Monetary Donations Lead Across Generations, but Volunteering and Advocacy Remain Vital for Younger Canadians

TORONTO , Nov. 19, 2024 /CNW/ -- The Blackbaud Institute, a sector research lab at Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leading provider of software for powering social impact, has released a new report, Charitable Support Across Generations in Canada, that explores how giving patterns and support preferences vary among Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers. This Canadian-focused study highlights key shifts in nonprofit engagement, factors influencing support, and challenges facing organizations in today's charitable landscape.

Surveying over 1,000 Canadian participants, the report reveals clear generational distinctions in charitable behavior. Although financial donations are a primary way for all generations to make an impact, Gen Z and Millennials are more actively engaged in volunteering and advocacy. Causes related to health, social services, and children's well-being are universally supported, while each generation brings a unique perspective on how best to make a difference.

"With economic pressures and shifting values, understanding what drives each generation to support charitable causes has never been more important," said Dan Keyworth, Vice President and Managing Director, Customer Success, Blackbaud. "This report demonstrates how nonprofits can align with the evolving preferences of younger Canadians, who increasingly value hands-on involvement and transparency. Embracing these trends will help organizations strengthen their relationships with supporters across all age groups."

Key Findings from the Report:

• Generational Support Trends: While donations are common across all generations, Gen Z stands out with a strong emphasis on volunteering, with 53% participating. Gen X and Boomers continue to focus on traditional donations, though Gen X values promoting causes through word-of-mouth.
• Top Drivers of Nonprofit Support: Trust, belief in the mission, and a sense of urgent need are top motivators across generations. Younger participants are particularly mindful of data privacy, highlighting the importance of transparent communication from nonprofits.
• Barriers to Giving: Economic constraints, limited time, and doubts about organizational effectiveness are key reasons for non-support. Gen Z and Millennials notably express greater skepticism, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to maintain transparent, impactful messaging.
• Preferences for Communication and Recognition: While email remains the favoured method for acknowledgment, Millennials and Gen Z appreciate public recognition and detailed impact reports, underscoring a shift toward digital and personalized engagement.

The report offers actionable insights for Canadian nonprofits to better engage across generations, recommending ways to enhance trust, adapt volunteer programs, and diversify donation options in alignment with evolving supporter needs. Get more information on Charitable Support Across Generations and access the full report here.

To support charities in fundraising and donor engagement, Blackbaud recently announced several waves of innovation at its annual tech conference, bbcon. This included a host of AI-powered solutions and enhanced functionality of Blackbaud's core fundraising product, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®. Blackbaud will soon be rolling out a new version of the Prospect Insights feature for Raiser's Edge NXT that is built specifically for Canadian fundraisers. Prospect Insights puts the power of AI in the hands of fundraisers to help them identify, qualify and cultivate major gift prospects.

To learn more about Blackbaud's most recent innovation, visit www.blackbaud.ca/newsroom.

About Blackbaud Institute
The Blackbaud Institute develops leading-edge research and convenes expert voices to equip the social impact community with knowledge, insight, and confidence. The Blackbaud Institute draws from Blackbaud's data set, the most comprehensive in the social impact community. In addition, the Institute facilitates public research studies to drive original qualitative and quantitative insight. Our research agenda is grounded in a commitment to topics that social impact organizations can apply immediately to better understand, benchmark, and improve their essential business operations. We are guided by our commitment to the social impact sector to provide timely, transparent, and well-rounded research that is free to access. From how organizations run to how donors give, we're 100% focused on research and resources for this sector.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud's essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud's solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies, Quartz's list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes' list of America's Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.ca or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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