In 2024 I selected the word “realize” as my word of the year. I talked about it on LinkedIn.
I doodled it on my notebook (see image at right).
I pondered it, again and again. And I kept coming back to the same idea that launched me into 2024: Give form to the change we’re going to make.
Shape it.
Control what we can control.
And release the things we can’t.
These ideas have been important in fundraising given the amount of friction and noise that has clouded our connections to donors.
My reflection here is less about whether my word was right or wrong. Rather, as the sun is setting on 2024 and we look to turn the page, I have taken time this week to ask myself and those around me:
Did we do it?
Did we control what we can control?
Perhaps it’s the egg nog, but I see a few areas of distinction—building blocks that undergird my optimism on the state of philanthropy going into the new year.
Don’t get me wrong. We, as a sector, have our work cut out for us
- New donor acquisition is a hot mess.
- We have not transformed retention.
So, we enter 2025 with work to do. But before we do, let’s celebrate where we have left our mark on 2024.
Message by message
Text messages were arguably the biggest marketing nuisance winner this year.
Election cycles bring innovation for nonprofit marketing and fundraising. We’ve seen recent election cycles unlock new applications in email (2012), social media (2016), streaming (2020) and event podcasts/earned media (2024).
Political text volume jumped 300% in the last two years. Texting (the P2P sort) is an important strategic tool in your arsenal. Maybe more valuable than ever.
RKD clients saw a $131 average gift via texting in 2024 GivingTuesday campaigns, up 32% year over year.
This December, we’re seeing organizations receive a 7:1 ROI on investment in texting. Last year at the same time it was 3:1.
Day by day
The Day had itself a year, didn’t it?
As a single day, GivingTuesday increased revenue by 16% over 2023, showcasing $3.6 billion in generosity in the U.S. alone. RKD clients paced even further ahead, with a 20% year-over-year bump (and our newest clients, representing the opportunity to carve a fresh growth story, had increases that averaged a 65% improvement year over year).
The inaugural DAF Day in October generated a massive surge in giving. Daffy, the mobile-first DAF provider, had a 440% increase in daily donations on that single day. Chariot reported that Oct. 10 had a 10x lift in daily median gift volume and 8x increase in daily median donation size.
In fact, we might look back at DAF Day as the start of the “giving season” going forward.
Both of these events receive high visibility—look closer and you’ll see that a giving day strategy has high potential to cut through the noise. Giving days offer you a reason to write your audiences and a unifying message for your team and channels.
Used strategically, a giving day can create ripples. We’ve regularly used this approach to infuse community-building into a growth strategy. If you’re still DAF-nascent, start with this study.
Month by month
You know that idiom/proverb about the best time to plant a tree? Sure you do.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is today.
I just escaped from a rabbit hole on the origin of that phrase. I gave up. It doesn’t matter.
What matters is that the idea is also applicable to monthly giving. There were three important monthly giving moments for me this year:
- In April, Neon One released a first-of-its-kind report on monthly giving. It’s full of information that reinforces why monthly giving needs to be more important to every nonprofit leader.
- In September, our friend Dana Snyder held the inaugural Monthly Giving Summit, a virtual event designed to create scale for nonprofit leaders. (BTW, the event went live as she also launched her fabulous book, “The Monthly Giving Mastermind.” Five-star read.) The Summit returns in February 2025.
- And just this month, our friend Dave Raley launched pre-orders of his book, “The Rise of Sustainable Giving.” We think so much about audiences and the context in which we find donors (or donors find themselves). The reiteration of subscription and sustainability in the opportunity to prioritize monthly giving growth has never been more important.
A realization thanks to Chris Stapleton
Realize. Shape it. Control what we can control.
The three notes above stand out to me in reflecting on the successes we’ve realized in 2024. That’s not to say there aren’t others, like the continued evolution and importance of mid-level giving, mainstream relevance of connected TV, etc.
My point: We took steps forward this year, amid incredible noise.
Chris Stapleton wasn’t in my Spotify Wrapped as a top artist for 2024. But around the same time I selected “realize” as my word of the year, I was moved by the lyrics in his song, Starting Over:
This might not be an easy time
There's rivers to cross and hills to climb
And some days we might fall apart
And some nights might feel cold and dark
But nobody wins afraid of losing
And the hard roads are the ones worth choosing
Some day we'll look back and smile
And know it was worth every mile
Self-awareness might be the most important trend for me and for us.
2024: I’m glad to see you go. And I’m equally glad about what you taught us.
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