Unlocking Fundraising Momentum: Where to Focus for Real Impact
Fundraising success depends on turning intent into action—and the organizations that win are those using data-driven strategies to better segment, engage, and convert supporters.
The Challenge Every Fundraiser Faces
Over 260 million North Americans say supporting charities is important - with an overwhelming 92% of Americans and 95% of Canadians agreeing it matters. Yet here's the disconnect that keeps fundraisers up at night: only about half actually engaged (in any way) in the past year.
This say-do gap represents billions in untapped potential. Consider cancer causes as an example: while 54% say it's a major issue and 47% have supported cancer causes in the past year in some way, only 16% frequently support cancer causes.
Why Good Intentions Don't Guarantee Results
IMI's insight across the non-profit sector shows that a tailored approach is key to maximizing fundraising revenue from events. As resources in the space are challenged, it also doesn’t have to be detail heavy or time consuming. One step forward to segmenting your audience and effectively targeting your events will make a big difference.
Traditional fundraising approaches can often treat the entire supporter base uniformly, which can then miss critical segmentation opportunities. For instance, when we look deeper into the data, Millennials are the strongest fundraisers at 49% likelihood to raise money, compared to 43% for Boomers, 40% for Gen X, and 30% for Gen Z.
In addition, understanding who has been personally impacted (either directly or indirectly) is another way to segment your approach, as it is proven that those closest to the cause are most likely to support.
The Four Levers That Transform Supporters Into Sustained Fundraisers
Through IMI's 30+ years of measurement expertise in the Not-For-Profit space, we've identified four critical levers that drive momentum from first donation to lifelong engagement:
Lever 1: Strategic Audience Segmentation
Effective fundraising starts with knowing who to target and when. Our methodology segments audiences by generation, income, engagement history, and behavioral indicators. For example, charity walks show 53% intent among those earning over $100K versus 41% for those under $100K - insight that allows you to set appropriate fundraising targets and sponsorship tiers by audience segment.
Match your event format to your target demographic for maximum conversion. Gen Z and Millennials prefer employer-driven fundraisers and team challenges, while Gen X and Boomers gravitate toward walks, runs, and cycling events. This isn't guesswork - it's data from analyzing participation patterns across demographics.
Lever 2: Proven Event and Campaign Formats
Not all fundraising tactics perform equally. Our research shows charity walks lead with 49% participation, followed by employer-driven events at 35% and charity runs at 31%. Building your event calendar around these proven formats immediately increases your odds of success.
But here's where strategy matters: coupling the right format with the right audience. By directing Millennials toward peer-to-peer campaigns and team challenges while offering walks and runs to Gen X and Boomer segments, organizations see measurably higher participation and dollars raised per participant.
Lever 3: Message Framing That Moves People to Action
Two insights consistently drive conversion across our case studies.
First, clarity equals conversion: 62% are likely to donate $100 when a charity clearly defines who it helps, identical to the 62% who give when they know someone personally impacted. Your fundraising pages must explicitly state who you help and how, not just make the ask.
Second, showing higher suggested amounts first delivers an 18% lift in donation size. This applies to pledge pages, sponsor-me requests, and donation forms. Small framing changes create measurable revenue increases without requiring larger donor pools.
Lever 4: Friction Reduction and Recurring Revenue
The gap from intention to action often comes down to friction. Our insights emphasizes making the path to giving as seamless as possible. While most prefer one-time donations, approximately 1 in 3 will opt into recurring giving when offered - but only if you offer it prominently on every donation and pledge page.
Additionally, 1 in 3 across all income levels are likely to donate when asked in-store, showing that charity-at-checkout partnerships and integrated campaigns during event fundraising windows can meaningfully boost participation. The key is meeting supporters where they already are, reducing steps between intention and action.
Your Momentum-Building Action Plan
Start by segmenting your current supporter base using the demographic and behavioral frameworks above. It doesn’t need to be over-segmented, however one step forward will make a big difference.
Next, audit your event calendar against proven formats. Are walks and employer-driven events prioritized? Are you matching event types to the segments most likely to participate?
Then review every donation page and fundraising communication for clarity and framing. Does each one explicitly state who you help? Are suggested amounts anchored high to low? Is recurring giving visible and easy to select?
Finally, establish metrics that track supporter movement between stages - from first donation to event participation to sustained giving. Measure conversion rates by segment, average gift progression and retention separately to identify exactly where momentum builds or stalls.
We can help
IMI brings deep, long-standing expertise to the charity and cause sector. With over 30 years of experience, we’ve worked directly with 25+ charities and studied the performance of 500+ organizations, giving us a nuanced understanding of what drives awareness, participation, trust, and sustained support.
Across 200+ unique projects, we’ve supported everything from sponsorship and partnership strategy to market landscape analysis, program and event optimization, and engagement measurement.
If you’re navigating change, pressure to perform, or questions about where to focus next, we’d love to help. Let’s start a conversation about how sharper insight and clearer strategy can unlock greater impact for your cause.
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