Developed by Third Space Studio and BC/DC Ideas, the 2014 Individual Donor Benchmark Report has been released with new data and resources to spark fundraising success. Engaging a record number of participating organizations, the project continues to empower small and medium nonprofit organizations to understand their donor potential, enhance their fundraising strategies and raise more money from individual donors.

“The IDB Project is unique to the nonprofit sector because no other survey offers this kind of in-depth fundraising analysis to benefit nonprofits of this size,” said Heather Yandow, Third Space Studio. “This year’s report uncovered some fascinating trends and offers vital resources every nonprofit can utilize to empower their fundraisers and see even greater success.”

Several “universal truths” were identified in the 2014 report including: 

The single most important thing you can do to strengthen your individual donor fundraising is to create a plan.

The average small but mighty nonprofit raises 36 percent of their revenue from individual donors.

An average gift for nonprofits of this size is about $400.

About 16 percent of individual donor revenue is generated online.

About half of individual donor revenue is generated from donors giving $1,000 or more.

 Less than half of Board members play a significant role in individual donor fundraising.

Higher Paid Development Staff = More Donations. If you have a fundraising plan, every $1 more you pay your primary individual donor fundraiser, you are able to raise another $4.25.

More Donor Meetings = More Donations. With a plan, each donor meeting yields more than $5,000 in increased donor revenue.

Yandow added, “Seeing such a huge increase in participation this year shows smaller nonprofits find value in the IDB Project and have a proven need for this level of tailored data and established best practices. It’s exciting to see organizations so committed to understanding their data and learning new strategies to effectively increase their individual donor fundraising success.” 

“It’s an exciting time to be a small and mighty nonprofit, and the IDB Project is further proof that your budget doesn’t have to be outstanding to create real, positive impact in your community or to set new goals for your organization’s fundraising achievement,” said Dawn Crawford, Principle Communicator of BC/DC Ideas.

Fundraisers and leaders who take the time to participate in this survey are interested in making their nonprofit more successful, moving their cause forward, and building better relationships with activists, donors and supporters. The hope is that these nonprofits, armed with data specialized for small to medium-sized organizations, will feel empowered to take their fundraising to the next level of success.

Results of the annual survey have been compiled into a specialized report and infographic to serve as a multimedia resource and guide to empower nonprofit fundraising success.

Click here to read the 2014 Individual Donor Benchmark Report and view the Infographic.

Third Space Studio based in Durham, North Carolina collected and analyzed the survey while BC/DC Ideas, a Raleigh based communications firm for nonprofits, designed the report and infographic. Both organizations specialize in nonprofit strategy, communications and fundraising.