Little Phil

In 2016, an estimated USD 500 billion was donated to charities worldwide. To better compete for a portion of these funds, charities often rely on third-party marketing firms for their fundraising activities. Traditional marketing methods used by these firms such as telemarketing and street canvassing are failing to find traction with Millennials. Furthermore, many of these firms have engaged in tactics that erode the trust of the public and tarnish the reputation of the charity industry.

In an age where we can track the delivery of a pizza or see how far away our Uber is, why can’t we track our money from the moment we donate all the way to the cause? Millennials expect more transparency and control over their giving, including the ability to connect emotionally with receivers by seeing the direct impact their contribution has made. As the majority of charitable donations come from an ageing population, fundraising approaches need to better engage Millennials or there will be a significant reduction in donations from the general public in the next 10 to 20 years.