Director’s Message

As of June 1, 2020

 COVID-19 has affected and probably changed our lives all over the world, Here are a few of past items still very pertinent today. PSI wants to wish all of you the best of health and fortitude to handle these changes.

• Tune in to the weekly podcast on how to continue fundraising during this period, presented by Dr. Tim Seiler, former director of The Fund Raising School.  https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/professional-development/podcast/index.html.
• Here is valuable information for private and parochial schools:  Council for American Private Education (CAPE) announced that the US Senate Passed COVID-19 relief bill.  Check their website for more information.
• Also check on the Federal CARES Act.
• Above all, keep in touch with your donors, let them know how much you value them, inform them on how your organization is doing, and in general, remain proactive in communication.

It’s always good to look ahead and plan accordingly.  A great resource is the Philanthropic Outlook for 2020-2021, published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy–https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/research/current-research/index.html.  If you peruse their website you will find much valuable information from the various schools or institutes, as well as their research.

Here are reminders of the many ways PSI can serve you:

PSI NETWORK CONNECT–PSI’s mentoring program has experienced great success since the 2018 Conference on Philanthropy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Twenty mentorship partners have completed the one-year program and others are still ongoing. Our knowledgeable, talented mentors have expressed their desire to assist others to grow and flourish in their positions. No matter your position — college president, VP for Advancement, non-profit leaders, development director, alumni director, and so many more — we have mentors who have successfully walked in your shoes and are eager to help you navigate your journey. It’s a time-honored practice that has served society well. Visit our website for more information http://philanthropicservice.com/resources/mentoring/ or contact Charlotte Henderson, PSI Network Connect Manager at mentoringprogram@nadadventist.org

ALUMNI HANDBOOK–PSI now has produced a volume that will be helpful for academy personnel, especially fundraisers, on managing an alumni program.  Thanks to Charlotte Henderson, author of this guide, we now have materials to assist you in reaching out to your alumni, particularly in doing fundraising.  Our appreciation to Charlotte for undertaking this task on behalf of PSI.  You can purchase this from AdventSource.org.

Although specifically designed for academies, there are materials in this handbook that could be useful for higher ed as well, which is why we’ve included you in this announcement.

SOON TO COME—a French translation of Successful Fundraising, which joins the set of handbooks provided by PSI on fundraising.  We have a version suitable for churches and church organizations, one for general use such as by academies, a Canadian version, and a Spanish language translation.

DON’T FORGET—especially as you might be housebound, PSI has two ways you can learn via the Internet.  First, check out our webinars on PSI’s website under Resources.  Second, visit the Adventist Learning Community and take the course– Open the ALC website (www.AdventistLearningcommunity.com) and search PSI to find the courses: Understanding and Implementing Fundraising: PSI Essential Principles and Practical Applications, Courses 1-5.

SEARCHING FOR FUNDERS—PSI has the capability to assist you in finding foundation resources, and thanks to Bev Habada, now has a compilation of donors who might be interested in Adventist causes.  Write oksanawetmore@nadadventist.org.

DON’T FORGET—to view our website periodically where you will find additional materials, such as Your Future in Fundraising and other information.  Thanks to Mark Lindemann, the site is kept active and up to date.

Due to budget constraints, we have to cut some programs that PSI has offered.  The Career Opportunities program is closed down, and for now we are not able to take any new MAP applicants.  If you have questions, please contact Randy Fox at PSI.

PSI has prepared two documents about fundraising strategies that may be of interest to you. One is a summary of a webinar on monthly giving, presented by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The other is a compilation of text-to-give platforms. If you’re interested in these please send me an e-mail. Thanks to Oksana Wetmore-Martinez for preparing these items. According to an expert in social media, Nathan Hand, “it’s still widely believed that texting campaigns are best for urgent needs, disasters, etc. and they are not seeing a lot of success outside of that area. That said, some churches are having success leveraging it as a ‘digital offering plate’ and sending a scheduled text during the service that people can reply to – as fewer and fewer people are carrying cash/checks.”

The NonProfit Times published an article on three things to watch in nonprofit finance and fundraising. In the December 2019 issue Brian Mittendorf wrote about “Following the Money,” and the three important points he listed are:

The Full Effect of the Tax Law Constraints on Donor-Advised Funds Giving Around the 2020 Election

If you don’t get this useful newspaper, we can share a copy of this article with you.

