$291 Billion Raised by Charities in 2011

MobileCause CEO and long-time non-profit fundraiser Douglas Plank says that while non-profits still lag behind in mobile adoption, the barrier to entry is becoming lower and lower.

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$291 BILLION RAISED BY CHARITIES IN 2011: That whopping amount is how much was donated to charity in 2010. Yesterday, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and Giving USA Foundation unveiled the latest giving trends in their 56th annual report on philanthropy.

Giving increased 3.8% last year (2.1% adjusted for inflation), after two years of declines. Campbell & Company president Peter Fissinger (chair of the Giving USA Foundation's Advisory Council on Methodology and board member of the Giving Institute) tells us that although the recession impacted philanthropy more deeply than initially realized, the sheer amount of continued giving "shows that philanthropy is alive and well." At the current growth rate, he expects it will still take five to six years for giving to reach pre-recession levels. The economy is by far the greatest indicator of giving, so if the economy continues to grow, even sluggishly, philanthropy will too.

Getting into Mobile Fundraising

Like it or not, the mobile wave is already here. (At least that's what we read on our iPhone.) MobileCause CEO and long-time non-profit fundraiser Douglas Plank says that while non-profits still lag behind in mobile adoption, the barrier to entry is becoming lower and lower. A common excuse is that there's no budget, but Douglas points out that fundraisers are already used to making investments that pay off down the line with direct mail, telemarketing, and cultivating major donors. "Mobile should be viewed the same way. You need to be willing to invest some time, a little bit of resources, and some staff, but it will pay big dividends." Douglas says there's a misperception that mobile campaigns are only for disaster relief. In fact, non-profits use it to raise money at dinners, runs/walks, or for annual funds.

For organizations looking to ease into the mobile space, Douglas says one of the most basic first steps is to collect mobile phone numbers so you can communicate via text. Yet, he's found that the majority do not. When they're ready to start communicating with members or raising money via mobile device down the line, then they'll already have some of the information they need. Douglas adds that every non-profit should be making a mobile-friendly website. People are already accessing the web from their phones, so it's essential that content is readable and easy to navigate.

Learn more about MobileCause fundraising and engagement tools for nonprofits.