Fundraising Talks
News and updates from the USM Office of
Advancement Research

Upcoming Events


AASP: John’s Annual IRS Update (Webinar)

When: March 15, 2023


AGN: Segmenting Prospects (Webinar)

When: March 16, 2023


APRA Metro DC Annual Conference

When: March 23, 2023


Apra Fundamentals: Prospect Research (Virtual)

When: March 27, 29 & 31, 2023

Tell Me More...

Looking for funding opportunities? We've identified a few funds that might be useful to you. Visit the links below to learn more about the requirements and deadlines for these opportunities. 


Spencer Foundation (Large research grants)

Deadline: April 27, 2023

 

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – National Coastal Resilience Fund Deadline: April 12, 2023


Environmental Research and Education Foundation

Deadline: May 1, 2023


Contact Us


Sapna Varghese

Director of Advancement Research

301.445.2709


Lois Baker

Prospect Researcher


Bethany Jones

Office Clerk

301.445.1950

Letter from the Director

It feels like we just entered the new year it's hard to believe that we're already in March! Regardless, we are ready for longer days and more sunshine. Last month, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) published findings from the 2022 Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey. Overall, the findings confirm that contributions to US higher education reached their highest level, totaling $59.5 billion in FY 22. It's remarkable that higher education philanthropy performed well amidst economic uncertainty and rising inflation.


The CASE VSE survey, which is considered a definitive source on philanthropic support for nonprofit and public higher education institutions, was based on data on private charitable gifts and grants from 826 participants in FY 22. The survey included two new optional questions which collected data on giving by gift bands and graduation cohorts. Donor-advised funds were considered a separate donor-type in this survey. Other main findings from the survey are as follows:


  • Gifts from all sources increased in 2022, which means both individuals and organizations increased their level of giving. Individual giving comprised of alumni and non-alumni gifts, while organizational giving included gifts from foundations, corporations, DAFs, and others. This is the first time that CASE’s VSE survey counted DAFs separately. Organizations reported the largest share of the gifts (61 percent), followed by alumni (23 percent), and non-alumni individuals (16 percent).
  • Both endowments and current operations received an increase in restricted gifts.
  • Stock market performance seems to have a significant impact on charitable giving, especially major gifts.
  • Contributions to all types of institutions increased, except public master’s and associate’s institutions. Some of the giving may have been impacted by large gifts from MacKenzie Scott.
  • In 2022, colleges and universities received seven gifts of $100 million or more. These donations were made by four foundations, two donor advised funds, and one living individual. None of these seven gifts were from corporations or bequests.
  • Among a total of 217 respondents, the average number of gifts received by institutions totaled $81.76 million from 13,165 gifts.
  • 200 institutions responded to a question about alumni giving by graduation cohort, which showed that those who graduated 21 years ago gave 88.9 percent of total alumni support while more recent graduates gave 11.2 percent of the total. Alumni participation rate was higher for those who graduated earlier.


The findings from this CASE survey are valuable as it focused specifically on charitable giving to colleges and universities in the U.S. This allows institutions to compare and benchmark where they stand among others in the nation. We can also use these findings to increase our own gifts from foundations and bequests. Institutions should focus on engaging and cultivating alumni early to create stronger relationships with them. We wish you a wonderful spring! As always, please feel free to reach out to us with questions, comments or any assistance with fundraising research!


Best Regards,

Sapna and USM Advancement Research Team

Did you know?


The University System of Maryland Foundation has access to a library of recorded webinars from the Annual Giving Network (AGN) that you may watch at any time from your computer. While we cannot currently gather in person for professional development events, this work from home period provides a great opportunity for you to learn on your own time! Please click here to see what webinars are available from AGN.

 

If you are interested, please email Linda Bowman (lbowman@usmd.edu) and she will help you access these webinars for free. Please do not try to access these webinars on your own, as you will be charged a fee.


Please also note that the Foundation only has access to free AGN webinars, not workshops. Workshops are available at a marginally discounted rate.

Corporate and Business Research Resources for Non-Business Majors

Are your prospects part of the business sector or corporate sector? Do you find that you have trouble researching these professionals because you yourself did not study business? Connections by APRA has three useful tips that can help you become more well-versed in speaking your business professional prospect's language. First, consider utilizing your institution's campus library and the many databases available to you through the library. Your institution may even have a dedicated business librarian. Next, Connections suggests checking out the Network for Academic Corporate Relations Officers, a professional development community for those working in higher education and tasked with facilitating collaboration within the industry. Lastly, Connections suggests using Investopedia, a free resource full of business terms. Click here to read the article and to see a full list of corporate and business sources Connections has compiled.

Seven Ways to Prioritize Donor Acquisition and Retention This Year

According to NonProfitPRO, industry benchmarks reveal that only 23 percent of first-time online donors return, compared to 64 percent of existing online donors. As we know, nonprofits have continued to raise more funds from fewer donors. How can our institutions prioritize donor acquisition and retention this year? We must cultivate existing donors by creating a vibrant email calendar with impact statements and messages of gratitude. Make giving easy for your donors and understand that it's not possible to retain 100 percent of your donors. Message to distinct existing donor segments and tailor your messaging to these segments. Leverage multiple channels from email to direct mail to text message. Set up automations such as a second-gift ask six months after a donor's initial gift. Click here to read the full list of suggestions.

Abductive Reasoning in Prospect Research: Critical Thinking and the Logic of the Best Guess in Research and Consultation

Abductive reasoning is the logic of the maybe in other words, it involves forming a conclusion for the information that is known. On the other hand, deductive logic eliminates possibilities until one viable conclusion remains. Abductive reasoning is more flexible because it allows space for the creation of new ideas. These concepts can easily be applied to your own prospect research. In this article by Connections, the author describes an imaginary prospect and walks through what we can deduce about the prospect using abductive logic. Click here to read more.

Forbes Leadership Leadership Strategy The State Of Corporate Citizenship And Philanthropy In 2023

A recent report, From Crisis to Opportunity: Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy in 2023 by the Conference Board's ESG Center summarizes how 56 public and private companies giving and volunteering played out in 2022, their expectations for 2023, and how their giving levels and strategies are determined. Findings include the following:

  • Leaders see a lack of resources as their biggest obstacle to reaching their philanthropic goals this year
  • Racial equity continues to be a priority and major financial allocation for more than 90 percent of companies
  • A large majority of those surveyed used their philanthropic budgets to respond to the war in the Ukraine in 2022
  • Many companies are rethinking what comes under the umbrella of philanthropic giving


Click here to read a full summary of the findings.

Twelve Tax-Smart Charitable Giving Tips for 2023

With today's ongoing market volatility and economic uncertainty, it's more important than ever for donors to embrace a tax-smart approach to charitable giving in order to achieve maximum impact on the causes they support. An article from Schwab Charitable lists 12 ways to increase donor impact:


1. Donate appreciated non-cash assets instead of cash. 

2. Combine tax-loss harvesting with a cash gift. 

3. Give private business interests. 

4. Contribute restricted stock. 

5. Bunch multiple years of charitable contributions in tax year 2023. 

6. Combine charitable giving with investment portfolio rebalancing. 

7. Offset the tax liability on converting a retirement account to a Roth IRA. 

8. Offset the tax liability on a retirement account withdrawal. 

9. Leave a legacy by naming a charity as a beneficiary of IRA assets. 

10. Establish a charitable trust. 

11. Use a donor-advised fund account as a component of any of the 10 strategies above. 

12. Satisfy an IRA RMD through a non-taxable qualified charitable distribution (QCD).


Click here to read the full article.