The recently released and breakthrough research report entitled The Wake Up Call – A Study of Nonprofit Leadership in the U.S. and its Impending Crisis can be found in its entirety here. Nearly 1,200 nonprofit leaders participated in this research project that should sound a warning cry for nonprofit sector. [...]
At least part of the focus of nearly every philanthropy study ranging from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project to the Giving USA Report to many others, is how flat-lined overall giving is in the United States as a percentage of GDP. This has historically hovered around 2% with very little variance over the [...]
Why sustainability? The modern consumer is savvy and shrewd, and today’s donor is no different. Whether they’re an individual, a foundation or a corporation, donors never have been more judicious about who they give their hard-earned dollars to. Unfortunately, many nonprofits lack similar information demanded of those who might consider [...]
We all know older traditions sometimes live well beyond their proper lifetimes. This seems especially true regarding print and online forms. One such form, which comes in numerous flavors, is the fundraising pledge form. I am guessing such forms first came about as part of the early existence of capital [...]
Deep down every single board member knows they need to be a financial supporter of the charity whose board they sit on. This becomes more apparent every year because of the increasing need to fund the mission of the charity through fundraising dollars. In fact, it's now virtually common [...]
If you are a regular reader of this blog or any fundraising blog for that matter, the subject of “Major Gifts” is one of the most common. From researching the best prospects to building the relationship to making the “Ask," major gift actions are explored from every angle. However, two [...]
This secret was heard during the opening session of BloomCon 2018 West Coast Edition presented by Kent Stroman the author of the great new book The Intentional Board. Kent, has been helping nonprofit boards with governance issues of various natures during his long career as a respected consultant to charities. [...]
As much as I harp on the need for nonprofits to have their boards engage with elements of the strategic plan, it should be no surprise that many fundraisers ask me what they should do if no strategic plan is in place. Obviously, my first answer is always to implore [...]
After attending nonprofit board meetings for the last 30 years with organizations ranging from brand new 501c3’s to larger established ones, it surprises me to say that the best board meeting I ever attended was my first board meeting ever. It was a cold Saturday in January. The organization was [...]
Once any person associated with the nonprofit world reads the extremely revealing and recently released Oliver Wyman report entitled: “The Financial Health of the United Stated Nonprofit Sector,” they will be seeking actions to alleviate most, if not all of the key findings outlined below if any of them apply. [...]
Since I have the good fortune of working with and traveling to see thousands of fundraisers every year, I often get asked the question: “What's the best thing we can do to improve our fundraising results this year?” The answer I give is usually received with surprise. Perhaps they are [...]
Many fundraisers are aware that, in light of the new tax law, donor advised funds (DAFs) should become a bigger part of a typical nonprofit fundraising operation. What may not be as well known are the ways in which some individual financial firms go beyond just setting up accounts. The [...]