At The Curtis Group, we’re committed to sharing timely, research-driven insights from trusted leaders across the philanthropic sector. As fellow members of The Giving Institute, we are pleased to feature this guest article from Ali Iqbal, President of TIAA Kaspick, a national leader in planned giving and long-term donor strategy. Middle donors are an increasingly influential—and often… Read more »
What the 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy Reveals About Today’s Donors
A version of this piece first appeared on Giving USA and The Giving Institute. We’ve expanded it here with added guidance for fundraisers. Turning Big Into Bigger: Engaging Your Major Donors With Data-Informed Strategies By Keith Curtis, Chairman and CEO Numbers tell a story, and research into donor behavior and giving trends gives organizations a roadmap to navigate… Read more »
Why Now Is the Time to Talk Legacy Giving with Your Donors
Make-A-Will Month Is Underway—Are You Making the Most of It? By Brantley Boyott, Guest Contributor Intro by Abby Webster, Vice President Did you know that August is Make-A-Will Month? Legacy giving through bequests in wills is a meaningful and lasting form of generosity. For this month’s newsletter, we are excited to collaborate with Brantley Boyett, co-Founder and president of Giving… Read more »
AI + Fundraising = More Time for Donors
Want More Time with Donors? Start Using AI for These 3 Fundraising Tasks By Lindsey Rosenthal Associate Consultant As nonprofit fundraising professionals, we’re all too familiar with the pressures of doing more with fewer resources. Smaller teams. Larger goals. Greater expectations. But what if AI tools could help ease this burden—allowing us to focus on what… Read more »
Why You Should Survey Your Donors
Unlocking Insights: Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Survey Donors By Kate Hildebrand, Consultant It is essential for your organization to understand your donors’ motivations, interests, perceptions and experiences. One of the most effective and easiest ways to gain this understanding is through electronic surveys. Why Survey Donors? 1. Understand Donor Motivations: Knowing why donors choose to support your… Read more »
Decoding Donor-Advised Funds
Decoding Donor-Advised Funds As posted at Giving USA Donor-advised funds began in the 1930s, but in recent years these funds have become the fastest growing vehicle in philanthropy. Giving USA recently released a highly anticipated Special Report on Donor-Advised Funds. You can access the full report on the Giving USA Foundation website. My colleague Victoria Dietz also recently… Read more »
Speak Their Language: Help Donors Make the Best Possible Gift
There is a lot at play right now with last year’s tax law changes. No one knows how changes will affect giving this year. What we do know is that we need to talk to our donors about options for giving. More than likely, the terms and definitions offered below will be familiar to you… Read more »
Decoding Donor-Advised Funds: From Data to Practical
Donor-advised funds began in the 1930s, but in recent years these funds have become the fastest growing vehicle in philanthropy. Contributions to donor-advised funds grew at three times the rate of total charitable giving in 2016 according to the National Philanthropic Trust. Donor-advised funds defined: Donor-advised funds (DAF) are donor-established philanthropic funds that are maintained, operated… Read more »
Clients v. Donors: How to write without making a wrong
While we hate to disillusion anyone right after the holidays, I need to set the record straight about a certain mythical figure. You might have been sending letters to it for years. But unfortunately, there’s no such thing as… the General Public. All too often, nonprofit communications are written for this “audience,” and the message… Read more »
How to write thank-you letters your donors will actually read
Acknowledgment letters are more than an obligation. They’re an opportunity—to build donor relationships, to educate and hopefully, to inspire future giving. But let’s face it, many of these missives leave us less than inspired. Do you read all the nonprofit thank-you letters you receive? Me neither. What’s different about the ones you do read? Here… Read more »
