Generational Giving: Baby Boomer Fundraising Trends, Preferences, and Patterns

Baby Boomers are your donors who fall between the ages of 60 and 78. These donors are known for their pragmatism, but some of the findings from the Generational Giving report may surprise you! 

To ensure a robust sample size, survey respondents from the Silent Generation (ages 79 – 99) were combined with those from the Baby Boomer Generation (ages 60 – 78). This decision was made due to the significantly smaller sample size of individuals surveyed in the Silent Generation.

Most members of the Baby Boomer generation will give between $100 and $499 in 2024, primarily with a credit and debit card. The types of missions Baby Boomers are most likely to support are human services, pet and animal welfare organizations, and health support services. 

How do Baby Boomer donors connect with nonprofits?

Members of the Baby Boomer generation are discovering nonprofits to support through their personal connections, including their family, friends, peers, and coworkers. Baby Boomers are also influenced to support a nonprofit by meeting or knowing a member of the nonprofit’s staff. Facebook is another way your Baby Boomer donors are learning more about organizations to support! 

It was also found in the Generational Giving Report that Baby Boomers are eager to learn more about the organizations they support! Baby Boomers are active on Facebook and are most likely to be subscribed to a nonprofit’s email list. This generation is excited to hear your beneficiary stories and how their donations are helping!

How do you retain Baby Boomer donors and supporters?

Members of the Baby Boomer generation want to receive non-fundraising updates monthly from the organizations they support. Non-fundraising updates are communications from an organization that do not include a solicitation for financial contribution and can include program and general updates or a monthly newsletter. After donating, your Baby Boomer donors want to stay in touch through email, social media, and direct mail.

The Generational Giving Report also found that Baby Boomers had the highest percentage of intentionally stopping their support at a nonprofit. 36% of Baby Boomers have consciously stopped their support. What are the top reasons? Baby Boomers reported no longer feeling connected to the nonprofit, not trusting their donation was used wisely, and no longer being able to afford to donate at the top of their reasons why. 

Top 3 strategies to engage with Baby Boomer donors and supporters

Using the findings and takeaways of the Generational Giving Report in tandem with your fundraising software tools is the best way to cultivate and connect with supporters of all generations! 

1. Prioritize being active on social media to engage younger generations and Baby Boomers as well

You might assume that your youngest donors, like Gen Z and Millennials, are the primary recipients of messages on social media. However, this isn’t the only use case! Baby Boomer survey respondents answered that they prefer receiving updates from the nonprofit organizations they support through email and social media–especially Facebook!

2. Be transparent with financial information to enhance donor trust! 

The Generational Giving Report found that members of the Baby Boomer generation value transparency in knowing how an organization is spending funds. You can enhance donor trust by providing accessible financial documents in your annual report or website. 

3. Communicate regularly and share constituent stories to stay connected with Baby Boomers!

Baby Boomers answered that they would pull their support from a nonprofit if they no longer felt connected to their nonprofit. Staying in regular contact with your Baby Boomer supporters can greatly increase donor retention.

Final thoughts

Knowing the preferences of all your donors, young and old, is an important tool in staying ahead of fundraising trends and staying well connected with your entire donor base. The Generational Giving Report details the preferences of all donors, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers! Download your version of the Generational Giving report today!