Wanna Play a Game?

I love games.

Few things bring me more joy than game night with family or friends.

I am an only child, so as a kid game nights were rare. Back in the day, there were only so many games that could be played with 2 or 3 people. So, having enough people around to play a game was a treat. That is why our twenty-something sons (and now, my soon-to-be daughter-law) have received new games every Christmas for more than two decades. I spend hours looking for new games that we might enjoy. Sometimes I hit the jackpot. Sometimes the game is a dud, but we typically have fun either way.

I guess that is why I was curious when I saw gamification in fundraising listed as a trend to watch for in 2025 by Doing Good Digital. They said, “By adding fun game-like elements to your campaign, you can tap into people’s natural will to achieve, driving participation and retention. It also fosters a sense of accomplishment and togetherness, making donors feel more connected to the cause and each other, essential aspects of successful donor acquisition and retention.”

The concept of using games to drive connection totally resonated with me. After all, that is what I love about games—the connection of playing with others. And 30 years of fundraising has taught me that relationships are the foundation of every successful development program. Engagement between a donor and an organization only happens through relationship. So, using games to drive engagement and build community makes sense.

As I continued to dig in on this topic, I found that Nonprofit Pro also touts gamifying fundraising. They point out in a recent article, The Power of Gamified Nonprofit Marketing and Fundraising, “One of the top things any nonprofit has to do is connect with their audience. But, something to keep in mind is that most of the population are millennials and Gen Zers. As a result, the traditional approaches to engaging with supporters need to be tweaked by default as younger generations communicate differently. For instance, one method that works well for that audience is to gamify your fundraising and marketing.”

Nonprofit Pro also linked to a helpful article of gamification tips which said, “Statistics show that adding gamification to a social media strategy can boost engagement by 100% to 150%, and social fundraising is no exception.” Who wouldn’t want to boost engagement by 100 percent?

And while Gravyty did not specifically call out gaming as a fundraising trend in 2025 they did cite hyper-personalized donor experiences and community and relationships as foundations for fundraising this year. In their Fundraising Trends to Watch in 2025 Report they said, “Younger donors – primarily Gen Z and younger millennials – are digital natives. This means they expect and generally prefer a digital-first experience.” I know this is true of my kids for sure.

My conclusion from all of this: the foundations of successful fundraising have not changed. In 2025 development it is still about building relationships, creating opportunities for engagement, and fostering a sense of community. Meeting donors where they are is still a solid strategy. And we must acknowledge that a digital first engagement is most likely. So, let’s use every strategy we can, including gamification, to make digital engagement fun, memorable, and share-worthy for our audiences.  

As Gayle Roberts of Fundraising for Change said in the Gravyty report, “Engaged communities don’t just donate—they advocate and influence others to give.”

Why not add gamification to your 2025 fundraising strategy? If it is anything like our family game nights, you will have fun. As a nonprofit executive, development leader, or board member there is not much that is more fun than raising more money for your mission!  

Let the games begin.

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Shannon Williams is the Managing Director of Armstrong McGuire and leads the team of Senior Advisors who help our clients with organizational development, leadership development, and fundraising.