Along the same themes, Cynthia M. Lewin wrote in The NonProfit Times, also in the December 2019 issue, about “The Winds of Change,” and stated that regulation, taxes and donors are all in the danger zone. While some predictions may not happen or might be mild, as I’ve seen in my long experience, it’s always good to be aware and be prepared.

Given these issues and possibly challenges to our work, it would be good to review a survey prepared by Penelope Burk on what donors want, and published in the February 2020 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. “What Donors Are Thinking” comes from the Cygnus Applied Research and contains concise bits of information that can help us assess how we reach out to prospects and donors.

As we anticipate the information from “Giving USA,” we can also learn from a report issued by the Blackbaud Institute, which stated that overall giving was flat in 2019, while online fundraising jumped 6.8%. As published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, reporter Emily Haynes wrote, “Overall giving grew the most at midsize nonprofits, which saw an increase of 3.2 percent, according to a study conducted by the Blackbaud Institute, the research arm of the software company.” https://institute.blackbaud.com/resources/

PSI now offers a new service and handbook to our academies! Thanks to Charlotte Henderson, a PSI consultant, we have a hot-off-the-press handbook for academies on how to manage alumni programs. Find out more about this new edition to PSI’s helpful group of books by clicking on this special link to AdventSource. The volume is Adventist Academy Alumni Guide. We know this will be helpful to all academies, and other educational institutions can also benefit from the counsel.

There was positive news for education fundraisers. This was reported in the February 6, 2020, The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, “Giving to Universities Grows 6.1% as Grant Makers Lead the Way.”

Sooner or later any one of us might wish to see “What’s out there” and consider a job change. Just a reminder that we post jobs and resumes on PSI’s website, and we’re happy to help you think about your next step. Check out Our free book which you can download from our website, Your Future in Fundraising.” There are also many useful sites if you want to conduct a broader search, such as ANA Nonprofit Careers. Published every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. ET, employment listings are limited to those in or directly supporting the nonprofit sector. Posting is complimentary for ANA member nonprofit organizations. Access the latest edition of ANA Nonprofit Careers here.

To end on a light note, do you ever feel like you’re out of step, like this student? Enjoy the month!

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As of February 3, 2020

We are already in February and many of us have been battling the elements—blizzards, rainstorms, cold spells, gloom and much else. If you’ve enjoyed sunny and at least fairly warm climates, we’re glad for you! It’s also a good time of the year to forge ahead with our fundraising plans and activities and to remind ourselves what a difference we make. As PSI has been making follow-up calls or sending e-mails to the organizations and people we’ve worked with, we want to thank those of you who sent complimentary or grateful notes. We all need to know that we’re significant in bettering the human condition, and also realize we’re likely to be criticized since what we do isn’t easy, and there are many elements in our success that we need to consider and handle. In that light, I thought the following would be a good reminder to all of us:

Some of our challenges are perennial, such as board activity. The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s journal published a helpful article on “Ten Things Your Board Should Know About Philanthropy,” by Bill Littlejohn. You can find this article at www.ahp.org/connect, Spring 2019. As always, if you can’t pull these up or don’t get the journals referenced, write to me for a copy.

Donor-Advised Funds are a resource about which we frequently get questions. Please write us for how-to and advice articles that can help you understand how this tool works and how you can also explain this to your volunteers and colleagues.

Do you get questions from donors as to what the Church does with tithe and offerings? Here is a good article that is referenced in a useful document that explains this issue quite thoroughly– An official statement of guidelines on the use of tithe can be found on the North American Division’s (NAD) website by clicking this link. Principles regarding the use of tithe, policies regarding the use of tithe: functions for which tithe may be used and shall not be used, and an administration of tithe funds position statement can be found in this article. Feel free to write for the rest of this document if you need this resource in answering questions. The reason this comes up is because donors sometimes wonder why Conferences, Unions and churches can’t just get projects done with the money members give.

EveryAction (https://www.everyaction.com/about) has published a document about 2020 fundraising trends to watch. In fact, if you Google “2020 fundraising trends” you’ll find some interesting suggestions and analyses. Of course, given the proliferation and abundance of information, consultants, documents and more about fundraising, be careful about what you take time to read and believe. Use your judgment and make sure the information is solid and not the product of charlatans, which regrettably we have in our profession!

