Here at JustGiving, we know that understanding data is critical for fundraising success. By analysing trends, your charity can adapt more effectively to changing circumstances.
After 20+ years and millions of donations made through our platform, we’ve got a solid grasp of the fundraising landscape. We’re always happy to share our findings, and that’s why we developed our quarterly JustGiving Insights webinar series.
In this round-up, we’re putting 2023 in context with the key trends from the recent Winter edition of JustGiving Insights. If you want more detail and context, watch the webinar now on-demand.
A Year of Insights
We’ve split things down into three key areas:
- P2P Fundraising
- Individual Giving
- In the Spotlight: Event Fundraising Trends
We hope this report helps you make more informed fundraising decisions as we head into 2024.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Insights
First up, we’re covering all things P2P Fundraising (peer-to-peer fundraising). This means individual fundraisers who collects donations for your charity by having at least one JustGiving fundraising page.
We see all sorts of activities happening using fundraising pages, from marathons to pub quizzes and bake sales.
Consistent Page Activation Rates
2023 was a challenging year for many people due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis coming out of the COVID-19 experience. Fortunately, page activation rates held steady since the same period in 2022. This is a promising sign that despite a general tightening of belts, those who create a page are still continuing to see their pages ‘activated’ by receiving that all-important first donation.
Changes in Behaviour
It is interesting to note that while page values (the total amount raised) have stayed consistent year-on-year as below…
…how charities and fundraisers get to those same page values has changed. In 2023 we saw that the donation count to fundraising pages is increasing (meaning more people are donating), but they are choosing to donate slightly less than in 2022.
In essence, this means that fundraisers may be having to work harder and sharing their pages more often to attract more donors to hit the same page value as last year.
It’s clear then, that charity stewardship, fundraiser support and encouragement are more important than ever.
Regular Giving to Fundraising Pages
We’re excited to see such growth in regular giving to fundraising pages and that this (fairly new) functionality has the potential to acquire new supporters for your charity.
Given that fundraisers are working harder to hit their targets, let them know about this feature and encourage them to promote it. Receiving a regular donation to their page could make all the difference in increasing their page value.
The Need for Stewardship
One of the key takeaways from these findings is the ongoing need for stewardship for your fundraisers. Encourage your supporters to keep sharing their pages and to use all the personalisation tools on offer to make their page as engaging as possible.
This fundraiser stewardship will look a little different for each charity, but we know from experience that engaged, well-supported fundraisers tend to bring in more donations.
Individual Giving Insights
Next up, here are some interesting trends related to individual giving. This refers to when a person makes a direct donation to your charity via your JustGiving profile page or Giving Checkout (which takes your donors through a customised JustGiving donation form directly from your website or other external channels).
The Power of Contactless
We’ve seen a steady increase in the number of single donations to charities since pre-pandemic times. Much of this increase is due to the adoption of contactless donations using JustGiving’s integration with Liberty Pay, especially during the festive period.
If we exclude contactless donations from the count, we see that the donation value and volume have stayed consistent year-on-year. Considering the challenging economic times we’re currently living through, this is really encouraging news.
Regular Giving Increases
Just like with P2P fundraising, regular giving saw some positive increases in 2023. Some key trends include a 30% YOY growth in regular giving with an average monthly gift of £16 (£4 increase vs. pre-pandemic).
We also see a steady reduction in monthly regular giving cancellations. Part of this is due to the roll-out of our direct debit offering. At this moment in time, more people are choosing to donate small gifts, but more often.
Event Fundraising Trends
The first two quarters of the year tend to see increased activity related to fundraising events, and 2023 was no different. What’s more, event fundraising saw a 15% increase compared to 2022. This is an encouraging sign that charities, fundraisers, and supporters were eager to get out and get involved in face-to-face activities.
The below data relates to organised events only – this includes events organised by charities or third-party event organisers.
Don’t Discount Walking and Trek Events
It might not surprise you to know that running events make up the single biggest category of fundraising pages on JustGiving. But we have also seen a steady increase in walking and trek events, which can be more accessible for families and broader age groups.
Taken together, these events make up 45% of event pages created on the JustGiving platform. Sometimes a fun, community-building event really can be a ‘walk in the park’!
The Role of Virtual Events
From 2020 to 2022, we saw a steady decrease in average page values for virtual events. But 2023 saw a small (2%) year-on-year increase over 2022. While this may not seem like much, we’ve also seen total donations for virtual events jump by a whopping 30%!
The decline in virtual events makes sense due to the return of in-person events in 2022. But the slight increase from last year seems to indicate that virtual events will continue to play a role in P2P and individual fundraising in the years to come. Virtual events may not always resonate with donors in all cases, but they should remain an option in your charity’s fundraising offering.
Key Takeaways
Focus On Stewardship
Page values are staying steady, but your fundraisers are having to share their page more often to encourage those donations. Why not check out our on-demand webinar about using JustGiving data to improve your email stewardship?
Consider Contactless Giving
If supporters have more giving options available to them, the greater the likelihood they will donate to your cause. If you haven’t already incorporated contactless giving into your strategy, you can learn how JustGiving’s partnership with Liberty Pay can help your fundraising.
Give Virtual Events Some Love
It may feel like we’re ‘back to normal’ in some ways, but the world is not the same as it was before the pandemic. Virtual events are now a part of the fundraising ecosystem. If you’re not already incorporating them into your fundraising efforts, now’s the time to think about doing so.
There is so much more to dig into by watching the Insights webinar itself. Which ideas and trends stand out most to you? Let us know in the comments below!
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