The Blackbaud Institute, the sector research lab at Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, today released a new report First Impressions: Spontaneous Giving Insights. The latest free-to-access Blackbaud Institute report outlines who's giving spontaneously and reveals new insights to encourage spontaneous givers to become repeat donors.

"Spontaneous giving may be challenging to predict – but it's not random," said Lori Poer, Director of the Blackbaud Institute. "Our data shows that spontaneous giving plays a more important role in the philanthropic activity of younger generations and minority donors, and that organizations that want to maximize the opportunity of spontaneous giving should focus on telling a compelling story that carries through from social media to their websites and donation forms."

The study defined "spontaneous donors" as those who made a first-time donation to an organization within the last 12 months and had not planned to give to the organization beforehand.

Key Findings
Spontaneous Giving is Substantially Higher Among Younger and Minority Givers
The rate of spontaneous giving among Millennial, Gen Z and Black donors is 25% higher than average with Gen Z most likely to spontaneously give (59% of their giving is spontaneous).

Giving May Be Spontaneous, But It Isn't Random
72% of spontaneous gifts went to organizations with whom the donors were already familiar.

Older Donors Learn of Giving Opportunities Through Word of Mouth; Younger Donors Through Social Media
For Millennials and older generations, the most common way spontaneous donors learned about giving opportunities was from a friend, family member, or colleague (22%–24%). For Gen Z, the primary driver was social media (25%), and they were more likely than other generations to say they learned of a giving opportunity from celebrities or influencers.

First Time Donors Say These Factors Matter Most When Deciding to Give Again
75% or more of spontaneous donors cited these factors as mattering "a great deal" in their decision to give again:

• They trust that the organization will do the right thing
• The organization has a good reputation
• It's easy to donate
• The organization uses their money wisely
• Support will help those in need right now

Potential Repeat Donors Want to Hear from You Regularly
Roughly 33% of all spontaneous givers said they want to be updated regularly. But among those indicating an intention to become a repeat donor, the number rose to 44%.

The Blackbaud Institute gives social impact professionals fresh data to understand broader industry trends, benchmark success, and take fundraising to new levels. This survey was conducted by Edge Research who interviewed more than 1,000 adult consumers from June 4–21, 2024.

Alongside the Generosity Commission's recently released, major report "Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering," which provided a call to action to revitalize giving in America and emphasized the need for further research and study, these findings from the Blackbaud Institute provide important insights to help nonprofits strengthen their relational pathways to new donor support.

For more information on spontaneous giving trends, the full report can be accessed here. All Blackbaud Institute resources are offered for free, as part of Blackbaud's commitment to accelerating social impact.