At a recent workshop presented in partnership with the Virginia Association of Museums and Virginia Humanities, we convened a panel of leaders representing philanthropy and cultural institutions across Virginia to explore a central question: What distinguishes organizations that consistently inspire philanthropic investment? The conversation, moderated by The Curtis Group’s CEO and Chairman, Keith Curtis, was… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Donors
Five Ways to Make 2026 Your Strongest Fundraising Year Yet
Fundraising Review and Reflections: What Worked in 2025 and What to Change for 2026 By Keith Curtis, Chairman and CEO For nonprofits, 2025 often felt like a test. The philanthropic landscape is undergoing rapid changes, and nonprofits are having to evolve along with it. We saw a lot of emerging trends this past year—charitable giving totals rose,… Read more »
Most Nonprofits Miss Engaging With This Key Donor Demographic–Is Yours Keeping Up?
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 »
The Future of AI in Fundraising: Amplifying Human Connection
Level-Up Your Fundraising with AI By Emily Ruble, Associate Consultant “The future of AI is not about replacing humans, it’s about augmenting human capabilities.” – Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google AI is rapidly changing the rules in every sector and proving to be a powerful ally. Recently I attended the Fundraising.AI Global Summit, and learned a lot… 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 »
Tax Policy Is Changing—Here’s How to Talk to Your Donors
Slow and Steady Wins the Race: A Nonprofit’s Guide to Navigating the New Tax Policy with Donors By Ginny Reynolds-Badgett Consultant In Aesop’s timeless fable The Tortoise and the Hare, the steady and focused tortoise overtakes the boastful, erratic hare. The tortoise’s persistence pays off in the long run. Today’s nonprofits face what may… Read more »
Beyond the Headlines: What Giving USA 2025 Means for You
The Giving USA 2025 Data Is In — Now What? The newly released Giving USA 2025: Annual Report on Philanthropy shows that charitable giving in 2024 reached $592.5 billion — a 6.3% increase in current dollars and a 3.3% increase when adjusted for inflation. A strong stock market and steady economy fueled growth, with nearly every recipient sector seeing… Read more »
Webinar: Giving USA 2025 – Trends to Watch, Moves to Make
Free Webinar: Giving USA 2025 – Trends to Watch, Moves to Make The philanthropic landscape is undergoing rapid change. The release of Giving USA 2025 provides fresh insights into donor behavior and giving trends — but this year, it arrives against the backdrop of significant policy shifts and growing economic uncertainty that are reshaping… Read more »
