(image from pexels.com)
Imagine knowing that for every three people you successfully engage, there are six more standing right outside your door, wallet in hand, waiting to be invited in — but they never hear the knock.
This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. It is the current reality for fundraising organizations, according to data from a national survey of donors.
Researchers at fundraising platform Kindsight asked 512 qualified donors across the United States about donor engagement, their willingness to give, and the importance of timing. From occasional givers to frequent philanthropists, these respondents provided a clear window into how donors perceive — and react to — fundraising outreach.
The data shows that 66% of active donors say they have been ready to give to a cause but chose not to because the outreach was mistimed, irrelevant, or disconnected from their moment of intent. In other words, two-thirds of donors have experienced a “readiness gap.” They had the capacity and the inclination to support a cause, but something about the interaction stopped them cold, according to Cherian Koshy, CFRE, is a vice president at Kindsight and the author of “Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision Making.”
The data shows four major reasons donors feel this readiness gap:
* 37% weren’t sure where their money would go;
* 16% found the request generic or impersonal;
* 15% felt the timing was wrong (request arrived too early, too late, or felt completely disconnected from what was happening in their lives); and,
* 14% felt overwhelmed by too many requests.
When asked if these experiences made them less likely to donate in the future, the average response score was 55 out of 100. This suggests that missing the moment doesn’t just cost you a single gift, it causes moderate, cumulative damage to the long-term donor relationship.
Healthcare asks were cited as coming up short, particularly in grateful patient asks.
Data showed found that healthcare organizations are the most supported cause, with 49% of respondents directing their giving to this sector. However, despite healthcare giving being tied directly to specific life events (a diagnosis, a recovery, a grateful patient experience), the outreach is out of sync.
Among donors who experienced a health situation involving themselves or a loved one:
* 28% were never contacted by the healthcare organization;
* 25% don’t recall being contacted;
* 22% were contacted after a month or more;
* 17% were contacted within weeks; and,
* 8% were contacted within days.
When open-ended responses about how fundraising organizations could improve where analyzed, three themes were consistent, according to Koshy:
- Transparency is non-negotiable. Donors want to know the “how” and “why” of their gift. As one respondent put it, “Share real stories that show the difference being made, be open about how funds are used.”
- Authenticity beats formality. Donors are craving genuine connection. They want to hear from humans, not institutions. One donor advised, “Be less formal and much more natural with how they approach communications.”
- Respect their history. Nothing kills readiness faster than asking a loyal donor for a first-time gift amount or ignoring their past support. “Remember how much and when the person has donated,” one respondent urged.
You can find all of the data here … https://kindsight.io/resources/blog/donor-readiness-gap/
