Trends in the Nonprofit Fitness Industry

By Sara Perry

Published On Dec 28, 2021

Over the course of the last several years, everyone has had to learn to adapt to constant change, react to unexpected challenges, and continue moving forward into an unclear future. The nonprofit health and wellness space was no different.

2021 has been quite a year, and we saw so much positive change. The industry is still recovering towards 2019 numbers, but because of the hard work of our customers across the country, we’ve seen consistent growth for the nonprofit health and wellness industry.

Revenue is currently sitting at 81% to normal, largely due to an increase in donations and childcare registration
Active memberships are at 79% to normal compared to 2019, with an increase of 13% in overall active memberships
There have been 56% more donations in 2021 compared to 2019 for Daxko Operations customers

Leaving a Legacy Together

In 2021, we focused on helping our customers survive, recover, and thrive through the continued uncertainty of the pandemic. Our team worked to ensure that our customers were equipped to charge forward in the face of uncertainty via ongoing product enhancements, adoption/training programs, thought leadership content, and sponsorship at essential industry events.

Fitness Industry Trends

There’s no denying that public sentiment shifted quite a bit over the course of the last few years. The global culture collectively changed as the majority of the world population was forced to think about things like virus transmission and social distancing for the first time. New values and concerns emerged. A study conducted by the American Psychological Association called “Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis” detailed some of the biggest issues facing Americans as a result of mental, physical, and social disruption. According to the study, Americans are increasingly concerned with three main topics: safety, health, and community.

Safety

58% of Americans are seriously concerned with personal safety (an 18% year-over-year increase).
Among their concerns, bankcard fraud and identity theft are the highest.
Additionally, 63% of Americans are seriously concerned with epidemics and natural disasters.

Nonprofit wellness organizations are a huge source of relief and support for one of the community’s biggest concerns, epidemics and natural disasters. All across the country, nonprofit wellness organizations and community centers are putting the safety of their members first by enacting new safety and sanitization protocols and implementing contactless experiences and processes. With bankcard fraud and identify theft also at the top of the concern list for individuals, nonprofit organizations can benefit from a reliable payment processing partner like Gains to ensure full PCI compliance and the ultimate safeguarding of sensitive member payment and personal information.

Health

61% of Americans gained or lost more weight than they wanted over the last year
67% are seriously concerned about their families’ health
78% have experienced significant stress in the last year

Nonprofit fitness organizations have always had the mission to improve the health of their community members. With the information that 67% of Americans are seriously concerned about the health of their family members, putting a greater emphasis on providing fitness opportunities for all ages will be increasingly important. Expanding group fitness class offerings, programs, and personal training to suit the interests and fitness levels of a diverse audience is key. Additionally, with 78% of Americans reporting experiencing significant stress in the last year, a positive stress relief outlet, like working out, is more needed than ever. You may even consider increasing programming around mindfulness and meditation to further promote a feeling of calm and peace among your members.

Community

59% of Americans are increasingly worried about violence toward minorities
36% of Americans report serious loneliness and
61% of Americans age 18-25 report serious loneliness
71% say this is the lowest point in the nation’s history that they can remember

Creating a safe, inclusive, and uplifting space requires effort and intention. Communicating your values to the public is essential to attracting diverse members to join and contribute to the community you’re building. With many individuals suffering from a period of isolation caused by the pandemic, now is the time to reach out and welcome them into your community. With help from Daxko for prospecting texts and emails, as well as digital marketing and website assistance, you can share your organization’s community with the estimated 14 million people looking for a fitness facility to call home.

On a brighter note, the APA study also reports that 71% of Americans feel hopeful about their future, and 54% feel they can use their voice to make a positive difference.

While it’s great to understand the trends impacting the nonprofit fitness industry, turning knowledge into action that better serves your members and future members is even more important.

To learn more about how Daxko can help you make the most of each of these trends at your nonprofit fitness organization, schedule a call with our team.