Previous reports on Why America Gives highlighted consumer giving trends wherein topics such as motivations for giving, plans for giving, and end-0f-year giving were discussed. One such report in the third edition of Classy’s Why America Gives in 2020 examined the changes in giving behaviors and sentiments from the previous years. It also discussed how the social justice movement and COVID-19 pandemic have altered giving trends.
The goal of the survey was to get answers to the following questions on the pandemic and social justice issue.
- Should we expect more or less from supporters compared to what was received last year?
- In what ways has donor behavior been affected by last year’s events?
- Have the social justice movement and Coronavirus pandemic affected the causes in any way?
In September 2020, about 1,000 people aged 18 years and above participated in a survey across the U.S. to answer these questions. The survey results make us optimistic concerning what we can expect for non-profits despite the ongoing pandemic.
The major findings from the survey report are explained below.
The Overall Outlook towards Giving Is Positive
In 2020, more people donated than they did in the previous years, and some of them still have plans to give more in the coming years. The COVID-19 pandemic has not discouraged people to from giving.
COVID-19 Has Positively Affected Charitable Giving
Many Americans faced different challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, about 39% of the respondents still plan to give more in the coming year towards the greater societal needs. Healthcare causes rose to the forefront of issues that donors are concerned about more than education, environment, and disaster relief. However, non-profits that aren’t health-related should still be confident that they will get support from prospective donors who are looking at ways to alleviate the different challenges presented by the pandemic.
The Social Justice Movement Generates New Donors
Results from the survey also showed that many Americans want ways in which they can support causes that fight for racial equality. About 42% of respondents indicated that they had either made donations or planned to do so to causes related to social justice in 2020.
The interesting part is the fact that for 58% of the donors, it was their first time making donations to the sector of social justice causes, while 42% made the donation along with other contributions. This is proof that current events played a huge role in getting new donors. However, this does not in any way serve as a replacement for regular giving according to the opinion of half of the people.
Virtual Fundraising Events Attract More Attention and Donations
After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many non-profits had no choice but to take a break from their in-person events and shift to virtual events. However, the shift did not discourage donors. Nearly 30 % of the respondents participated in or supported a virtual fundraising event since the beginning of the pandemic. Besides, most of these respondents claimed to have donated more in the virtual environment than at in-person events.
Thus it is clearly evident that the social justice movement and the COVID-19 pandemic have positively affected the American giving trend. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in the Hermosa Beach area, contact the experts at Brighton Escrow today. We are happy to offer you a top-tier escrow service.
