Small-dollar donors were fired up in the final sprint to Election Day, ending a historic 2018 election cycle with record-breaking Q4 fundraising numbers. Grassroots supporters made 8,457,209 contributions on ActBlue in Q4 alone — the biggest quarter ever for number of contributions. And hear this: More money was raised by more groups using ActBlue in Q4 than in the *entire* 2014 election cycle! Grassroots donors showed up until the very end and continued to give to resistance groups and Democrats spearheading change. Q4 2018 made it clear that while we’re leaving a lot behind in 2018 (like a GOP-controlled Congress), the small-dollar donor movement that drove huge wins in 2018 is here to stay.
Topline Numbers
| Q4 '14 | Q4 '16 | Q4 '18 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions | 2,177,088 | 4,159,948 | 8,457,209 |
| Total Amount | $76,314,676 | $147,657,516 | $367,387,118 |
| Average Contribution Size | $35.05 | $35.50 | $43.44 |
| Unique Campaigns, Committees, and Organizations | 2,800 | 3,911 | 8,888 |
Cycle-to-Cycle Comparison
| 2014 Cycle Total | 2016 Cycle Total | 2018 Cycle Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions | 8,972,224 | 23,366,034 | 42,101,095 |
| Total Amount | $335,049,366 | $781,789,826 | $1,662,987,705 |
| Average Contribution Size | $37.34 | $33.46 | $39.50 |
| Unique Campaigns, Committees, and Organizations | 5,067 | 6,687 | 14,998 |
ActBlue Express
| Q4 '14 | Q4 '16 | Q4 '18 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New ActBlue Express Users | 99,775 | 206,957 | 348,313 |
| % of Total Volume via ActBlue Express | 60.0% | 60.6% | 63.0% |
| % of Contributions via ActBlue Express | 64.3% | 64.6% | 64.2% |
Mobile
| Q4 '14 | Q4 '16 | Q4 '18 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of Contributions via Mobile | 25.3% | 36.4% | 46.2% |
| % Mobile for ActBlue Express | 26.9% | 38.2% | 46.4% |
Recurring Contributions
| Q4 '14 | Q4 '16 | Q4 '18 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recurring Volume | $11,364,805 | $37,833,998 | $62,877,525 |
| % of Total Volume | 14.9% | 25.6% | 17.1% |
Customer Service
| Q4 '18 | |
|---|---|
| Total Incoming Calls | 46,646 |
| Email Conversations | 112,092 |
Interested in more data? Millions of folks across the country fueled Democrats to victory in 2018, and our election cycle review lays out how this grassroots fundraising shaped the midterms and will continue defining our country’s politics.
