Are charities doing enough to engage younger donors?

Charities are not doing enough to engage younger donors in their fundraising strategy, a new report has suggested, revealing that respondents aged 45 and over are more likely to give to charity on a regular basis than their younger counterparts. 

The report, Understanding the generation gap in giving, discovered that 45% of people surveyed gave to charity at least once a month. However, this percentage decreased to 40% when considering only those below the age of 45. Exactly half of older donors said they gave regularly.  

The report, conducted by Compass Plus Technologies’ innovative mobile payments service, MobiCash, notes that, though the gap between age groups might not seem significant, the ageing population of the UK makes finding ways to engage with younger donors more urgent.  

In order to bring new audiences on board, the report calls for a more flexible fundraising strategy that suits everyone. Two thirds of respondents under 45 said they would like to donate via mobile (note: this does not mean text), for example, with 47% adding that it would make them more likely to give more often. Almost four in ten young donors see mobile as their main donation channel for the future. 

However, for donors over the age of 55, the outlook is a little different. While 44% believed mobile should be offered as a donation channel, only 15% think it would make them give more frequently. One in 20 of over-55s could see this as their main donation method in the future, instead preferring to donate via cash and Direct Debit.  

The report concludes that offering younger generations the channels they prefer to donate could be a lifeline for charities post-COVID-19. With the cost-of-living crisis causing more concern for charities, and some forecasts warning of charity insolvencies, tailoring the donor experience is crucial.  

“The main problem is that many charities are simply not doing enough to engage the younger generations, who are not cash-reliant, but instead are digital natives and traditional methods of engaging with donors will fail to resonate with this mobile-first, social media focussed audience,” says the report, adding that “the key playing field is the socially-conscious younger generations who are yet to set their giving patterns and behaviours”.  

“Actively engaging and communicating with them on the platforms they consume and offering them the channels by which they would be more likely to give is imperative.”