• By the year 2020, over 50 billion things – cars, appliances, roads – will be connected to the Internet of Things.
• In 2017, early adopter nonprofits began launching Amazon Skills. 2018 is a crucial year for smart speaker technology and innovation.
• Mass adoption of giving through the Internet of Things will likely take 5-10 years.
• “Think about some of the pieces of technology or up-and-coming topics that, maybe five years ago, we thought had nothing to do with us. Those of us who ignored them quickly fell behind the curve.” – Hubspot
• [JOIN] The Internet of Things for Nonprofit Organizations LinkedIn Group

2. The Revival of Email

• There are currently 6.3 billion email accounts worldwide and the number is expected to grow to 7.7 billion by 2021 – a growth rate of 22%.
• Email accounted for 26% of all online revenue in 2016 and grew 14% over 2015.
• The number of smartphone users worldwide has reached 2.4 billion and is projected to grow to 6.1 billion by 2020. 56% of email opens are now mobile.
• Due to the decline in reach on social media, nonprofits should prioritize email communications and fundraising in 2018 [Benchmarks for Success].
• Online donors most trust the .org (72%), .edu (7%), and .ngo (6%) domains. The least trusted domains are .net (30%), .com (29%), and country-code domains (13%).

3. Digital Payments on Social Networks

• Facebook Fundraising Tools [Conservation International]
• Periscope Coins
• YouTube Donation Cards

4. Mobile Wallets for In-App Fundraising

• Mobile Wallets are primarily understood as a Near-Field Communication (NFC) payment system, but they also offer online and in-app payments.
• Apple Pay [Blackbaud]
• Android Pay
• In the U.S., mobile wallets are expected to surpass the use of both credit and debit cards by 2020.

5. The Rise of International Giving

• 45% of donors give to NPOS and NGOs located outside of their country of residence.
• The obstacle to international online fundraising thus far has been the lack of an international database of verified NPOs and NGOs. The United States has tax ID numbers (EINs) and the GuideStar database which enables vendors to easily process online donations for nonprofits in the United States without fear of fraud.
  Today, there are two emerging databases addressing this obstacle: 1) The BRIDGE Registry 2) OnGood Global Directory of Verified NGOs

6. Demographic Shifts Worldwide

• Global internet users to reach 4.2 billion by 2020. Today it is 3.4 billion.
• Generation Z (currently 19 and younger) is mobile-first and mobile-only – and 27% of the global population.
• 9 out of 11 of the fastest-growing countries are in Africa while 9 of out 11 of the fastest-shrinking countries are in Europe.
• Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and giving to charity increases significantly during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
• As 10,000 Baby Boomers retire each day in the United States, Gen X (currently age 37-52) is entering the peak years of their careers. 51% of nonprofit CEOs are Gen Xers. Gen X also volunteers more often than any other generation and gives generously.
• By 2020, millennials will form 50% of the global workforce and are currently the largest generation in the United States. Must-Read: Millennial Impact Report
• The white population in the U.S. will become a minority by 2045. Must-Read: Diversity in Giving Report

7. The Rise of NGOs in Developing Nations

• According to the Public Interest Registry, more than 3,000,000 NGOs will come online by 2025.
• In the 1990’s, English made up 80% of web content. Today, 10 languages make up 82% of web content.
• At the same time, internet freedom is decreasing worldwide and there is a clamp down on the NGO sector. 67% of internet users live in countries where criticism of the government, military, or ruling family are subject to censorship.

8. The Rise of Messaging Apps

• The world’s most popular messaging apps are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Viber.
• 1 in 3 use WeChat Pay in China.
• WhatsApp Payments are launching soon in India.
• Facebook Messenger Payments are primarily accepted in the United States and Europe.
• Snapcash launched in 2004, but it is not widely used.

9. Live Reporting Using Social Media

• Since the release of Facebook Live, Facebook video exposure has increased 360% across everyone’s news feed. [Facebook Live Best Practices]
• Live broadcasts are streamed within the Periscope app and #LIVE on Periscope. [Periscope Best Practices]
• Instagram allows multiple people to go live at the same time.
• Advanced social media managers will repackage the stream into blog, email, and social media content.

10. The Coming Social Media Backlash

• Instagram is the most detrimental social media for young people’s mental health, followed closely by Snapchat. YouTube was found to have the most positive impact.
• Social media is more addictive than cigarettes and leaves users in a constant state of anxiety, craving a dopamine high.
• Social media is hazardous to our physical health causing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and text neck.
• Self-inflicted social media detoxes will rise in coming years.