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iRaiser has published its third annual benchmark study on digital fundraising, based on funds raised by nonprofit organisations using its solutions across Europe, and including figures for France, Belgium, Italy and the Nordic countries.
It reveals that overall in 2020 just over €328 million was collected across Europe with iRaiser applications: the vast majority – €267 million – in France.
France
In France, based on 160 charities active with iRaiser applications since the beginning of 2019, there was a 62% increase in funds raised online through single gifts year on year. This saw €267 million raised, with a 59% increase in the number of transactions.
The biggest increases in single donation volume and value were in the social sector, followed by international solidarity, and health/research categories. Culture however saw a 94% decrease in both, due to the impact of Notre Dame in 2019, which saw an outpouring of giving among the French.
For single gifts, universities (at €667) followed by the social sector (€163) saw the highest average gift size in France, while the average gift size overall was €143.
By far the most popular way of giving online, desktop donations represented 84% of overall value and 77% of volume, with an average donation size of €158. Donations via mobile accounted for 20%, with the average mobile donation decreasing by 17% compared to the previous year – from €113 to €96.
Belgium
In Belgium, €15 million was raised through almost 1 million transactions with an average gift size of €83. iRaiser found that most digital donations are made at the end of the year, with 62% collected in the final quarter, along with a small peak in March and April. Here the average online donation is €83, with the international solidarity sector receiving the largest average donation at €126 followed by the social welfare sector at €91.
Mobile giving is more popular for single gifts in Belgium than it is in France, accounting for 42% of transactions, although the average gift is half that obtained via desktop donations.
Based on a panel of clients active since 2019, digital fundraising raised 106% more through single donations in 2020 than in 2019.
Italy
In Italy, where digital fundraising is newer, over €1.8 million was raised via the iRaiser payment app during 2020, with 45% of single gift and peer to peer donations made in the last quarter. In 2020, more than 30% of these donations were made in March and April, during the first lockdown. International solidarity and health and welfare received the biggest share of donations.
The average digital donation here is €56 with cultural organisations receiving the biggest one off donations at an average €120.
Mobile giving is also popular in Italy, with the volume of single gift and peer to peer donations almost equally split between this channel and desktop at 47% vs. 51%.
Based on a panel of clients active since 2019, digital fundraising raised 125% more in 2020 than 2019 for single gifts and peer to peer fundraising.
The Nordics
The figures available for the Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway) differ from those collected elsewhere however, focusing on peer-to-peer fundraising. This is as a result of iRaiser acquiring a company specialising in this area at the end of 2018 and its panel on this type of users still larger than that of the payment app users. Here €3.7 million was raised.
Overall, digital peer to peer fundraising raised €3.7 million in 2020. Finland saw a 50% increase in volume of donations alongside a 6% rise in value, while the three other countries all saw a drop in volume: in Denmark’s case of 66%. Norway and Denmark saw a drop in the amount raised, while in Sweden it rose 17%, despite a 24% fall in volume.
In the Nordics, the final quarter of the year is also popular for donations, but Q1 is almost equally as strong, with the exception of Finland.
The average donation given through peer to peer fundraising is highest in Norway at €48, down to €39 in Sweden. Denmark and Finland are similar at €26 and €24 respectively.
The full report can be downloaded here.
