The headline says it all: “Year-End Giving Season Is Bountiful for Charities That Rely on the Wealthy.”
Not only is this encouraging news for nonprofits, it’s validating for us. Over our 22-year history, we’ve stressed the incomparable value of high-net-worth donors, and we’ve hit that message even harder during the economic downturn because we know they’re still giving.
The Dec. 17 Chronicle of Philanthropy article reports, for example, that the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund was close to raising as much money as it did in 2007. And other institutions that rely mostly on wealthy donors are seeing significant giving gains.
The article goes on to say that if there’s a caveat here, it’s that high-net-worth donors are shopping around more and relying on guidance from professional advisors. One foundation director said wealthy donors “are demanding more from their giving experience,” another point we’ve been emphasizing in our recent trainings.
As Giving USA 2010 found, in a challenged economy, high-net-worth donors continue supporting charities. We hope you’ve found ways to connect with them.
On behalf of everyone at The Curtis Group, happy holidays! May your year-end gifts be abundant.
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