Report sheds light on SWMO young donor preferences

A new report gives insights into the preferences of young donors in southwest Missouri.

The report, dubbed “Shaping Tomorrow: A Study of Young Donors’ Perspectives on Charitable Giving in Southwest Missouri,” was prepared by Habitat Communication and Culture LLC for Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc., according to a news release.

The idea, officials with the Springfield organizations say, is to help nonprofits understand the mindset of younger generations who may donate to their causes.

“While we live in a generous region, we know our younger community members think and give differently than older generations,” said Brian Fogle, CFO president emeritus who initially engaged Habitat for the study, in the release. “We appreciate the work of Habitat Communication and Culture to help our nonprofit community adapt to the shifting trends in philanthropy.”

The report's findings include:
• Donors under the age of 40 reported being less religious and less conservative than their parents or grandparents, and this shift in ideology influences their charitable behavior.
• Younger donors give a larger share directly to individuals or families via platforms like GoFundMe, and they are less trusting of established nonprofits.
• Trust can be built with younger donors through practices including personal relationships, strong branding and the demonstration of the impact of programs and gifts.
• Young donors will not utilize donation platforms they find difficult to use.

The full report is available on CFO's website. Declining to disclose figures, CFO Director of Communications Aaron Scott said via email the report was funded by CFO and the Patterson Family Foundation.

Habitat Communication and Culture is the consulting and leadership development arm of marketing firm Mostly Serious LLC, according to past reporting.

Read more about the nonprofit report in the Feb. 19 print edition of Springfield Business Journal.