2021 Year In Review, Ep #36

Episode 36

With Benjamin Johnson and Matt Hussey

It’s a wrap! Now that 2021 is officially in the history books, Matt and Ben take a look back at some of the year’s most prominent fundraising trends to help you prepare for 2022. They’ll review everything from payment methods to person-centered content. New to the podcast? This is the perfect episode to get caught up!

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • Exploring payment method trends for 2021 [4:16]

  • Is Feudalism the new normal? [11:50]

  • Navigating a loneliness pandemic [17:45]

  • Social media trends of 2021…for better or worse [19:48]

  • The power of video in fundraising [24:55]

  • Community-centered fundraising and person-centered content [28:35]

  • Using regionalized communication in fundraising [35:45]

  • QR Codes, marketing automation, and the use of AI in fundraising [38:30]

  • Addressing inflation as a charity [45:24]

  • Mailbag and final thoughts [48:22]

Just pay the fees

With the rise of online giving, an important trend to keep an eye on is digital payment methods. There’s reason to believe charities influence how much a donor gives depending on how easy they made it to give with their preferred payment method. Think about American Express. Not everyone offers it as a payment option, but Matt’s research with one client showed Amex gifts were higher than Visa, Mastercard, and digital checking donations. Ben also reminds listeners that credit card companies spend millions of dollars per year on advertising to get consumers to use their cards for points and other rewards. Charities may be limiting their donations by not offering the payment methods donors are being conditioned to use.

Social media is as useful (and useless) as ever

Social media can either be a fundraiser's best friend or worst enemy, depending on the platform. For instance, LinkedIn continues to be a great place for charities and their leaders to network and gain influence. However, Facebook and Instagram seem to only be getting worse. Aside from the clear moral decay in how their algorithms direct content, the death of the digital cookie has rendered the majority of advertising efforts on the sites ineffective. Ben’s best advice for charities and social media is to use platforms that align with their values and have proven to advance charitable causes.

Justice, equity, and generosity

One of the best trends of 2021 is the advent of community-centered fundraising and person-centered content. There is a major push to ensure that fundraising is as equitable as it is charitable. Problematic uses of donor-centric language seem to be disappearing from marketing campaigns in lieu of putting the people charities empower back at the center of their stories. It’s a welcome change, and one Matt and Ben can’t wait to see develop in the years to come.


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