Corporate Matching Gifts
Roughly $2 – $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs annually. However, an estimated $6 – $10 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year.
Giving USA 2023
I think our key takeaway is that Americans are generous people who gave generously and some factors cloud a bit what we take away from the top-line numbers of giving. If we understand the two points above, it helps us put into a deeper perspective that last year was a very strong year for giving and that we have lots of reason to be optimistic for 2023.
Who Gives?
90% of fundraising is cultivation and 10% of stewardship is solicitation. Unfortunately, many organizations have that reversed and then they're left wondering why people aren't supporting them at deeper levels.
Building Relationships Through Shared Values
When we engage donors in a values exchange around their passion for our shared vision and values, that experience and relational exchange becomes unique to our relationship. It’s metaphysical, not utilitarian-based. I’m not selling widgets; I am creating an exchange of values.
Leading Organizational Change
This tool functions like a road map, highlighting seven things helpful in creating conversation and equipping people, as part of a direct approach to organizational change.
10 Ways to Foster Giving Habits
As we venture into 2023, I want to bring attention to ways we can foster habits of giving in our relationships. We have a tremendous opportunity to foster giving habits, especially in younger generations who are still forming their habits.
Start the Year Strong
Follow up, so your donors can follow through. Many organizations don’t follow up out of fear that donors will get mad. If the donor is a transaction and your solicitation reflects that, you bet, they will get mad, not because you followed up, but because you are just resending a transactional appeal to them. On the other hand, if you engage them as a relationship that matters, you engage them personally and you share an opportunity to make a difference. That is about building relationships, not getting checks.
Developing Generosity
I hope that this month you take time to ask the question: What are we doing to help our donors know we care and then to lead them into the actions of caring, and affirm them in these actions? Love, Lead, Love. I so appreciate all of you and the decision you have made to make giving a way of life.
Inviting Board Members
Really focus this fall on seeing your board as the intimate heart of the organization, the closest donor constituency you have. As such, ensure that they are invited to invest in your shared values and vision in ways that reflect and honor that relationship.
Rethinking Mission Impact
So, here’s my challenge to you for September: Don’t settle for a fall appeal that just asks people to give. Spend some time and show your donors your real value proposition: how you transform society and how every resource you use is a critical part of that equation, whether it is staff salaries, backpacks for kids, computers, utilities, etc. Show the donor that they are a part of something bigger than themselves and that everything you invest in creates the value that they share with you.
Building Non-Profit Teams
There is a saying that our strengths, when over deployed, become liabilities. This is the case for teams and organizations as well as individuals. When the board over-emphasizes its leadership and position, staff may feel devalued in the equation of success. Staff can do the same thing to volunteers. When volunteers overplay their purely voluntary value, a great asset, they can create a perception that they are less passionate or committed than the staff.
Digital Communication
Pictures and video are powerful tools in your fundraising toolbox. And thanks to a multitude of free, low cost, and easy to use programs, creating visual content has never been easier. Programs such as Canva and Piktochart allow you to upload your own images, add text, and design away. You can create anything from surveys and presentations to infographics and thank you cards.
Leading Through Listening
Listening and reflecting are powerful tools of leadership that are often overlooked. Recently I went through a process of listening that impacted my own clarity in a meaningful way. I thought it would be helpful to share this life experience with you and how the tools of listening and reflecting applied
Renewal in Philanthropy
We often get pressured in this field that we have to keep reinventing donor engagement and find new donors every time there is a concern in the field (economics, labor, giving, etc.). But maybe a better approach is to look at what is old, and yet still effective, and grow it. Then look at what is new and enhance with it.
Building Lasting Relationships
Are you thinking about the lifetime giving value of your relationships as opposed to just how much they gave this year? Remember, a donor who gives for 25 years usually will give a lot more than someone who is a donor for 5 years. Think about the long-term, lifetime giving value of your relationships.
Defining Success
The question remains: How do you define success for your organization? Too often, organizations define success in response to funding opportunities. When funders become the primary ones defining success, organizations can find themselves facing the very challenges described above. However, when organizations define success for themselves, an outcomes-based approach becomes both meaningful and achievable.
Strengthening Relationships
Many organizations don’t follow up out of fear donors will get mad. If the donor is a transaction and your solicitation reflects that, you bet, they will get mad. This is not because you followed up, but because you are just resending a transactional appeal to them. On the other hand, if you engage them personally as a relationship that matters and share an opportunity to make a difference, donors don’t get mad. Instead, they get thankful.
Year-End Giving
December is our big push in the nonprofit sector for donor engagement and giving. A while back I shared a few of the statistics below, but I wanted to pull them back out as a reminder. Forty percent of charitable donations are typically being made in December.
Relational Philanthropy
Strong organizations are built on strong relationships. Relational philanthropy reminds us that lasting impact comes from listening, building trust, and investing in long-term donor partnerships rather than one-time transactions. By nurturing meaningful connections, organizations create lasting change that benefits donors, the mission, and the communities they serve.
November Donor Retention
The final three months of the calendar year are an important time to welcome new donors and invite repeat gifts from previous donors with 40 percent of charitable donations typically being made in December, according to The Fund Raising School.