In 2021, the social sector mastered the art of resilience. We saw countless organizations craft donation experiences that not only sustained a year-plus pandemic but set new standards for fundraising excellence. So what’s still ahead? Discover 5 fundraising trends the social sector should capitalize on in 2022.

Five nonprofit fundraising trends to watch in 2022

1. Flexible giving options

Data from Classy’s annual Why America Gives report shows that donors are not only starting, but completing more donations on their mobile devices than ever before. There’s also growing enthusiasm around giving through QR codes, smartwatches, and wearables.

Donors will respond well to flexible donation options including:

• Convenient digital wallets, like Google Pay and  ApplePay
• Cryptocurrency donations
• Trusted payment apps, like PayPal and Venmo

2. Personalized donor experiences

Personalization will be critical to build relationships that result in loyal donor bases. Nonprofit interactions with supporters will need to be tailored according to their stage of life, intent, and preferences for communication.

3. Tech-driven events

Hybrid events in 2022 will benefit both in-person and virtual attendees with advanced, tech-driven experiences that take lessons from the many virtual events staged during the pandemic.

If nonprofits are national, hybrid is a way to stay frictionless. For local organizations, hybrid events can open new opportunities to enhance donor relations. Technology-driven experiences will continue to bring causes beyond their physical city borders.

4. Evolved recurring giving

Recurring giving is already a valuable tool for nonprofits, accounting for 26% of online revenue for organizations that raise over $50 million in total donation volume on Classy, as noted in The State of Modern Philanthropy. There are still over $400 billion of offline donations that nonprofits process, many of which could be transferred online through recurring giving programs to save both time and resources.

The technology is simple, and the impact of just a handful of recurring donations made, tracked, and nurtured online can mean sustainable income for years ahead without requiring additional resources.

5. Community through workplace giving

Employee engagement programs and the heightened desire to make an impact are leading people to look for more purpose in their day to day. Nonprofits can meet the moment by bringing their missions to workplaces knowing that donors are likely to find out about new causes through word of mouth within their close circles.

The future of fundraising

We’ve learned a lot in the past year about what fundraising trends to expect in 2022 as technology and convenience come together as top priorities. We’ve found that online fundraising that prioritizes personal connection and donor choice will be at the core of why people choose to give.

Nonprofits will ultimately need to be adaptive, flexible, and fluid with the presented opportunities to build enhanced experiences with technology. Generosity is unlocked when donors feel fulfilled, understood, and connected before, during, and after the donation process. To do this, nonprofits need to give donors the choice of how they want to donate and how they want to be engaged with.

There’s no way to know exactly what the future holds, but with an open mind and a focus on delivering experiences that quickly mobilize supporters around causes support, there’s no doubt we have a lot to look forward to.

To explore these five trends further, be sure to sign up for our Top Five Fundraising Trends to Capitalize on in 2022 webinar on January 19!