YouTube offers new tool to help nonprofits fundraise

• Date: 01 April 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30179
• Published date: 01 April 2016

APRIL 2016

7

NONPROFIT BUSINESS ADVISOR

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1002/nba

Industry News

Data show modest increase in 2015 nonprot

fundraising totals

Charitable donations to U.S.-based nonprots

grew by about 1.6 percent in 2015 on a year-over-

year basis, according to the latest research by

nonprot software company Blackbaud. However,

growth rates differed signicantly according to

organization size, with large nonprots—those

with annual total fundraising of $10 million or

more—growing by about 1.4 percent, while small

groups—those with less than $1 million in total

fundraising—logged a growth rate of 5.5 percent,

on average, the company said. Medium organiza-

tions, meanwhile, averaged a decline of 0.7 percent

for the year.

While the overall uptick was modest, certain

giving channels saw much greater improvements

over 2014. Notably, online giving grew 9.2 percent

overall—9.6 percent for large organizations, 9.1

percent for medium-sized groups and 8.3 percent

for small nonprots, on average.

Online donations also grew with regard to the

portion of fundraising revenue. In 2014, online

donations accounted for about 6.7 percent of all

donations excluding grants, while in 2015 it ac-

counted for 7.1 percent. Blackbaud attributed the

increase to a rise in episodic giving and continued

digital adoption by donors.

Within the realm of online giving, the use of

mobile devices to donate also saw sizeable growth.

According to the report, nearly 14 percent of on-

line donations were made using a mobile device, a

nding that demonstrates “the key role that emerg-

ing digital technology plays in engaging donors,”

Blackbaud said.

Per the report, nonprofits involved primarily in

international affairs saw the greatest increase in

fundraising growth for the year the most in 2015,

with donations up 5.1 percent from the year be-

fore. That was followed by faith-based groups and

health care–related organizations, which grew by

3.9 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. However,

several sectors, including human services, K–12

education and public and civil society groups,

had a decrease in year-over-year fundraising, the

report said.

To access the report in full, go to http://www

.blackbaud.com/nonprot-resources. ■

YouTube has rolled out a new feature that

makes it easier for nonprots to raise funds via

the popular social media site. According to the

company, organizations with a YouTube account

can place “donation cards” in their videos that let

their subscribers and viewers donate directly from

the videos by simply clicking the donation link.

In fact, any video creator on the site can use the

tool; they just need to select the recipient charity

and place the donation cards in their content, the

company said. The transaction is processed via

the Google Payment account system, which works

in partnership with Network for Good to distrib-

ute the funds to recipient organizations. Google,

which owns YouTube, covers the processing fees,

so 100 percent of all donations go to charity, the

company said.

Video creators can choose any U.S.-based non-

prot organization with Section 501(c)(3) status.

Importantly, neither the nonprofit featured in

donation cards nor the creator of the video get to

see the donor’s contact information, which should

help alleviate privacy concerns. Donors receive a

conrmation email from their Google Payments ac-

count, which serves as a donation receipt, and any

donor that gives $250 or more will receive a written

acknowledgment by email, the company said.

For more information, including a list of tips for

incorporating the donation cards into your video con-

tent, visit http://www.youtube.com/nonprots. ■

YouTube offers new tool to help nonprots fundraise