percent since the survey’s first year, these donors still represent just a handful of the overall population. Comparing the survey results with Census data, the study determined that roughly three in 10 adults give to fundraising events or drives.
Among the other findings:
- The share of social donors who made contributions at one specific kind of event both years — say, a bike ride — held steady year-over-year.
- Charity runs, walks, and bike rides remained the most popular, with 39 percent of donors saying they gave to such an event.
- 54 percent of respondents said they learned about their last opportunity to give at a charity event or peer-to-peer fundraising drive through a friend, relative, or colleague.
- Generation Z respondents were the only age group to list fun as a top motivator for attending a fundraising event.