There are many more “hot topics” we could address in this short newsletter and some of the latest are mid-level donors, the challenges of being a fundraiser, how donors choose to give or choose to leave us, the on-going importance of telling donors what their gifts do, and items about nonprofits in general. One of is a truly helpful article in NonProfitPRO.com, “The New Nonprofit Model—Organizational Sustainability Through Leadership and Mission.” For any topics that you need, questions you need answered, concerns you have, and latest trends, write to us since one of the ways PSI serves is to have many resources available.

And since we’ve referenced nonprofits, it would be useful to peruse an article in the January 2020 The Chronicle of Philanthropy on “The Trust Crisis” which addresses how the public’s declining regard for nonprofits may hurt fundraising and related activities. It’s better to be proactive and aware, and take recommended steps, than to go into decline.

To end on a happy note, remember that Valentine’s Day is coming and it’s a good time to not just thank donors but also our volunteers and staff, and be grateful that we have the opportunity to work in such a worthwhile profession!

Happy New Year!  We hope you had a well-deserved break and ended the year in high spirits!  A useful article was published by The NonProfit Times late in 2019 recapping the year and giving an outlook for 2020.  This was in the September 1, 2019 issue, www.thenonprofittimes.com.  There’s no doubt that 2020 will provide us with many challenges, but I have no doubt we can turn them into opportunities, at least for the most part!

A sobering article appeared on this website: CLICK HERE.  We know that a person’s faith values guide almost all giving, so it’s highly significant that we explain the values our causes represent, since fundraising, as no doubt you already know, is an exchange of values.

Also on that topic, The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update published an article about which types of organizations have been or will be most affected—

“Youth, Education, and Health Groups Hit Hardest by the Sharp Decline in Americans Who Give,” by Emily Haynes.  “Some 20 million Americans who gave to charity in 2000 had stopped giving by 2016, a new study shows.”  This certainly is a serious matter for many of the NAD organizations!

The NonProfit Times published a practical item in November of 2019 about privacy laws, “January is Coming Soon—Complying With New Consumer Privacy Laws in 2020.”  Privacy issues are increasingly problematic today, so it’s best to review these regulations and be conversant with them.

Since all of PSI’s friends, clients and constituents are faith-based and many are closely church-related, here is a study that is most credible, published by the Lake Institute for Faith and Giving, based at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy:   The National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices.  This is available at the following website, along with many other helpful items–CLICK HERE.

No doubt our readers are familiar with www.give.org, because we refer to this a great deal, not just for the charity ratings but also to be aware of what donors expect today (these are listed in the qualifications for approval).  Now there is additional information available of which we should be aware as our donors become more savvy.  Even if your organization isn’t listed on either site, we should comply with these qualifications and expectations.  Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily update, November 22, 2019, “New Ratings Site Measures Charity Impact, Goes Beyond Financial Data”, by Michael Theis.  While the Fundraising Fitness Test and related tools are truly valuable, we can’t forget the less-quantifiable aspects of our work.

Don’t forget the many ways PSI can help you in 2020, via our materials such as books or on-line resources, through phone consulting, on-site visits by PSI and astute and experienced consultants, and more.  Please peruse our website so you are aware of how PSI can assist you and also remember what no-cost or low-cost help is available.  We are here to serve YOU!  In that vein…

December is here, and it’s a good time to think about year-end giving, legacy/planned gifts, and many kinds of celebrations. On that note, here is a news item by a leading planned giving expert, Dr. Russell James, who was recently featured in a podcast of The Fund Raising School (you can subscribe to those, free of charge and they appear every Monday). Dr. James commented: “Childlessness is the number-one predictor of both the frequency and size of bequests or planned gifts. It’s more significant than any other factor. And even if you’re working with donors who are not childless, we have found in experiments (as well as in actual practice) that one of the best approaches is to suggest gifts in honor of family members as memorial gifts.”

Along those same lines, here is some information sent to us by Tom Evans, recently retired treasurer of the NAD, which is valuable for us to know during these complicated times. Final regulations confirm: Making large gifts now won’t harm estates after 2025, IR-2019-189, WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today issued final regulations confirming that individuals taking advantage of the increased gift and estate tax exclusion amounts in effect from 2018 to 2025 will not be adversely impacted after 2025 when the exclusion amount is scheduled to drop to pre-2018 levels. Treasury Decision 9884, available today in the Federal Register, implements changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the tax reform legislation enacted in December 2017. Though the final regulations largely adopt the proposed regulations published last November, they also include clarifying technical language addressing concerns raised in several public comments as well as four examples which, among other things, illustrate the impact of inflation adjustments. As a result, individuals planning to make large gifts between 2018 and 2025 can do so without concern that they will lose the tax benefit of the higher exclusion level once it decreases after 2025.

