Monetary Donations Are Perceived as the Most Impactful Way to Make a Difference Across Generations, but Volunteering and Advocacy Remain Important

LONDON, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Blackbaud Institute, a sector research lab at Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, has released a new report, Charitable Support Across Generations in the UK and Ireland, highlighting shifting donation patterns and support preferences among Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers. This comprehensive study sheds light on generational attitudes toward charitable support, factors influencing giving, and the emerging challenges nonprofit organisations face in an increasingly complex landscape.

The report, based on survey responses from over 1,000 participants, uncovers distinct generational differences that shape charitable behaviour today. While financial donations remain the top way for each generation to make an impact, Gen Z notably prioritises volunteering and advocacy, signalling a new direction in charitable engagement. Health, children, and animal causes are most widely supported, with each generation holding unique perspectives on how best to help.

“With economic challenges reshaping how individuals prioritise their support, understanding the unique motivations of each generation has never been more essential,” said Dan Keyworth, Vice President and Managing Director, Customer Success, Blackbaud. “This report highlights that while traditional giving remains strong, younger generations, especially Gen Z, are redefining engagement through volunteering and advocacy. By aligning with these shifting preferences, charities can build deeper, more sustainable connections with supporters across every age group.”

Key Findings from the Report:

Diverse Support Preferences Across Generations: Donations are the most common form of support across all generations, though Gen Z emphasises volunteering, with 50% participating, while Boomers focus more on advocacy and spreading awareness.Influential Drivers for Charitable Support: Across generations, trust in the organisation, belief in the mission, and perceived impact on urgent needs are paramount. Younger generations also express a strong need for transparency and privacy, shaping expectations for nonprofit communication.Generational Giving Barriers: Economic constraints, limited time, and concerns about organisational efficiency are prevalent reasons for non-support. Lack of trust is notably higher among Gen Z and Millennials, emphasising the importance of transparent, impactful messaging from nonprofits.Preferred Communication and Acknowledgment: Email remains the most preferred form of recognition. However, Millennials and Gen Z value public recognition and detailed impact reports, underscoring the evolving expectation for digital and personalised nonprofit engagement.

The report further provides actionable recommendations for nonprofits to effectively engage supporters across generations, including strategies to build trust, enhance volunteer programmes, and diversify donation methods to meet evolving preferences. Get more information on Charitable Support Across Generations and access the full report here.

bbcon 2024 London
Publication of the new report follows the success of Blackbaud’s recent bbcon London event, hosted in late October. Over 200 Blackbaud customers, technology partners, expert speakers and Blackbaud staff attended the event to hear more about the major waves of innovation that will transform the future of social impact for Blackbaud’s customers in the UK and across Europe.

These announcements included a host of AI-powered solutions, enhanced functionality of Blackbaud’s core fundraising product, integrated payments experiences to help organisations raise and save more, and more flexibility to help customers extend their Blackbaud software. Breakout sessions provided the opportunity for delegates to hear best practices for fundraising, grantmaking, and corporate impact, as well as network with like-minded peers.

To learn more about Blackbaud’s most recent innovation, visit www.blackbaud.co.uk/newsroom.

About Blackbaud Institute
The Blackbaud Institute develops leading-edge research and convenes expert voices to equip the social impact community with knowledge, insight, and confidence. The Blackbaud Institute draws from Blackbaud’s data set, the most comprehensive in the social impact community. In addition, the Institute facilitates public research studies to drive original qualitative and quantitative insight. Our research agenda is grounded in a commitment to topics that social impact organisations can apply immediately to better understand, benchmark, and improve their essential business operations. We are guided by our commitment to the social impact sector to provide timely, transparent, and well-rounded research that is free to access. From how organisations run to how donors give, we’re 100% focused on research and resources for this sector.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud’s essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud’s solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organisations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Quartz’s list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.co.uk or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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