Many holidays celebrate gift-giving… National Philanthropy Day celebrates those who give back. As we honor the individuals and organizations who set the standard for charitable investment, we have an opportunity not only to thank them but to learn from them. I hope many will follow their stories—and follow their examples. Americans reached a charitable-giving milestone… Read more »
“The Greater Good” – What drives high-net-worth giving across generations
How do your major donors define “a life well-lived”? This is one of the key questions addressed in the 2015 Insights on Wealth and Worth Survey, conducted by the U.S. Trust. Since 1993, this periodic survey of wealthy individuals and families has highlighted differences and similarities in values and, ultimately, what motivates giving. This year,… Read more »
How to write thank-you letters your donors will actually read
Acknowledgment letters are more than an obligation. They’re an opportunity—to build donor relationships, to educate and hopefully, to inspire future giving. But let’s face it, many of these missives leave us less than inspired. Do you read all the nonprofit thank-you letters you receive? Me neither. What’s different about the ones you do read? Here… Read more »
Treat legislators like major donors
If you don’t tell them, who will? Elected officials need to know what matters to the nonprofit sector and to your organization—this was a key message of The Giving Institute’s webinar last week, in which I participated as a GI member. Jason Lee, general counsel for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, stressed how important this year… Read more »
Top 5 pitfalls to avoid when thanking donors
Are you effectively thanking and engaging your donors? I often encounter well-intentioned nonprofits that are hurting their acknowledgment efforts through common mistakes: 1. Slow response. You risk losing donors—and donations—by waiting too long to send thanks. Some say that 48 hours is the ideal turnaround time, but if that’s not realistic for your organization, aim… Read more »
Giving USA Discussion at the Hudson Institute
I was honored to be invited again and to participate in The Hudson Institute’s Giving USA Release 2014 panel. My colleagues on the panel represented The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, The Urban Institute, and the Nonprofit Quarterly. Once the numbers were delivered, my comments were focused on how… Read more »
Wealth advisors on your board? Help them help you.
After two recent conversations with wealth advisors, who were also nonprofit board members and were wrestling with whether they should discuss their own philanthropic priorities with their clients, I began to give this topic some thought. These individuals understood that, as board members, they were expected to be connectors, but they were trying to balance… Read more »
National Estate Planning Awareness Week: Focus on Planned Giving
The Association for Fundraising Professionals and their strategic partners adopted the third week in October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Through this initiative, AFP and the Financial Awareness Foundation hope to educate, highlight and celebrate estate planning and the important role nonprofits play in this field. According to the 2012 Bank of America Study of… Read more »
Study Finds Baby Boomers Give the Most, Among Other Generational Trends
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 »
“Donor-Centered Fundraising” Defined
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 »
