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 »
Posts Categorized: Major Gifts Programs
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 »
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 »
Webinar: Real Conversations with Major Donors
Free Webinar: Real Conversations with Major Donors Wondering what you could and should be doing today to prepare for a stronger major gift program tomorrow? During these constantly changing times, relationships matter. The fundraising cycle works at developing them–cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship–but what does this cycle look like in practice? Vice President Hilary Fulp… Read more »
Who Gave More? Gen X or Millennials?
Who Gave More-Gen X or Millennials? By Wendy McGrady, Executive Vice President The Giving USA Foundation recently released a new report, Giving by Generation: Examining the Shifts in Giving Among Donor Generations. This well-researched and thoughtful analysis looks at the giving habits and motivations for giving of the four main generations: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers. While… Read more »
Webinar: REAL Conversations with Major Donors
Wondering what you could and should be doing today to prepare for a stronger major gift program tomorrow? Even during these constantly changing times, the fundraising cycle works- cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship- but what does this cycle look like in practice? This practical presentation will show you the proven steps to have meaningful conversations and build stronger relationships with… Read more »
Three Ways to Start Your Year on the Right Foot
Three Fundraising Best Practices for Your New Year By Kaitlin Robb Consultant & Marketing Director After the intensity of the holidays and year-end giving, nothing beats a fresh calendar and a new year. Before you move forward, consider incorporating these best practices both now and throughout the year. Thank Your Donors Did you get an influx… Read more »
Are You Ready for Your Fundraising Campaign – Let’s Talk Fundraising
Hilary Fulp and Victoria Dietz share practical tips to implement as you consider moving forward with a fundraising campaign. In less than 10 minutes learn the BIG 4! FOUR questions to ask about your organization’s readiness to move forward FOUR benchmarks for successful fundraising FOUR action items to do today To see this video and… 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 »
