Year-End Giving Stats to Guide Your 2024 Fundraising Strategy

Year-end giving is the nonprofit sector’s Super Bowl. 

With over 30% of annual donations coming in during December, it’s the ultimate opportunity to engage donors, maximize revenue, and set the stage for future success. But to truly capitalize on this critical period, nonprofits need data-driven insights.

The team at Avid AI has gathered key year-end giving statistics that matter most to nonprofit marketers, fundraisers, and executives. These stats should help you come up with new ideas, optimize campaigns to achieve your year-end goals.

Year-End Giving by the Numbers

As you can see, year-end giving is a high-stakes opportunity for nonprofits, and success depends on how strategically you act.

Donors aren’t numbers—they’re individuals looking to make a difference. By understanding their behavior and preferences, you can create meaningful connections that inspire action.

Here’s what the data says:

1. Donor Behavior and Engagement at Year-End

Understanding donor behavior during the year-end season is critical for crafting campaigns that resonate. Here’s what the data says:

• 31% of annual donations happen in December, with 12% occurring in the last 3 days. (Double the Donation)
• Donors need 3-5 touchpoints during the year-end season to make a gift. (Nonprofit Hub)
• 55% of people who engage with nonprofits on social media end up taking action. (Empower Agency)

These trends highlight how essential consistent engagement is in the weeks leading up to December 31. 

Repeated touchpoints across channels like email, social media, and direct mail help keep your organization top-of-mind, while social media provides an excellent platform for storytelling and impact-driven campaigns. 

Focus your efforts on creating a mix of informational updates, donor impact stories, and urgency-driven messages that align with donor behavior patterns.

With a better understanding of donor behavior, you can craft personalized campaigns that engage and convert supporters during this critical period.

2. Email and Personalization Insights

Email continues to be a powerhouse for nonprofit fundraising, especially when paired with personalized outreach:

• Email accounted for 14% of digital revenue during year-end campaigns in 2022. (M+R Benchmarks Report)
• Year-end giving emails see a 20% higher open rate than other times of the year. (The Nonprofit Email Report)
• Segmented campaigns see 50% higher engagement rates. (Swifterm)
• Personalized thank-you messages sent within 48 hours increase donor retention by 4x. (North Texas Giving Day)

The data is clear: personalization drives results. 

Tailoring subject lines, email content, and follow-ups based on donor interests and behaviors creates a sense of connection that motivates giving. 

Heartfelt thank-you messages are equally crucial, as they build trust and lay the foundation for future support. Consider segmenting your donor base into groups based on lifecycle stage or giving history and crafting campaigns that speak directly to their motivations.

Donor data orchestration platforms like Avid AI enable automated donor segmentation and channel optimization, and ensure your efforts drive maximum engagement.

3. Retention and Stewardship Opportunities

Donor retention is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your nonprofit’s revenue, but it requires intentional stewardship:

• Only 25% of first-time donors give again, but stewardship efforts can increase retention by 20%. (Fundraising Report Card)
• Matching gift campaigns increase average gift sizes by 20%. (Double the Donation)
• 12% of December donations are made in the final 72 hours of the year. (Donor Box)

Focusing on retention and stewardship during year-end campaigns helps maximize both short-term and long-term impact. 

Sending updates on how donations are being used and highlighting matching gift opportunities can create urgency and incentivize donors to give more. Ensure your stewardship plans include personalized thank-you notes, updates on campaign progress, and reminders of tax benefits as the year ends.

4. Giving Trends and Online Donations

Digital giving continues to dominate year-end campaigns, with mobile and online platforms playing a key role:

• Mobile giving accounted for 28% of all online donations in 2023, and this number continues to grow. (Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report)
• The average online donation size during year-end is $128. (Nonprofit Source)
• 44% of Millennials and 42% of Gen Z would have less trust in an organization without easy online fundraising tools. (Why America Gives)

These stats emphasize the importance of optimizing your online giving experience. 

A mobile-friendly donation page with a simple user interface can make or break a donor’s decision to contribute. Ensure your website loads quickly, offers clear calls to action, and provides secure payment options. 

Highlighting the simplicity of mobile donations can help capture younger, tech-savvy donors eager to give on-the-go.

5. Operational Efficiency and ROI

Year-end campaigns also offer opportunities to improve operational efficiency:

• Year-end campaigns account for 25-50% of annual revenue for many nonprofits. (Neon One 2023)
• ROI for year-end campaigns averages 3:1, meaning that for every dollar spent, you generate at least $3 in revenue. (Classy Trends Report)
• Nonprofits using automation systems save 10 to 15 hours per week on tasks such as data entry, email responses, and event registration. (The Nonprofit Technology Network)

Investing in automation and data-driven tools ensures your team can focus on strategy rather than time-consuming manual processes. 

For example, platforms like Avid AI centralize donor data, streamline segmentation, and automate thank-you notes, giving your team more bandwidth to focus on donor engagement and high-impact activities.

This Year, Let Data Guide Your Strategy

Year-end giving is a time to work smarter. 

By leveraging these statistics and data-driven strategies, your nonprofit can optimize its campaigns, build stronger donor relationships, and drive impactful results.

At Avid AI, we make data work for you. 

Our fundraising orchestration platform empowers nonprofits to centralize donor insights, automate workflows, and create targeted campaigns that deliver results.

Start your FREE Avid AI account today and make this year-end your most successful yet.