Committed to Change. Small-dollar donors remain committed to powering change in 2023, generously continuing to contribute to Democratic campaigns, progressive causes, key races, and movement-based campaigns that matter to them: More than 1.4 million unique donors gave 5.9 million contributions to 12,116 campaigns and organizations, totaling $218 million with an average contribution size of $36.75.
Continued Engagement. The total number of dollars raised in Q1 2023 was a 24.7% increase from the dollars raised in Q1 2019. And 57.2% of donors made multiple contributions in Q1, showing small-dollar donors’ sustained engagement and investment in the campaigns, organizations, and issues they support.
Spreading the Enthusiasm. The number of unique campaigns and organizations fundraising on ActBlue has nearly doubled since the same period in 2019. For example, we saw double the dollars raised and a 60.5% increase in unique donors giving to state legislative candidates. And this growth was reflected beyond political candidates: the number of donors giving to movements, issues, and charities has nearly doubled and the amount they have given has increased by 158.7%.
Moved by the Moment. After a quarter that saw horrific gun violence steal lives in East Lansing, MI, Monterey Park, CA, and too many other communities, in the final days of March the nation mourned the tragic events in Nashville and donors responded by supporting gun safety reform groups.
A closer look. Read on to learn more about ActBlue’s fundraising trends during the first quarter of 2023, and dive in to see how small-dollar donors continue powering various causes and campaigns.
TOPLINE NUMBERS
| Q1 2019 | Q1 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | 5,404,378 | 5,922,891 |
| Total Amount | $174,506,038 | $217,682,942 |
| Average Contribution Size | $32.29 | $36.75 |
| Unique Donors | 1,958,899 | 1,448,927 |
| Unique Campaigns, Committees, and Organizations | 6,217 | 12,116 |
Small-dollar donors are gravitating towards candidates, competitive races, and issue advocacy organizations fighting for issues that resonate with them. This year so far, donors have been engaged on issues like voting rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive freedom and justice, and gun safety. This is a trend to watch as we’re gearing up for the 2024 presidential election.
- 1,711 campaigns, committees, and organizations raised their first dollar ever through ActBlue in Q1 2023, a 32.6% increase compared to 1,290 campaigns, committees, and organizations in Q1 2019.
- Donors were enthusiastic about new Senate candidates, creating huge spikes in donations in the days following new campaign launches.
- As the Q2 cycle approaches, House and Senate candidates are actively engaging donors to support their campaigns. In Q1, these efforts resulted in an impressive 73.0% increase in unique donors, and we saw more than double the total contributions and dollars raised compared to Q1 2019. This level of momentum and support positions the campaigns strongly for success in the upcoming elections.
ACTBLUE ADVANTAGE
Mobile giving and technology advantages have been crucial to Democratic success in recent election cycles and 2024 will be no different. And ActBlue makes taking action easy – whether you’re giving to a candidate or a cause. Since this point in the last presidential cycle, we’ve seen:
- The percentage of contributions made via a saved payment method or digital wallet increased 14.6% and the percentage of contributions made via mobile increased 5.4%.
- The total recurring volume of contributions increased by 36.1%, which greatly benefits Senate and House campaigns in the long term.
| Q1 2019 | Q1 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| % of Contributions made with a Saved Payment Method or Digital Wallet Option | 55.8% | 70.4% |
| % of Contributions made via a Mobile Device | 54.3% | 59.7% |
| Total Recurring Volume | $32,989,281 | $44,896,516 |
| % of Total Volume | 18.9% | 20.6% |
