Fundraising Talks
News and updates from the USM Office of
Advancement Research
The next generation of philanthropists is interested in results-oriented approaches to giving that will save and improve lives. In this article, Barrons.com highlights who they believe are the next generation of philanthropists - people such as Justin and Valerie Rockefeller and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha. The article also delves into each philanthropists' ideas on giving and what issues matter most to them.
For most nonprofits, end-of-year fundraising success is crucial. Bloomerang cautions against making the following five mistakes that can lead to year-end fundraising disaster. First, avoid not segmenting your emails. Make sure you are sending appeals and emails to the correct audiences and reaching the right people. Next, avoid not thanking a donor or reporting back before you ask again - late is better than never. Don't forget personalization in email appeals - make sure subject lines address your donors by name to get their attention. Remember to test run your emails before you send them out to avoid any errors. Finally, make sure you are making the ask multiple times in your appeals and sending your appeals often, even if it feels as though you are sending too many emails.
Successful fundraising, no matter if its for large capital campaigns, an annual fund, or a specific event, can benefit from gift charting. According to Philanthropy Daily, the fundamental idea behind a gift chart is that you will raise most of your money from a small number of donors contributing major gifts. A gift chart helps you understand how this looks for your particular fundraising initiative. Click here to see how Philanthropy Daily builds a gift chart, step-by-step.
Having a strong major donor base has never been more important. For many organizations, major donors provided a lifeline during the pandemic. Because major donors already have an established relationship with the organization, fundraisers have the opportunity to engage these donors and make them transformational givers. In order to do this at your own institutions, make sure you are having engaging and personalized conversations with your major donors to make them feel included in your mission. Donors want to hear about the impact of their giving and want to know how their gifts have been used. Ensure that your donors feel as though they are partners in the work your organization performs to ultimately make them ambassadors for your organization. Read more here.
With the authorization of the Pfizer vaccine on December 11, it stands to reason there will be implications for colleges, universities, and schools, according to EAB. This brief article provides a summary of vaccine development, the next steps the country is planning for distribution and production, and the impact the vaccine will have on colleges and universities. Click here to read the full article.
This opinion piece from World Economic Forum suggests that after COVID-19, universities could increase fundraising if they expand their social purposes off-campus. The authors also urge universities to become less isolated in their social agenda and fundraising actions. The article suggests that this shift has already been happening in the world of philanthropy with many foundations turning their attention and investments to support social issues such as racial justice, public interest journalism, and more. If higher education were to follow this lead, they could attract the younger generation of donors who are seeking to make deep and measurable impacts with their gifts. Read more here.