Philanthropic Trends in a Nutshell

Philanthropy Guru Jim Langley shares a lot of philanthropic information on his Linkedin page, including this list of what all studies show all fundraising organizations are dealing with:
Fewer donors

More cautious and deliberate donors
Donors expecting more engagement and more of an unvarnished inside view
Donors taking longer to make their giving decisions
Donors asking for more facts and straight talk
More diverse donors
More donors wanting choice and voice
Donors who want to optimize mission delivery not subsidize mediocrity
More donors moving on more quickly if their giving isn’t satisfying
More donors wanting evidence of what differences their giving made.

The Best AI Fundraising & Productivity Tools for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Tech for Good writes about these four AI tools

Open AI, the parent company of ChatGPT has expanded beyond simple writing prompts with tools to help you design graphics or logos, analyze data, assist with online ads and social media posts, and build presentations.
Claude: is a system of AI models and chatbots designed by Anthropic AI that focuses on text content, visual analysis, and complex analysis for coding and math tasks.
Gemini: Much like OpenAI, Gemini is Google’s generative AI chatbot.
Microsoft Copilot: This AI tool integrates with Microsoft 365 through Business Chat.
Also, this link to eBook on AI for Nonprofit Beginners

Category: Grantwriting

Does Your Organization Make Accessible, Inclusive Self-Introductions?

The Disability & Philanthropy Forums recommend sharing the following when introducing yourself in a group or webinar. Just curious, how many of these do you include?

Name
Organization and Role
Pronouns
Indigenous Land Acknowledgment
A brief visual description of yourself and surroundings, to offer context and access for all. For example: “I am a white woman with straight brown hair and round red glasses wearing a blue shirt. Behind me is a gray wall with several framed pictures next to a bookshelf.”
Access check-in

Calculating the Real Cost of Fundraising Events link

Nonprofit Tech for Good listed fundraising statistics to guide nonprofits in creating and maintaining a successful online fundraising strategy. Topics include

Online Fundraising Strategy
Online Giving
Monthly Giving
Website Fundraising
Email Fundraising
Social Media Fundraising
Online Donors

Narrow Your List of Prospects

Intro to the Ultimate Guide to Prioritizing Prospects in 7 Easy Steps

In brief:

Determine Your Need for What to Prioritize
Build Out Your Prospect List
Figure Out the Best System For Your Needs
Develop Your Most Important Criteria
Assign Your Weights
Input Your Values
Make Your System Automated and Replicable

A Dozen Ways to Create Events Donors Love — Without Spending a Fortune

Lisa Schohl, Senior Editor of Advice with Chronicle of Philanthropy offers these tips:

1. Be intentional: When planning your events for the year, make sure each event has a purpose and you’re not just doing something because you always have or to please a board member or other individual.
2. Go smaller: Thoughtfully curate the audience and program. Try different types of venues. Offer individual tickets, instead of entire tables, to companies that sponsor their events.
3. Create a short yet powerful program: Hire an emcee. Stay focused on the mission. Allow the most time for your fundraising appeal. End on a high note.
4. Raise as much as you can before the event.
5. Keep food costs under control.
6. Save on décor and printed materials.
7. Spend where it counts: Don’t skimp on sound.
8. Thank and follow up with donors promptly.
9. -You may want to add a livestreaming package to increase reach and accessibility. Hire a professional auctioneer or fundraising host.
  -Negotiate to meet your budget
  -Make the most of auctions.
  -Experiences sell. Make the silent auction virtual and open it a few days before. Add a live peer-to-peer fundraising element.

Are You Choosing the Tight Grants to Apply For?

Blue Avocado is a national nonprofit management and fundraising journal. They often publish interesting articles on fundraising and grantseeking work. From a recent article asking if your choosing the right grants: Grants are an important source of funds for nonprofits, but some may come with strings attached that can create more headaches than positives for your organization. A strategic approach can help you be sure you’re applying for the grants that best meet your needs.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy on Raise General Operating Support.

A Common Grant Application Platform to Advance Social and Justice:

JustFund is the nation’s first and only common grant application platform connecting funders to organizations that are advancing social and racial justice.

They use a donor-created common application form that’s honored by 173 funders nationwide.
They also offer users support in understanding questions and filling out the common application.
They offer free, monthly Applicant Training Sessions

Why Direct Mail is Still Effective

Nonprofit PRO is a free newsletter for NPO management, fundraisers, and board members. It often runs nice, tight fundraising articles like their recent post on why direct mail is still an effective channel for nonprofits. Read the whole article in the link above. Here are the topline reasons.

Tangible and Personal Connection
Higher Engagement Rates
Trust and Credibility
Targeted and Customized Messaging
Longer Shelf Life
Integrated Marketing Potential
Measurable Results
Non-Digital Alternative.

Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, announced that the estimate for the value of a volunteer hour in 2023 was $33.49, a 5.3% increase from 2022. They also have a list for states. MN is higher than the average at $36.31, up from $34.47 in 2022.

