Donor Experience Study

This study sets out to better understand current donor experiences, both in-person and online, to identify areas where nonprofits might improve.

The ways in which donors interact with organizations is ever changing, as new giving and engagement opportunities are introduced using evolving technologies. With that comes new levels of expectations for their experiences with nonprofits.

To better understand donors today and moving forward, we conducted the Community Brands Donor Experience Study, a deep dive into donor experiences and expectations. We wanted to get a handle on how donor preferences and expectations are shifting for future engagement with the nonprofit organizations they support.

The Donor Experience Study will answer these four essential questions:

• Are donors’ giving preferences shifting, and if so, how?
• Where is the tipping point between offline and online giving preferences?
• What role do experiences play in increasing donor loyalty?
• What level of personalization do donors want?

These findings will help nonprofit organizations evaluate their own donor experiences, and attitudinal differences by age and income level, among other factors. This study should serve as a baseline for the shifting expectations of donors, so nonprofits can adjust their strategies to increase donor loyalty and contributions.