Different Age Groups Prefer Different Kinds of Appeals, Study Finds

Title: 2016 Global NGO Online Technology Report

Organizations: Nonprofit Tech for Good and Public Interest Registry

Summary: Members of different generations around the world are inspired by different forms of communication and prefer different giving methods depending on their ages, a new study found. Millennial respondents had a stronger response to social-media messages and a stronger preference for online giving than older donors.

Of the 355 donors from 27 countries who participated in the survey, 29 percent were baby boomers, 37 percent were members of Generation X, and 28 percent were millennials.

Among the findings:

• Over all, 62 percent of donors preferred to give online, 23 percent preferred by mail, 6 percent through mobile apps or text messages, and 9 percent by other methods.
• 27 percent of donors said social media is the communication tool that most inspires them to give. That was followed by email, at 23 percent, and websites, at 14 percent.
• Among millennials, 72 percent preferred to give online, and 43 percent said they were most likely to give in response to social-media appeals. The top five causes were children and youths, women and girls, human and civil rights, education, and animals.
• About 66 percent of Generation X preferred to give online, and 26 percent cited email as the most likely way to inspire them to give. The top five causes were education, children and youths, human services, animals, and the environment.
• Among baby boomers, 54 percent preferred to give online, and 30 percent said email appeals were most likely to inspire a gift. Their top five causes were human services, education, children and youths, health and safety, and arts and culture.