Important update—PSI has recently updated its list of available software for donor databases. Please write us if you would like this information and are looking to purchase software for your donor records.

Do your donors trust you and your organization? According to an article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 “Trust Gap Persists for Charities, and It Hurts Giving, Study Says,” by Michael Theis. Please consider what you can do to improve or maintain trust in YOUR organization. Steps to take would include thanking the donor immediately and reporting on use of their donation, transparency in financial matters, sharing information regularly on use of donations, personal contact, and more. If you need this article, please write me.

Also congruent with the concept of trust is the matter of tainted money. Although this article addresses mainly universities and possible problems (given some of the headlines we’re seeing today regarding bribery at universities) the suggestions and analyses are relevant for all of us. In The Chronicle of Higher Education, OCTOBER 31, 2019, Universities Are Facing Criticism for Taking Dirty Money. Do Their Donor Policies Protect Them?, by Francie Diep.

Perhaps summing up the above information is this article which contains wise giving advice for this special time of the year— You want to give to charity. How to do it smartly and not be scammed?

“Donating to a charity can be fraught with fraud. The key is research. A smart donor, experts say, scrutinizes the intended recipient as carefully as studying vacation venues or 401(k) investment possibilities.” Read in Miami Herald: Click here

But since this is the season for giving and for remembering where our gifts come from, let’s end on a happy note! I have much more information along these lines, if you need it. “Giving to Charity Creates Sustained Happiness, by Dan Parks, The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, November 5, 2019.

We at PSI wish you a productive end of the year, a happy holiday season, and a blessed new year to come!

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Online giving is always of interest to fundraisers and it’s an ever-changing scene. Some mixed results were described in an April 25, 2019 article in the The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, “Online Giving Didn’t Outpace Inflation in 2018, but Monthly Donations are on the Rise.” Online giving grew just 1% in 2018 and it was the smallest increase in digital donations in 13 years. This is probably due to a mix of factors, according to a study, including possible effects of the new tax laws. As always, if you don’t have access to this article and any others we mention, please write me.

A related article was published in The NonProfit Times, September 1, 2019, “Recap and 2020 Outlook,” which stated that tax issues weigh heavily on bottom lines. The article, by Shannon McCracken, describes the effects of taxes on charitable giving.

A most useful study was recently released by the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving (lfi@iupui.edu), the National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices. This includes generosity figures and facts by congregations in the United States.

As most of our constituents, clients and readers know, PSI is involved in a major, national project, Growth in Giving and its major component, the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. An excellent article on this project’s data and results was published by Paul Clolery in The NonProfit Times on September 5, 2019. As the article states, “No matter how you count it, by any metric you use, fundraising and the number of donors plunged during the first six months of 2019 when compared to the same period of 2018.” The article provides data to substantiate this statement and also offers some rationale as to why this has occurred. A most valuable, research-supported look at fundraising today throughout all sectors of the United States.

PLEASE NOTE: PSI is discontinuing offering NAEIR to our constituents and clients. We have been able to help a significant number of schools and some churches, but at the same time have discovered some hidden costs that no longer make this a productive service of PSI. We’re glad we could provide assistance to several schools and if others wish to investigate how to acquire non-philanthropic or non-cash gifts, please write me.

For the higher ed professionals in Adventist institutions, a new report published by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) provides a global snapshot on voluntary support. Most interesting to discover how collegial as well as global higher ed institutions are doing in fundraising. Read here

Social media continue to be valuable tools for fundraising, and should be part of every organization’s toolbox for fundraising. But use of these tools should be handled wisely. “The Pros and Cons of Facebook Fundraising” appeared in the The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update on August 9, 2019. Again, feel free to write me for a copy of this article if you don’t receive the Chronicle.

PSI’s friend and colleague Steve Reed had an article published in the Healthcare Philanthropy Journal, Spring 2019, on developing a culture for philanthropy, an ideal state of affairs for ANY nonprofit organization. “How a Culture for Philanthropy Enables Fundraising Performance” is for healthcare organizations but also contains suggestions for shifting from a culture of philanthropy to a culture for philanthropy, and in his article the reader can discover how to ensure organizational systems, processes and policies support donor needs and enhance fundraising capabilities.

