What Is the Prime Age for Fundraising?

In my two previous posts, I used the US Census population projections to show growth in the prime donor audience over the next 40 years. Some may ask: How was the prime donor age range determined?

I compared the proportion of donors in each age bracket with the proportion of the US population. I used a 2008 Target Analytics study to arrive at the proportion of donors and the US Census for the US population. Their findings are consistent with what I’ve observed through the years.

The following index graph shows the results (click to enlarge graph):

Clearly, folks 55+ are more into giving through traditional channels (primarily direct mail) when compared with their younger counterparts.

But wait, there’s more. The index curve changes radically when focusing on online giving (using the same study):

The prime years for online giving are 35-74. However, as the Target study points out, online giving is still a small percentage of total donor giving for most organizations.

As online continues to become more mainstream and as the generational cohorts continue to age, online will grow.

I'd love to hear comments about what you are doing to raise funds online.