10 Ways to Boost Fundraising and Attract More Big Gifts This Year Link

ChatGPT in Philanthropy: Useful? Link

Category: Donor Stats & Analysis

Five Tips From Fundraising Effectiveness Project

Supersize Donors Have Smallest Retention Decline: While donors of all sizes experienced similar declines in retention year over year, the smallest drop was among supersize donors — those giving more than $50,000 — at 3.9%.
Major Donor Retention Is Lower Than Normal: When looking at the percentage of donors retained by donation size, it is typical that retention increases with donor size. In the first quarter of 2024, this is different.
Fundraising Performance Increased for Small Nonprofits: Year over year, most organizations experienced a decrease in their average fundraising performance. The only increases were seen in nonprofits raising less than $100,000 and those raising between $250,000 and $1 million.
Shifts by Interest Area: While human services organizations raised the largest proportion of dollars (30.2%), nonprofits focused on international/foreign affairs saw the largest dollar increase compared to quarter one of 2023, at 9.6%.

From Kresge Foundation– How to hold successful meetings with Kresge Program Officers

Candid/The Foundation Directory Online has a piece on How to work Donor Advised Funds, including three creative ways to connect with DAFs.

Funding Motivation at a Glance by Type of Nonprofit

Bridgespan has a chart outlining the different motivations of the seven types of funders, along with other analyses:

Government
Program Service Fees
Corporations
High-Net-Worth Individuals
Foundations
Small Gifts
Investment Income

Digital marketer and writer Kaili Killpack examines How Millennials And Gen Z Are Redefining Philanthropy.

Matt Nash executive director of The Blackbaud Giving Fund offers tips on attracting corporate donors.

Match funding is one of the greatest barriers to Native communities needing funding—but what is it?

How to have a successful introductory meeting with a funder Link

Takeaways about Young Donors/Givers from Benzinga:

80% of young wealthy individuals prefer to be called givers rather than philanthropists, reflecting a shift in values and approach to charitable giving.
Millennials and Gen Z are redefining philanthropy by getting directly involved through volunteering, fundraising, and sitting on nonprofit boards rather than just donating money.
The 2016 election was a turning point for young adults, sparking a wave of charitable involvement and donations to progressive causes. What will happen in 2025?</p?
Younger generations prioritize social impact, focusing on causes like homelessness, climate change, and women’s empowerment, and measure success by public recognition and amplifying their impact.

Category:Marketing & Messaging

Direct Response Copywriting Approaches That Drive Some Nonprofits Crazy

From an opinion piece on NonProfit Pro

Good Copy Is Simple: The people in nonprofits who review and approve fundraising may think it’s too informal, but plain talk — simple, direct and conversational — is what engages donors.
Good Copy Is Repetitive: “You say the same thing over and over” is a common reaction to fundraising copy. But it gets people to remember, and if they’re just skimming, they won’t miss it.
Good Copy Is Dramatic: To break through the clutter, copy has to have drama. But then it’s called “over the top” and “too dramatic.” It’s a misguided criticism, and to prove it, just watch TV.

From Nonprofit Finance Fund — How to Craft Your Organization’s Financial Story

The Ultimate Guide to Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: 2024 Edition Link

How to Craft Your Organization’s Financial Story Link

NonProfit PRO recently published a piece on 15 Reasons Your Paid Digital Ads May Not Be Converting – NonProfit PRMarketing: One example: Ad Mix: It’s essential to identify the right type(s) of ads to run because there are many digital ad options: sponsored content, native ads, video ads, display ads, audio ads, search ads, etc. Successful campaigns usually include more than one type of ad, and this is also heavily influenced by the campaign budget.

A seasoned nonprofit professional shares a few anecdotal examples for getting a mission-related win-win into your messaging, finding a way to use your missteps, keeping it simple, and other tips.

From Nonprofit Tech for Good: The Ultimate Guide to Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: 2024 Edition

How Long Should a Donor Letter Be?

Donor Communications Specialist Lisa Sargent asks: If your team is agonizing over short letter vs. long, have them focus instead on what no reader wants:

No one wants a 4-page letter crammed onto 1-page/2-sides.
No one wants an 8-point type with yawning wide line measures that skyrocket eye fatigue and create an Impenetrable Wall of Text.
No supporter wants a boilerplate. They want emotion, a strong offer, life, authenticity, connection, urgency, and love.

Nonprofit Tech for Good lists 10 Donation Page Best Practices for Nonprofits.
Kevin L. Brown has created a cheat sheet with ten steps to differentiate your fundraising. He’s drawing from the positioning strategy outlined in a longer article. “Positioning strategy: brand approach,” published on his blog on Mighty Ally.

Category: Language

Benzinga reports: 80% Of Young Wealthy Prefer To Be Called ‘Givers’

10 Words and Phrases You Should Never Use link

Grammar Girl gives you 11 Tips to Trash Typos.

A Toolkit on How to Implement Social Prescribing

We often discuss linking one interest area to another to reach a broader range of grantmakers (e.g., linking mental health to the arts to approach arts funders).

This practice has a name! It’s called Social Prescribing, and at least in the arts field, it’s the connection between the arts and volunteering, programming, and other nonprofit activities. There are other cross-field connections, as you can imagine. Check out whether social prescribing can work for you See the kit from the World Health Organization

Native Americans in Philanthropy: A Guide of Identifiers that Refer to Indigenous Peoples

Native Americans in Philanthropy—The association of grantmakers interested in Native American issues just published an excellent guide to the wording and language to use when talking to or about Native American or Indigenous People.