Also PSI’s friend and colleague Darryl Allen of the Mentorship Institute—Chicagoland will be offering a workshop on “Social and Emotional Leadership, Transforming Culture,” specifically designed for leaders of small schools and nonprofits, on February 2 and 3, 2020, in Oakland, California. For more information, write Prof. Darryl E. Allen at da.prof.mgmt@gmail.com. This will be held at the Golden Gate Academy in Oakland, California. His co-host will be Cliff Wright, Jr.

Are you tired? Fundraisers generally complain they don’t get enough support, they’re given unrealistic goals, they lack resources, and more. Some solutions are offered in the August 7 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, “How to Keep Fundraisers from Leaving Their Jobs.”

Finally, a positive item of counsel, which also reminds me to remind you to view a new addition to PSI’s website, Positive Points to Ponder, found on the top right-hand side of our website. The advice below certainly is relevant to us as fundraisers! Until next time…

l

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We hope that all of you had a good Labor Day weekend, especially if school has already started for you! And a special wish to all our fundraisers who labor all year ‘round to ensure financial resources!

A special report of interest is the Millennial Impact Report, which you can download here: http://www.themillennialimpact.com/ This covers helpful information on how and why millennials engage in supporting causes.

The NonProfit Times, May 1, 2019, reported that “Online Giving Flat in 2018 As Open Rates Drop.” The article on this research stated that there are probably many causes for this. For example, one quarter of the revenue raised through Facebook was probably due to #Giving Tuesday. If you don’t receive NonProfit Times, write me.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals published the AFP Compensation and Benefits Study, which may be significant for both fundraisers and employers in determining fair salaries. The summary article by Melissa S. Brown, a friend of PSI, appeared in the July 2019 issue of Advancing Philanthropy. While the mean and median compensation amounts both rose, only 32% benefited from increases of more than 3%. More AFP members saw an increase of between 1% and 3%, or just around the rate of inflation, and 23% saw no change.

Also in Advancing Philanthropy, July 2019, was an article that PSI has permission to share and which might be highly useful when asking our colleagues and teams to help us in fundraising—“Are Your Money Beliefs Sabotaging Your Fundraising Success?” by Amy Varga. Perceptions and misperceptions about fundraising persist, and we should be prepared to ethically and professionally deal with these.

Planned-giving data are difficult to determine, but a new report from FreeWill, a company that provides free online estate-planning tools, analyzed plans and bequests made via their platform, and concluded that there’s a great deal of possibility for this gift, which is often underutilized by fundraisers, whether because of lack of knowledge or time, or even understanding of the enormous value (no pun intended!) of these gifts! This report was referenced in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Daily Update, August 28, 2019.

Giving Days have become increasingly more significant and are far more than a “flash in the pan.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update had a useful article, “8 Ways Giving Days Are Evolving,” by Heather Joslyn, April 30, 2019. This might be a great way to involve volunteers in a fundraising effort.

Finally, an interesting book, Giving Done Right, by Phil Buchanan, offers suggestions on Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count, as the subtitle suggests, that sometimes business practices are not suitable for nonprofits, especially when there is a need for productive relationships. This is a thought-provoking book, especially when compared with some of Peter Drucker’s groundbreaking work.

Finally, remember the oft-repeated advice on how to tell a story. Make it concise, straight, factual but also heartwarming. Avoid the path on the right! 

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As of August 1, 2019

We extend a warm and hearty welcome to Oksana Wetmore-Martinez, who joined the PSI staff in July! We are most grateful to have her on board. Oksana is a recent graduate of Southern Adventist University with her bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor is business administration. After graduating, she briefly worked with ADRA International’s donor relations department, where she was introduced to the field of fundraising. She has also worked alongside the communications team at the Columbia Union Conference during a summer internship where she was able to strengthen her skills in the field on public relations/communications. Oksana is starting her professional career as the newest member of PSI as a Senior Office Assistant. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her new husband and puppy.

A fundraising tool that is often forgotten is the concept of matching gifts by companies or employers. This is just one way that our constituents and clients can be involved in our fundraising. If you need some guidance about this, please write me. Experts say there’s much money waiting to be donated, if only the employee gets involved.

