There are infinite articles, videos, and podcast episodes about how to attract new donors to your nonprofit. (In fact, I released a podcast episode on this very topic and it was very fun to make!) But do you know why people are motivated to give their first gift to a nonprofit they’ve just learned about? Understanding the mindset of new donors can help your nonprofit attract new supporters.
3 key statistics to know about first-time donors
For the purposes of this article, we’ll say someone is a first-time donor or a new donor if they have given their first gift to a nonprofit in the past 12 months. Let’s take a look at the research on first-time donors:
85% of donors give their first gift because someone asked them to.
At first glance, this statistic may not be surprising to you. But think about it: More than 8 out of 10 donors give their first gift to a nonprofit because someone asked them to give.
Not because they saw your latest social media post.
Not because they went to an inspiring fundraising event.
Not because they heard a podcast interview featuring your executive director.
But because someone asked them to give.
One huge mistake new nonprofit leaders make is failing to ask for donations. New nonprofit leaders will sometimes tell me, “If we’re doing our work right, people will give to support us.” They basically have the “If We Built It, They Will Come” mindset.
Unfortunately, donors don’t work that way. They need to be told:
There is a huge problem.
Our nonprofit has the solution.
We need your support to implement the solution. Will you please support us?
67% of donors learn about new causes through word of mouth.
I’ll say it again: Even in a tech-driven world like ours, new donors (generally) don’t learn about new causes through social media. Or through events. Or through the media.
New donors learn about new causes through word of mouth. Someone directly telling them about a cause they should care about.
What does this mean for fundraisers? You need to invest time in personal relationships with people and leverage the networks of your existing supporters to find new donors.
58% of first-time donors give because they care about the person who asks them to.
Often, new donors aren’t giving to nonprofits because they’re passionate about a mission… Over half the time, new donors give to a nonprofit for the first time because their friend, family member, or colleague asks them to do so.
You might think this is bad news, but it’s not! This statistic doesn’t indicate that people don’t care about your mission. It simply means that a new donor’s friend, family member, or colleague has opened up a golden opportunity for you to share your mission with that person. They may make their first gift because someone they love asked them to, but now it’s your job to convince them to keep giving because they care about your mission and impact.
That’s where the donor journey comes in!
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