I recently had the privilege of presenting with my colleague Abbie Hacker to a group of nonprofit leaders about maximizing year-end fundraising. While the current weather may suggest otherwise, December will be here before we know it. Now is the time to prepare for your year-end fundraising to be sure your organization is ready to… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Donor Communication
Four Ways to Engage Donors in the New Era of Philanthropy
Four Ways to Engage Donors in the New Era of Philanthropy Key Takeaways from this year’s Virginia Fund Raising Institute By Marissa Monell Client Manager Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend this year’s Virginia Fund Raising Institute(VFRI) in Richmond, Virginia. Whether or not you were able to be there in person this… Read more »
Giving USA 2019: Giving reached $427 billion amid a complex year!
On the heels of a decade of unprecedented growth, we celebrate the year for what it was – a complex year with incredible generosity. I could spend hours talking to you (but I won’t) about studies, statistics, shifts in giving patterns, the impact of the economy, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, public policy, and… Read more »
Retain Your Donors in 5 Steps
I had the privilege of presenting at the spring conference for the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington last week. One of the things I spent some time discussing was the importance of focusing on donor retention. In my opinion, too many nonprofits are stuck in this cycle of having to acquire a huge… 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 »
Fundraising Trends To Improve Donor Relations and Fundraising Strategy
Earlier this month, we enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones at the 2018 VFRI conference. This year in particular was incredible as I had the opportunity to chair the conference. I was inspired by the passion that my fellow fundraisers have for their organizations and for our profession. I was invigorated by… Read more »
Giving USA 2018: Giving reached over $400 billion!
Powered by a booming stock market and a strong economy, charitable giving by American individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations to U.S. charities surged to an estimated $410.02 billion in 2017, according to Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017, released today. Giving USA is the longest-running and most comprehensive report of its kind… Read more »
Nonprofit Sector’s Impact on US Economy – What it Means for You
A recently released study found nonprofits are the third largest workforce in the country behind only manufacturing and retail. According to the report Nonprofits: America’s Third Largest Workforce, from Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Economic Data Project, the nonprofit sector in America employs 11.9 million people. As someone who has devoted my career to the nonprofit sector, this is… 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 »
Transparency and Stability: Keys to Surviving Criticism, Change, or Even Worse Scandal
Nonprofits, philanthropy and fundraising have been my life for a long time now. During this time, I have been through periods of growth and economic downturns, leadership resignations, and even some times of crisis. As I sat down to think about the common threads that have helped organizations weather the ups and downs, the common… Read more »
