A Graph Every Fundraiser Should See

    Check out this cool graph that TrueSense Marketing posted recently on Fundraising Growth Now. It’s a representation of the number of people in the US between the ages of 55 and 85 over the next 40 years. There are 72 million people in this group today, and demographers have projected it will grow to 120 million in 2050.


    Why does this matter to us as fundraisers? Traditionally, the overwhelming majority of donors to charitable causes have come from this group over time. This age range holds the most money in our country and is most represented in terms of volunteers to non-profits.

    Draw a vertical line along any year and see which generations are (or will be) in the 55-85 age group at that time. A couple of observations made by Jeff Brooks of TrueSense:

    • This year, 2010, the Boomers (born 1946 through 1964) have edged out the Silent Generation (born 1925 through 1945).
    • For the next 10 years, the donor-aged population will be split between Silents and Boomers, with Boomers increasing every year, and peaking in 2019 at 71.7 million, or 79%.
    • In 2020, Generation X (born 1965 through 1979) starts to appear in the donor age group. At this point, both the Silent and Boomer groups are decreasing, while the GenX group grows. GenX doesn’t overtake the Boomers in size until 2033.
    • When Boomers leave the stage in 2050, Gen X is waning and Gen Y (born 1980 through 2000) is dominant.

    The bottom line? For most of us fundraising now, the boomers will dominate throughout our careers, with this year being the first time this group actually has the majority. The Silent Generation is not called silent for nothing; they dutifully return their checks in response to direct mail appeals; they give to capital campaigns; they quietly leave bequests. But it seems different with boomers. There’s more noise in the world, more choice, more distraction, more expectations. In order to break through we need to provide an experience, an engagement, with our great causes. Are you ready?

    1 Comments

    • Greg Wright, August 5th, 2010 on 7:25 am

      Wow! Interesting stuff. I’m looking forward to watching the approach of successful nonprofits change before our eyes. Thanks for this interesting post.

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