Posted , by Robin Paez, development coordinator. Topic: Philanthropy Research & Events.

Although Baby Boomers make up only 34 percent of the donor pool, they are the generation responsible for giving the lion’s share of donations to charities. In an online survey conducted by a division of Blackbaud, results showed that Boomers gave 43 percent of all money contributed by individuals. And when factoring in giving by… Read more »

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Campaign Manager. Topic: Year-End Giving.

How soon is too soon to begin year-end fundraising? According to a new Google and Millward Brown Digital Path to Donation research study, engaging your donors before the first chill is in the air may be the answer. In 2012, Google noticed an interesting trend: donation-related searches increased by 30 percent from August to September…. Read more »

Posted , by Erin Phillips, Marketing Director and Consultant. Topic: Donor Communication, Fundraising.

AFP of Hampton Roads recently hosted a seminar featuring industry expert Penelope Burke on “Donor-Centered Fundraising,” which is also the title of a study published by her research firm Cyngus Applied Research, Inc. Burke opened her presentation with three attributes donors define as most important when making a gift to a nonprofit. 1. Receiving prompt, meaningful acknowledgment… Read more »

Posted , by Kaitlin Robb, consultant. Topic: Donor Retention.

For years, the state of the economy was one of the only things on which nonprofits and donors could focus. As nonprofits begin to feel more confident with the future of philanthropy, they are addressing issues that were pushed to the backburner during the economic downturn. Nonprofits are being forced to take a hard look at… Read more »

Posted , by Lauren Fenn, Consultant. Topic: Giving USA.

Giving USA Foundation recently released Giving USA 2013, the 58th consecutive edition and the longest running comprehensive study on philanthropy in America. The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, researches and writes Giving USA. As one of 40 members of the Giving Institute, and with our president as vice-chair of the Giving USA Foundation, The… Read more »

Posted , by Erin Phillips, Marketing Director and Consultant. Topic: Nonprofit Management.

A few weeks ago, three of the nation’s leading sources on charity information released a statement denouncing “overhead ratio” as the sole measure of an organization’s performance. A letter signed by the CEOs of GuideStar, Charity Alliance and BBB Wise Giving Alliance marked the beginning of what is called the “Overhead Myth” campaign, a crusade… Read more »

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Campaign Manager. Topic: Donor Communication, Donor Prospects, Fundraising.

The most recent AFP eWire featured three short, but informative, articles on tapping into the power of Millennials. Nonprofits know this influential generational group is more “connected” than any of its predecessors. But, how can the estimated 92 million members of the Millennial generation (born between 1980 and 2001) be motivated to effectively rally behind a… Read more »

Posted , by Erin Phillips, Marketing Director and Consultant. Topic: Funds and Funders.

Last Thursday, we attended the VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads 2013 Funders Forum. Our president, Keith Curtis, served as moderator for the panel discussion comprised of five regional foundation leaders: Bert Davis of Capital One’s Community Relations; Katie Fletcher of the Norfolk Southern Foundation; Chris Perry of the Perry Family Foundation; Leigh Davis of the Hampton Roads Community… Read more »

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, Vice President. Topic: Board Development, Boards of Directors.

Last week I led a class for the Board Development Academy hosted by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence in Charlottesville, VA. The Board Development Academy is for engaged community leaders, people either early on in their board careers or those who have never been on a board, who want to learn how to effectively serve… Read more »

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Campaign Manager. Topic: Philanthropy Research & Events.

On April 11, Blackbaud, a leading nonprofit technology firm, released their fifth annual ranking of the Most Generous Online U.S. Cities. The study includes 265 cities with at least 100,000 residents based on per capita online giving. In the cities studied, donations topped $509 million online in 2012. And, while it may not be surprising… Read more »