#givefreely blog

Nonprofits typically start planning for giving season months in advance to ensure they have everything they need to make the most of this critical fundraising period. Although it's only May, it is the perfect time to begin preparing for the giving season.

Much has been said about “the next generation” with each generation before having reservations about the generation to come. Stereotypes abound, with Baby Boomers rolling their eyes at Millennial’s entitlement while Millennials whisper about the Boomers struggle with technology behind their back. There is some truth to the stereotypes based on each generation’s experience with world events, economic trends, and cultural norms. Specifically, each generations views towards philanthropy are greatly affected by their experiences. Millennials and Generation Z are changing the way they approach giving and generosity. They are motivated to give based on impact and results. They want to see the numbers. They want to hear the impact.

Just a few short weeks ago, we were reveling in holiday cheer and enjoying the Giving Season. We hope you had a safe and successful end-of-year fundraising drive and met your goals for 2022. Now, we’re in tax season and we have good news for nonprofits.

We know most nonprofits start in the September/October time frame, so hopefully you’re already seeing donations come in. Why is this timing so important? According to research, nearly a third of charitable giving occurs in December, with about 12 percent of that in the last three days of the year! It’s so significant, it’s called, “Giving Season”. But you know that! About two-thirds of people are giving throughout the year but the numbers still skew heavily to the fourth quarter. Some sources say nearly half of a nonprofit’s funds are generated by year-end giving campaigns. Maybe we’ll have a blog next spring to help you draw some of those funds into your organization earlier in the year!

We know most nonprofits start in the September/October time frame, so hopefully you’re already seeing donations come in. Why is this timing so important? According to research, nearly a third of charitable giving occurs in December, with about 12 percent of that in the last three days of the year! It’s so significant, it’s called, “Giving Season”. But you know that! About two-thirds of people are giving throughout the year but the numbers still skew heavily to the fourth quarter. Some sources say nearly half of a nonprofit’s funds are generated by year-end giving campaigns. Maybe we’ll have a blog next spring to help you draw some of those funds into your organization earlier in the year!

Did you know that on a single day in 2020, people donated $380 Million to their favorite charities? Think about what was going on then – on Giving Day December 1, 2020 – do we have to remind you? Well, a Chinese robot landed on the moon. Spotify announced its most-streamed artist was Bad Bunny. And there was no COVID-19 vaccine yet. Oh, that’s right, there was a lot going on then.