Fluff Free Fundraising

From Access Philanthropy

____________________

September 2025

NEWS | REPORTS | ANALYSIS

The Power of Strategic Prospecting: 
Find the Right Funders — Not Just Any Funders

Tuesday, November 4, 9am-11am (Zoom) | $99 for One / $125 for Up to Four

Coming in 2026:

National Foundation Funders in Minnesota (February)

PHILANTHROPY NEWS

Are Congressional Earmarks On or Off?

Congressional Earmarks are those Member-supported local funding items that are annually wrapped up into two big funding bills. While most people refer to them as Earmarks, the official names are different: the US House of Representatives calls them Community Project Funding (CPF), and the US Senate calls them Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS).

Every member of Congress participates in getting money for their local projects. For example, in 2025 alone, Minnesota Senators and Representatives requested around $1.85 billion for local projects. 

Senator Amy Klobuchar's submissions include improvements to a YMCA in Alexandria, a fire hall in Spring Grove, a new police station in Le Sueur, a new building at St. Paul’s Como Park Zoo, a new lock and dam system in Richmond Township, replacing bridges in Lakeville, and fixing the Hennepin Avenue suspension bridge in Minneapolis.

Senator Tina Smith’s requests include improving a sanitary system in Plummer, a new emergency services center in Paynesville, preventing flooding of “valuable agricultural land” in Marshall County, a new well and expansion of a wastewater treatment pond in Dennison, a commercial truck driving program at Minnesota State College in Winona, and a new recycling center in Columbia Heights.

This year, it doesn’t look like the Earmarks bills will pass. We’ll see about 2026. Why isn’t everyone supporting these hometown victories? The conservative Peter G. Peterson Foundation recently published an interesting article on Congressional Earmarks, their history, their role in government, and their future.

Hundreds of Philanthropic Organizations Unite Under the “Public Statement From Philanthropy” 

An April piece by the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlighted A Public Statement from Philanthropy that was written by three foundation presidents: McKnight Foundation’s Tonya Allen, MacArthur Foundation’s John Palfrey, and Freedom Together Foundation’s Deepak Bhargava. 

Their piece defends what they see as an assault on their philanthropic freedom. They invited “all charitable giving organizations to join us in this effort to protect our freedom to express ourselves, to give, and to invest in our communities.” It has now garnered more than 720 signatures. 



• These responses, including increased grant-making budgets, serve as a beacon of hope for the future of nonprofit funding. The article notes that many foundations have increased their grant-making budgets in response to the Trump administration's investigation into their diversity practices, taxation of their endowments, and defunding of their grantees.

Freedom Together Foundation’s New Boss, Deepak Bhargava, Is Creating A “Mega-Collaborative” Institution to Protect Democracy & The Rule of Law.

In July, the New York Times reported, “Some of the country’s largest liberal foundations are quietly working to raise at least $250 million to help civil groups push back against President Trump and what they see as his steady drift toward authoritarianism.” This money is reportedly intended for nonpartisan nonprofits, rather than Democratic candidates or committees. 

The group is quiet about much else, including who is among them, leading some to refer to them as “The Huddle.” However, Deepak Bhargava, president of the Freedom Together Foundation (formerly the JPB Foundation), has openly been in conversations with John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, about the effort.



REPORTS AND SURVEYS

Human Rights Funders Network/Peace & Security Funders Report

Many countries have faced threats to their democracy long before the U.S. did. The Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN) and Peace and Security Funders Group believe the U.S. can learn from them. They sought advice from activists from Guatemala, Hungary, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia, Venezuela, and other countries on protecting and rebuilding democracy and civic space in the U.S. 

Here are their top takeaways.

• Coalition power is built by organizers training regular people in leadership, decision-making, nonviolent discipline, and political analysis – more so than huge email lists.
• Both positive and negative coalitions are needed. The former builds a democratic future and will work best if coordinated with all political parties. The latter blocks harm to people, communities, and institutions. 
• Focus on mid- and long-term organizing.
• Organize across party lines.
• Use plain language and reach beyond your comfort zone.
• Be clear about what’s happening in the U.S. Hybrid democracy, competitive authoritarian regimes, and autocracies are different.
• Move money now before a Nonprofit Killer Bill or a bureaucracy weaponized against philanthropy and civil society makes it more expensive.



After 15 Years, What’s Become of The Giving Pledge? 

Remember back in 2010, when U.S. billionaires were promising to give away at least half of their fortunes, either during their lifetime or upon death? Among those who signed the Giving Pledge – started by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett – are Elon Musk, Mackenzie Scott, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg, and Larry Ellison.  

A new report from the progressive Institute for Policy Studies finds that only one of the living original 57 signatories — Laura and John Arnold – has given away half their wealth since the pledge began. Just 8 of 22 deceased Pledgers fulfilled their commitments. 

