International Trends

The Charitable Giving Report also offers a glimpse into international giving trends. As 2021 unfolded, the social good community found itself navigating a unique year during which nonprofits rose to meet challenges. This meant navigating each new wave of the pandemic and its resulting effects with endurance and tenacity.

And as we look back at international markets in 2021, it appears that organizations’ adaptability and resilience helped craft a positive year. As traditional fundraising channels like in-person events re-emerged in some parts of the world, nonprofits continued to use savvy ways to stay relevant and tap into the generosity of their supporters.

Canada

The Blackbaud Institute Index includes approximately 305 Canadian organizations and more than $669 million in giving. The Index is updated each quarter and reports year-over-year percent changes. For quarterly updates on Canadian giving trends, visit the Blackbaud Institute Index—Canada.

4.0%

Change in Overall Giving, YOY

6.0%

Change in Online Giving, YOY

12.7%

2021 Percentage of Total Fundraising from Online Giving

Overall and online Giving Distribution by Month

The United Kingdom

Tracking more than £223 million from approximately 260 organizations in UK-based charitable giving, the Blackbaud Institute Index is updated each quarter and reports year-over-year percent changes. For quarterly updates on giving trends in the United Kingdom, visit the Blackbaud Institute Index–U.K.

-9.1%

Change in Overall Giving, YOY

-7.9%

Change in Online Giving, YOY

5.5%

2021 Percentage of Total Fundraising from Online Giving

Overall and online Giving Distribution, by Month

Spotlight on Consumer-Led Personal Fundraising in the UK

About the Spotlight

To offer a more balanced view into what is happening across the philanthropic landscape, charitable giving trends for the UK can be told in a tale of two arenas. Through data provided by the Blackbaud Institute Index, the Charitable Giving Report provides an analysis of organization-led efforts.

Meanwhile, this special section provides a picture of consumer-led personal fundraising trends in the UK based on an analysis of data provided by JustGiving® from Blackbaud®.

Since its inception in 2000, JustGiving from Blackbaud has helped people in almost every country raise nearly $5.5 billion for almost 30,000 good causes through online fundraising and crowdfunding.

In 2021, JustGiving from Blackbaud showed that personally-organized fundraising volume for charitable causes grew by 15% compared to the previous year. This rise in individual generosity—demonstrated by a double-digit increase in personal fundraising pages created last year—is what helped the charitable giving landscape thrive during the pandemic-affected year of 2021.

2021 Consumer-Led Fundraising Trends

Here are the 2021 consumer-led fundraising trends tracked by JustGiving from Blackbaud:

15%

2021 Increase in Charity Fundraising Volume, Year Over Year

18 million

Number of Individual Donors in 2021

Average Increase in Amount Raised by Each Individual Fundraising Page*
*Not Inclusive of Captain Sir Thomas Moore’s Fundraising Page

Seven out of 12

Number of Record-Breaking Months in 2021

Double-Digit Growth

In 2021, the top-performing active categories with the biggest growth in number of personal fundraising pages were:

Treks: Up 49% Year Over Year
Swimming: Up 200% Year Over Year
Marathons: Up 49% Year Over Year

There were many remarkable achievements in 2021, and perhaps one of the most remarkable was the response from individuals and the snowball of generosity they inspired. In a time of need, personal fundraising more than filled the gaps from the lack of income from traditional fundraising efforts that had to be put on hold.

Year in Review

In 2021, the consumer-led charitable giving landscape witnessed unique trends that were influenced by various factors, which affected how the year shaped up.

As the pandemic continued to shape how people showed support for the causes they care about, the continued engagement in personal fundraising and crowdfunding in the first quarter of 2021 resulted in a 55% increase compared to Q1 of 2020. It is important to recognize that 2020’s first quarter was not yet affected by the acuity of COVID-19.

Organizations should not overlook the significant potential of all that crowdfunding and personal fundraising can offer. Leaders and staff should examine how to fully embrace these in their programs as we move through new variants and even beyond the pandemic into the new normal.

Meanwhile, comparing Q2 of 2021 to the same quarter of the previous year shows a decline of 24%. When making this comparison, we need to remember the anomalous Q2 of 2020, which saw the tremendous impact of Captain Sir Thomas Moore, whose fundraising efforts eventually surpassed £40 million in support of NHS Charities Together.

Compared to Q3 of 2020, the third quarter of 2021 shows a 54% increase. Organizations saw a rebound in event fundraising due to the return of in-person events, the most significant of which was the London Marathon. The event took place in October 2021 after a hiatus of more than two years. As the biggest mass participation event since the beginning of the pandemic, it was attended by 40,000 in-person attendees plus 40,000 virtual runners and walkers from across the globe. Participants raised millions, and it was a shining example of the infinite possibilities that hybrid events can offer.

Moving into the last few months of 2021, the fourth quarter showed a decline of 8% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Looking at the fourth quarter of 2020, we see again the high level of giving in response to individual personal appeals during the pandemic. This was not a replicable trend in the final quarter of 2021.

Conclusion

Generosity continues to thrive. It is up to organizations to stay relevant and lean into individual passions that spark personal fundraising activations. Incorporating both hybrid events and individual peer-to-peer fundraising can help provide a sustaining layer of support during normal ups and downs. And as this analysis shows, these strategies also allow you to expand your reach, tell your story, and champion your cause, resulting in lasting support for your organization.

Australia and New Zealand

Tracking nearly $286 million from more than 100 organizations in Australian and New Zealand-based charitable giving, the Blackbaud Institute Index is updated each quarter and reports year-over-year percent changes. For quarterly updates on these giving trends, visit the Blackbaud Institute Index–Australia and New Zealand.

8.6%
Change in Overall Giving, YOY