We would all like to think our worthy causes are trustworthy, but unfortunately many don’t agree with this state of affairs. In the June 20, 2019, issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the following article stated the facts: “A Third of People Globally Lack Confidence in Charities, Gallup Study Says,” by Julian Wyllie. In the United States, 60% of respondents to a survey said they trusted charities, and 27% said they did not. Nations in Central America and Eastern Europe were among the least trusting. Write me if you need this article. This certainly should cause us to think about accountability and transparency, and what we do to help our donors and constituents trust us.

Recently we downloaded a sample briefing document which we can share with you. This would be most useful as not only you but also your volunteers prepare for a face-to-face visit. If you wish to have this form, please contact us. Along with this document which is useful for preparation, an article published by grahampelton.com, a major consulting firm, provides good ideas on face-to-face solicitation: “The most effective way to converse with a donor.” The first suggestion is to do more listening!! Also available if you write me.

For those of you tracking philanthropic giving in 2018, the Giving USA research has been published, and last year was a tough one for many charities even though the overall economy was strong: Donations declined 1.7 percent, to $427.7 billion, according to the annual “Giving USA” report released by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The information in this report is truly worth knowing. Check out this website: Click here

Finally, an interesting update about an event that made a big splash five years ago! Remember the ice bucket challenge? Quite a few updates have been published on the Internet. This was a one-time event that can’t be replicated, for various reasons. Read about it on various Internet sites where which have many news articles and updates.

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BIGGEST AND BEST news is that PSI now has a complete series of webinars on our website which coordinates with the general version of Successful Fundraising. You can pick and choose just one which fits your needs or you can go through the series for a good learning or review experience. Many thanks to Mark Lindemann and our webinar presenters. And this is FREE! Here are the notable presenters:

Erik Daubert – Major gifts
Sung Kwon – Transparency and accountability
Don Pursley – Debt payment
Barbara Ciconte – Should you hire a fundraising consultant
Tyrone Freeman – Volunteers
Bobbie Donahue – Selecting the right campaign
Kristin Priest – Special projects
Michael Brown – Alternative revenue resources
Alphonse Brown – Boards and committees
Vivi Kelly – Phonathons
David Sternberg – Capital campaigns, annual fund
Marnie Maxwell – Planning for fundraising
David Colwell – Finding donors
Nathan Hand – Is social media here to stay?
Tim Seiler – Donor relations
Lou Gehring – Making a case, part 1
LuAnn Davis – Making a case, part 2
Stephanie Johnson – Proposal writing parts 1 and 2
Randy Fox – Fundraising Fitness Test
Tom Wetmore – Legal aspects

And since we’re on the subject of learning and training, please remember that we have a great lending library (you can find the titles on this website) plus a vast collection of other items right on my computer which I can send to you. Feel free to contact us for any information you need. If we don’t have it, we know where to get it!

News from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative regarding philanthropic giving:

Melissa Brown, who directs this collaborative, reported that the most recent NRC survey was fielded in early 2019, and results will be released in April. Topline results:

•      Overall, 63% saw giving increase (63% in US; 60% Canada), same as in 2017.
•      Giving dropped at 25% of orgs, which is basically the same share that reported a drop in 2017, when we reported one of the best years ever. (25% in USA; 30% in Canada)
•      The share seeing the same level of giving is also similar to 2017, 12% overall; 12% in USA, 10% in Canada.
•      71% met goal. vs. 75% last year (but the sample this year is too small to say that the difference is statistically significant)
•      The press heavily reported that the big donors changed their giving; but just 3% of the NPOs surveyed in the NRC survey attributed any change they saw to the tax law.
•      Local economies matter. One participant wrote about a terrific economy in Dallas. Another spoke of wildfires and how response to those disasters took precedence so donors gave there at year end.

A good reason for engaging volunteers in our organizations was described in the Chronicle of Philanthropy Daily Update, APRIL 15, 2019—”Most Volunteers Serve Multiple Groups and Want Recognition, Not Gifts, as Thanks, Report Says,” By Julian Wyllie. If you want the full article and don’t get the Chronicle, write me.

Finally, one more reminder to not forget how vital communication is for us in fundraising—face-to-face, responsiveness, attentiveness, and timeliness! 

The modern update on the old version

This is what is happening these days

lilyawagner@nadadventist.org

Mobile:  317-250-8274

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