Category Archives: Fundraising Insights

Review of 2024 Reports on Donor Advised Funds

Review of 2024 Reports on Donor Advised Funds

By Elisa Shoenberger

In the past few weeks, two big reports on donor advised funds (DAF) in the US were released. The findings are pretty fascinating and can help reorient your thinking of how to approach DAF advisors for your organization.

The 2024 National Study on Donor Advised Funds (NSDAF) undertook the largest study of DAFs in the US so far by working with 111 DAFs to parse their data from 2014-2022. One of the most interesting findings is that 81% of DAFs in the study were opened after 2010 with 25% or more opened after 2020. That is astonishing! That means that most DAF advisors are relatively new to having a DAF.

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groups of people interconnected

Donor Segmentation: How To Create Personalized Appeals

As a nonprofit professional, you’re always searching for the best ways to improve your fundraising efforts and maximize the use of data captured from your campaigns . And with donor acquisition costing 10 times more than retention, you know how crucial it is to secure long-term support.

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How to Assess Your Fundraising Campaign’s Success: 3 Tips

People discussing a project at a desk

Whether you’re managing a large-scale capital campaign or a small GivingTuesday push, understanding your fundraisers’ wins and failures can better prepare you for campaigns in the future. However, with so many moving parts at play, it can be challenging to pinpoint your success indicators and understand how to measure them. 

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How Prospect Research Brings Confidence to Your Prospect Meetings

How Prospect Research Brings Confidence to Your Prospect Meetings

We know that the best way to raise money for our organizations is through face-to-face relationships with our prospects. Like any relationship, we must put in time and effort. But sometimes, you need more than a company biography or what is in your organization’s database to establish that connection and maintain it. Knowing how to find the right information can be a struggle.

That is where prospect research comes in. Using public information and internal information from your organization (if available), prospect research can help figure out how to better cultivate the person. Research will help you learn more about the prospect and give you the confidence to deepen that relationship.

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Key Environmental Fundraising Tips

People recycling plastic, paper, and aluminum

Your nonprofit fundraises to further your social good impact, but have you ever considered how your fundraisers impact the environment?

Consider the following ways you can make your operations greener, all while maximizing donations, boosting donor retention, and increasing ROI for your organization: 

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How to Build a Strategic Plan for Your Nonprofit: 5 Steps

Three people are looking at a computer screen

When you think about your nonprofit’s future, what do you envision? 

You might think about serving more constituents, diversifying your source of fundraising revenue, expanding your volunteer program, or hiring more employees. Whatever your specific vision is, you’ll need a clear plan on your side to help you get there. 

That’s where a nonprofit strategic plan comes in, in which you identify how you’re going to reach your long-term goals. 

To set your organization up for success with strategic planning, we’ve put together this quick guide that will cover all the basics you need to know, including five steps for building out your strategic plan. Let’s begin. 

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Warning! Check your Fuel Gauge BEFORE Campaign Launch.

Warning! Check your Fuel Gauge BEFORE Campaign Launch.

Imagine that you board a plane and just when you have reached altitude, the pilot comes on over the microphone and tells you that although you are scheduled to land in two hours, there is no fuel gauge. The pilot tells you they are optimistic and determined to arrive on time anyway. Would you believe me if I told you this is the way many organizations start their capital campaigns? It’s true!

Knowing how much fuel is in the tank is critical before flying an airplane. Similarly, knowing the gift potential in your donor database is critical information before launching a campaign.

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Review of Charitable Giving by Affluent Households

Review of Charitable Giving by Affluent Households – Part 2

What is this Report?

The 2023 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy report is the 9th biennial examination about philanthropic attitudes, priorities, and more for affluent US households in 2022. It is written as a collaboration between Bank of America and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. It is based on 1,623 wealthy US households, defined as either a net worth $1M+ or annual household income of $200K+. The average mean income was $523,472 and average mean wealth of $31M.

The report was full of so much valuable information, we decided to split it into two blog posts.

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4 Donor Appreciation Events to Boost Engagement & Retention

Your donors are what make your mission possible. From simply keeping the lights on to making an impact in your community and beyond, your donors make it all happen. Showing your thanks for their generosity in meaningful ways is crucial for keeping donors engaged, retaining their support, and scaling their gifts over time.

Appreciation events are a great option for your staff and board to connect with donors in new ways, beyond the traditional thank-you notes and phone calls (which are, of course, still necessary!). From treating donors to a fun outing or activity to publicly recognizing them for their support, these thank-you event ideas make your donors feel appreciated and help boost their long-term commitment to your cause.

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