A few fundraising predictions for the rest of 2025.
This is a guest post from Mike Duerksen đź‘‹ , CEO & Founder at BuildGood and The Fundraising Academy.
And while the last two weeks made it ABUNDANTLY clear that no one has a crystal ball on what the rest of 2025 will hold, I’m bullish on his predictions.
I can’t make any predictions about fundraising in 2025.
But I don’t need to.
Instead of predicting the future, I try my best to plan for it.
And to plan for it, I simply ask myself: instead of trying to predict what will change, what will remain the same?
Will donors want their favourite causes to listen to them more—their opinions, values, preferences, identity, etc.?
Or will they not want to feel seen and heard by the charities they give money to?
Will donors want to engage in more meaningful ways with their favourite causes—and be brought closer into the mission? Will they want to feel a greater sense of connectedness? Will they want to remember moments they shared with other supporters?
Or will they want a more hands off treatment? Will they want to be left alone as much as possible.
Will supporters want their favourite causes to be clear about what it will take to solve a big problem, what it will cost, the future that is possible, the negative consequences of inaction, and how their generosity—at every level—can play an important and meaningful role in that story?
Will they want to be asked to make gifts for important projects, or to be part of the critical ongoing work, in a way that boosts their sense of autonomy and gives them choice?
Or will they want to be guilted into giving, even if it works for a short period of time?
Will donors want to be acknowledged and thanked in more genuine and authentic and human ways—no matter the size of the gift? Will they want to be thanked for every gift?
Or will they want less of that? Will they want to assume that the charity got their gift, that it mattered, and that a good thing will happen as a result.
And will donors want their favourite causes to report back in responsive and real-time ways on the progress being made? Will they want to hear about stories of success, progress, victory and failure? Will they want to feel like and important part of the team that gets important updates? Will they want to feel like their giving was effective, and have a sense of competency?
Or will they want their favourite charities to take a hands-off approach and not update them. Not report back on their gift. And not treat them like they’re an important part of the team?
Those are some of the questions I’d ask myself this year.
If you need some help in 2025 to:
- listen more carefully to donors
- engage them in more meaningful ways
- ask the right people for the right things
- celebrate every gift, at every level
- report back to donors in a real-time and responsive way
the team at BuildGood can help.
We call it installing the “fundraising flywheel” operating system.
It’s not rocket science: it’s just meeting emotional needs of supporters and making them an important part of your team.
Wishing you a happy New Year, and I hope you smash revenue records in 2025!
And there you have it … Mike’s wisdom on what truly matters in fundraising, not just for 2025 but for any year.
What I love most about his approach is how it strips away the anxiety about predicting the future and brings us back to timeless human truths about connection, meaning, and impact.
Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or just starting out, that’s something worth holding onto.
Happy Friday Friends!
-Michael
