Nonprofits and Their Boards: An Evolving Relationship

Posted , by Erin Phillips, Marketing Director and Campaign Consultant. Topic: Boards of Directors.

A recent article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy by Maureen West titled “Charities Find Ways to Give Board Members Bigger Roles in Policy” caught our attention. So much of the work we have done with our clients for the past 23 years is meeting with the board members of nonprofits to discuss fundraising strategy and… Read more »

When is the Right Time to Conduct a Capital Campaign?

Posted , by Natalie McGaughey, Development Coordinator. Topic: Capital Campaigns.

As the economy slowly shows signs of improvement, we are seeing more nonprofits exploring the idea of conducting a capital campaign. A question we have fielded many times during our 23 years consulting to nonprofits is, “How do you really know when the time is right to begin a capital campaign?” We often use Giving USA, an… Read more »

Corporate Giving: Strategies for Securing Support

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, vice president. Topic: Funds and Funders.

Last week Lauren and I attended the AFP-Hampton Roads luncheon presentation titled, “Building Strategic Relationships with Corporations and Foundations.” Amy Nisenson, Executive Director of the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, and Victor Branch, SVP/Market Manager for Richmond & Hampton Roads, Global Corporate Responsibility Office for Bank of America, were the two presenters. They began their discussion… Read more »

You Can Plan, but Can You Execute?

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, vice president. Topic: Nonprofit Management.

On July 19th and 20th Keith and I participated in the Giving Institute’s Summer Symposium this year held in Park City, Utah. The Giving Institute is a 40-member organization of consulting firms dedicated to education and the promotion of philanthropy and ethical fundraising. This annual gathering brings professionals together from across the country and provides an… Read more »

New Findings on Donor Behavior: Highlights from the 2012 Cygnus Donor Survey

Posted , by Natalie McGaughey, Development Coordinator. Topic: Philanthropy Research & Events.

For the past four years we have looked forward to reviewing statistics on donor behavior from the Cygnus Donor Survey. This is an annual research study of active American donors that charts recent giving experiences and future philanthropic intentions. It is led by author, researcher, and president of Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., Penelope Burk. The 2012… Read more »

New Year’s Advice, and Good News, For Nonprofits

Posted , by Keith Curtis, President. Topic: Philanthropy Research & Events.

With 2012 off and running, we wanted to pass along some guidance that we shared earlier this week in a column for The Hampton Roads Business Journal, Inside Business. While fundraising remains challenging in our post-recession economy, nonprofits that are strategic in their approach and demonstrate effective programming will find success in raising money. We have… Read more »

More Nonprofits, Really?

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, Vice President. Topic: Fundraising, Philanthropy Research & Events.

A recent study found that 12 million baby boomers want to start their own nonprofit or socially oriented business over the next decade. While this sounds like a wonderful way to engage in social change by improving communities, it’s troublesome news to those of us in the nonprofit industry who observe constant duplication of services… Read more »

How Should Nonprofits Operate?

Posted , by Lauren Fenn, Campaign and Communications Manager. Topic: Nonprofit Management.

Earlier this week The Wall Street Journal ran a series of interesting and informative articles online in the Philanthropy section that we felt inclined to comment on. One in particular, entitled “Should Philanthropies Operate Like Businesses?” was especially thought-provoking. The article poses the aforementioned question and sets up a debate between executives Charles Bronfman and… Read more »

Rethinking Your Annual Giving Approach

Posted , by Natalie McGaughey, Development Coordinator. Topic: Fundraising.

Last week Wendy and I attended an interesting presentation on annual giving at our Hampton Roads AFP chapter meeting. Kim Sperling, Director of Development at the Mason School of Business at William and Mary, revealed “Ten Truths and a Myth about Annual Giving,” which reiterated much of the advice we’ve been giving recently around the… Read more »

Summer Symposium provides an abundance of thought-provoking takeaways.

Posted , by Wesley Stanley, Marketing Director. Topic: Philanthropy Research & Events.

If you’ve visited our Facebook page lately you’ve seen some of our takeaways from the Giving Institute’s recent Summer Symposium. The annual event, co-chaired this year by Keith, drew a diverse crowd of Giving Institute board members, senior managers from member and guest firms, as well as distinguished practitioners from across the country. After four… Read more »