If you have been thinking of introducing a new fundraising strategy in the next financial year you might want to consider mobile fundraising.

Artez interactive has just released a research paper which includes these statistics:

  • 15% of traffic to fundraising and donation pages comes from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
  • 23% of participants in peer-driven events and campaigns choose to use mobile technology to help them fundraise for good causes.
  • Participants who use mobile technology to fundraise in a campaign raise up to 2.95x more than those who do not.
  • The percentage of donations made on mobile web browsers has grown 205% in the last 12 months!

mobileThe 2013 e-Nonprofit Benchmark study found that:

Online revenue increased by 21% in 2012, with every sector except International seeing significant increases from the previous year.

Why is mobile fundraising so effective?

I believe there are two key reasons.

First let’s think about how many people actually own a mobile phone.  88% of the Australian population own a mobile phone. The majority of them rely on it for all their online communication so the phone is rarely more than a couple of metres out of reach.  It’s a 24/7 tool that will soon outnumber laptops and desktops.

The second reason is that any message received via your mobile seems personal – more so than an email to your inbox.  There is something about the tactile nature of the phone that makes every interaction seem more connected. And, let’s face it, fundraising is a really personal matter.  Where better to seek engagement and donations than via this personal medium?

If the mobile is the tool of choice for everyday people it would be wise to start developing your mobile marketing and fundraising strategy.  If it’s not read for the new year don’t worry. There is always the next one coming along.