The Institute is using this research to make the case for meaningful policy change, writing: “Instead of allowing the ultra-wealthy to park trillions for generations in family-controlled foundations and intermediaries such as donor-advised funds, we must strengthen the rules that currently allow them to use these vehicles for tax avoidance, and insist that donated dollars actually reach public charities that work for the public benefit. 

To address the Giving Pledge’s core problem, we must tax wealth at a fair rate to prevent these fortunes from accumulating in the first place.”



Nonprofit Tech for Good’s 2025 Online Fundraising Statistics 

Nonprofit Tech for Good, a daily newsletter focused on nonprofit tech, has compiled a list of statistics on recent online fundraising outcomes. 

This information is supported by strong sources, including the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, M+R Benchmarks, and the 2025 Online Donor Feedback Survey.

• 48% of donors cite email as their preferred method of hearing updates and appeals from the organization. 
• Direct mail was the second most preferred channel at 21%
• Followed by social media (17%), text messaging (8%), and phone calls (2%). 
• 72% of individuals say that the presence of a charity rating badge increases their likelihood of giving. 
• 84% of online donors are more likely to give if their donations are matched by their employer.
• Current donor retention rate: 42.9% 
• Down 2.6% from 2023. 
• Frequent, consistent communication with online donors results in a 41.5% increase in revenue. 
• The average return on ad spend (ROAS) for fundraising ads on Meta platforms is $0.48 USD.
• 93% of nonprofits believe that a strong brand identity has a positive impact on donor engagement.
• 75% of donors look for concrete information about a nonprofit’s achievements before deciding to give.

From Crappy Funding Practices

Why are fundraising consultants and freelancers seen as parasites?  



MORE NEWS

FORD $20 Million/Month on Advocacy?

According to the conservative philanthropy watchdog, the Capital Research Center, the Ford Foundation spends $20 million per month on lefty advocacy.

Not Enough Philanthropy Money For Research?

The Science Philanthropy Alliance says, “While philanthropy has become a key element of science research funding, especially as federal funding declines, it cannot replace the robust funds that government allocation once contributed.”

Federal Employees’ Annual Fundraising Drive, The Combined Federal Campaign, is Put on Hold or Closed For Good

The Trump administration pauses the $320 million campaign that raises money for thousands of local, national, and international charities.

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Is This A New Era for Nonprofits?

From American Enterprise:

Is America’s old system of federally funded nonprofits no longer in place? What comes next?



Toolbox

From UST Workforce Solutions:2025 Unemployment (UI) Toolkit 

including

• Protecting Your SUI Rate
• UI Risk Management: Prioritizing Employee Retention and Engagement
• Lifecycle of an Unemployment Claim
• What is an Unemployment Hearing and the Benefits of Hearing Representation
• Understanding Improper UI Payments
• Things You Can Do to Help Prevent Retaliation Claims
• Essential Tips for Preventing Unemployment Fraud
• State-by-State Unemployment Reference Guide
• UST By the Numbers Infographic
• Webinar Recording: Workforce Solutions for Nonprofits
• UST's Workforce Solutions for Nonprofit

How to Write a Great Lapsed Donor Email 

Getting The Money We Need

A 101 Guide on Fundraising for Small Grassroots Organizations. Written by Justice Funds' Co-founder Paz Romero, in collaboration with the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)'s Who Can Fund Me Initiative, this is a free, open-source fundraising tool offering tips, templates, reflections, and political grounding for navigating the world of fundraising. 

If You Think Monthly Giving Results In Donors Giving Less,
Think Again

“Acquiring a new donor gift costs about five times more than retaining an existing one,” writes Lisa Greer in her newsletter Philanthropy 451. In her article "Three Very Different Approaches to Monthly Giving," she examines how to retain recurring donors' satisfaction.

Missed a past workshop?

Materials are available on line

JOBS IN PHILANTHROPY

AP maintains this resource to help get good Minnesota nonprofit folks into local and national foundation jobs.

These are open positions in MN. You can find the links to several jobs boards and other open positions on our website.

• Bush Foundation is hiring a Grants Specialist
• Indian Land Tenure Foundation is searching for a new President
• Old National Bank is hiring a Community Marketing & Engagement Manager
• US Bank is hiring a Philanthropic Services Director
• Women’s Foundation of Minnesota is hiring a Vice President of Communications & Strategic Initiatives

SO, WHAT EXACTLY DOES ACCESS PHILANTHROPY

DO FOR A LIVING? 

THANKS FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US.

Need some ideas, someone to talk to about fundraising, or just a fabulous listener/chatter?

4info@accessphilanthropy.com