Courtesy Elijah O’Donnell
DONOR REPORT
2020
Buckle Up For A Rough Ride Another Year Of Turbulence And Change In The Charitable Sector
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By Andrea McManus
s we bid au revoir to 2019 and enter a new decade, global disruption is still omnipresent. We have a justimpeached president south of the border and here in Canada, where I reside, a country struggling mightily with national unity. And that’s just in North America. Some degree of turmoil, unrest and chaos, unfortunately, seems to be the current state of being in most countries on the planet. All of which continues to impact our work. However, I’m an eternal optimist. In spite of the ubiquitous problems we all hear about every day, I take the view that there are always opportunities we can carve out to the benefit of our work and our sector. Below are a number of the trends we’ve been hearing about at ViTreo; some are the result of global disruption and political events while others are occurring because of shifting demographic patterns. One of the most significant events to impact our sector, and which must be considered in the work we do, is the fact that millennials are now the largest adult generation in both Canada and the U.S. according to studies by organizations such as Pew Research Centre and the Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Economics Research. They are not our only audience by any means, but as fundraisers and non-profit organizations, we must take note of how our audience’s needs and behaviours are shifting, or suffer the consequences. Every successful business looks at the big picture and places its focus on how it can benefit from what’s occurring around it. There’s nothing to be gained by focusing on what’s going wrong, but much to be gained from accepting this is what’s occurring and how can we best manage it, and ultimately, succeed. The over-arching message here is that the charitable sector must continue to evolve. foundationmag.ca
Donor communication trends Online Society is living much of their lives online; if your organization is not online (social media, video, podcasts), you are not engaging with your supporters and donors. Mobile Increasingly, life is being lived via a mobile device, communications need to be designed for mobile first. Social Media Social media platforms like Facebook are the fastest growing advertising platforms; marketing and fundraising campaigns need to be designed for digital platforms first. Giving Compass had this to say about the non-profit space in 2020: “Nonprofit Networking Platforms - The development of platforms that make it increasingly easy for non-profits to connect and interact will build communities of providers and beneficiaries.” - Giving Compass, A Few Nonprofit Trends Coming In 2020. Flexible work environments Employees who feel they have some control over their work environment are happier and more productive. Non-profit organizations that pay attention to this fact will be more successful. According to Business Wire “Employees see major upside to more choice — an overwhelming majority (90 percent) believe more flexible work arrangements and schedules will increase morale. Even more compelling for employers, flexibility and employee retention go hand in hand: Two-thirds of employees (67 percent) would consider leaving their job if their work arrangements became less flexible.” This from Meghan January/February 2020
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