The digital landscape has fundamentally shifted how supporters engage with the causes they care about. Today’s donors expect the same seamless, personalized experiences from nonprofits that they receive from every other aspect of their digital lives. This presents both an opportunity and a responsibility for nonprofit fundraising and marketing leaders.
As you develop your organization’s fundraising strategy, staying informed about emerging trends can help you meet supporters where they are while deepening their connection to your mission. However, the key to success lies not in chasing every trend, but in thoughtfully selecting approaches that align with your organizational goals and enhance your existing donor relationships.
Rather than overhauling your entire fundraising approach, consider how these trends can complement and strengthen your current strategies. Let’s explore three strategic trends that are reshaping nonprofit fundraising and how you can leverage them to advance your mission.
1. Supporters Are Amplifying Their Values Through Social Platforms
Social media has become a powerful vehicle for expressing personal values, particularly among younger generations. At this point, it’s clear that it’s much more than a passing online fundraising trend. Generation Z leads this movement, leveraging their digital fluency to champion causes and share their philanthropic involvement with their networks.
Research from The Social State of Giving Report reveals that Gen Z is 10 times more likely than Boomers to share their donations on social media, creating organic opportunities for peer-to-peer advocacy. Even more significantly, 41% of Gen Z respondents indicated that social media has motivated them to research or donate to a cause.
This trend represents more than just increased visibility—it’s about creating authentic pathways for supporters to become ambassadors for your mission.
Strategic Implementation:
- Integrate social sharing features into your donation confirmation pages and follow-up communications
- Develop peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns that naturally encourage supporters to share their involvement
- Create shareable content that highlights your organization’s impact and celebrates donor contributions
- Recognize and amplify supporter-generated content to build community around your cause
The goal isn’t simply to increase your social media presence, but to create meaningful opportunities for supporters to connect their personal values with your organizational mission.
2. Multi-Channel Engagement Is Essential for Donor Stewardship
The days of relying on a single communication channel are behind us. Today’s supporters engage with causes across multiple touch points, and nonprofits that keep an eye on online fundraising trends are building integrated communication strategies that meet donors where they are most comfortable.
This multi-channel approach serves two strategic purposes: it increases accessibility for diverse supporter preferences while diversifying your organization’s communication infrastructure for greater sustainability.
Email Communications
Email remains a cornerstone of donor stewardship when used strategically. Segment your communications based on supporter behavior, interests, and giving history to deliver relevant, personalized content. Cornershop Creative’s nonprofit email marketing guide recommends these popular types of emails:
- Welcome emails: Initial emails sent to new subscribers or donors, introducing them to your nonprofit
- Newsletters: Regular updates that inform supporters about your nonprofit’s activities, achievements, and upcoming events
- Donation appeals: Requests for donations that include personalized asks and information about how contributions will be used
- Thank-you emails: Personalized messages that express gratitude for support
- Volunteer opportunities: Emails that inform supporters about ways they can contribute their time to your organization
- Advocacy emails: Messages encouraging supporters to take an advocacy action, like signing a petition or contacting representatives
- Seasonal greetings: Emails sent during holidays or other seasons related to your nonprofit’s work, such as an affinity month for your cause
- Feedback emails: Requests for input on supporters’ experiences or opinions on your nonprofit’s work and campaigns
- Matching gift emails: Information about donors’ opportunities to double their contributions through their employers’ workplace giving programs
Social Media Strategy
Beyond encouraging supporter sharing, your social media presence should build authentic community around your mission. Focus on:
- Diverse content that showcases your work, celebrates supporters, and shares relevant news
- Visual storytelling that demonstrates your impact in compelling, accessible ways
- Genuine engagement that responds to supporter interactions and encourages dialogue
- Consistent communication that maintains connection without overwhelming your audience
Google Ad Grants
Google Grants for nonprofits provide your organization with up to $10,000 monthly in free advertising, offering significant opportunities to reach potential supporters who are already searching for ways to support causes like yours. You can use these funds to display text ads for relevant keywords in Google Search results, connecting with individuals who are already interested in supporting causes like yours.
You might direct users who click on your Google Ads to your donation page, an upcoming event, specific fundraising campaigns, or another initiative. Focus on finding keywords related to your cause that receive traffic using tools like Google Keyword Planner. For example, your homeless shelter might find that people are searching for keywords like “donate to local homeless shelters,” then craft ads that highlight your work and use geotargeting to reach nearby communities.
Text Messaging
With 99% open rates and 90% of messages read within three minutes, text communications offer unparalleled immediacy for time-sensitive updates and calls to action.
Strategic Implementation:
- Use analytics to determine where your supporters are most active online
- Develop a multi-channel strategy that mirrors their behavior
- Assess the return on your digital investment across each channel, and dial channel-specific spending up or down accordingly
3. Artificial Intelligence Is Enhancing Strategic Donor Engagement
Yes, it’s one of the most talked about online fundraising trends in 20205, but today, AI technology is moving beyond experimental applications to become a practical tool for nonprofit strategy and operations. DonorSearch’s guide to AI for nonprofits highlights that 58% of nonprofits have integrated AI into their communications efforts, while 68% use it for data analysis.
Rather than replacing human connection, AI is enabling more personalized, strategic approaches to donor engagement.
Strategic Applications:
- Predictive Analytics: Identify potential major gift prospects and predict donor behavior patterns to inform cultivation strategies
- Automated Support: Provide 24/7 response capabilities for website visitors through intelligent chatbots
- Personalized Communications: Analyze donor data to craft more relevant, timely appeals and updates
- Event Planning: Optimize venue selection, scheduling, and promotional strategies based on data analysis
- Grant Writing: Streamline proposal development by analyzing funder preferences and requirements
The key to successful AI integration lies in selecting tools that address your organization’s specific challenges and capacity needs. Whether you’re focused on donor retention, prospect identification or operational efficiency, choose technology that enhances your team’s capabilities rather than adding complexity.
Moving Forward Strategically
These online fundraising trends represent opportunities to strengthen your organization’s fundraising capacity while deepening supporter relationships. As you consider implementation, remember that successful fundraising remains fundamentally about building authentic connections between your mission and the people who share your vision for change.
Start by evaluating which trends align most closely with your current strategic priorities and organizational capacity. Consider piloting one approach before expanding to others, and always measure impact against your core fundraising objectives.
The most effective organizations don’t simply adopt new tactics—they integrate them thoughtfully into comprehensive strategies that serve both their mission and their supporters’ desire to create meaningful change.
