A Message from Our President
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During this time of uncertainty, first and foremost, we at TAG trust
you and the people you care for are healthy and safe.
We know that for most, even if you have experienced fundraising through the Great Recession and other crises, this situation is unprecedented and its ripple effects will be pervasive.
As we navigate the COVID-19 crisis and its lasting impacts, TAG is your resource for new fundraising strategies and tools. Whether it's asking for gifts, re-directing campaigns, communicating with existing donors, organizing relief efforts, engaging new donors, motivating remote work teams, and more, we are here to help with informal consultation and services.
To that end, we will host a number of virtual information sessions later this month and encourage you to participate and invite your colleagues. These sessions are a chance for all of us in the field to come together, share ideas, and move forward.
Below, you'll find resources to help you refresh fundraising strategies in this new normal, as well as uplifting news about a number of our client partners who are making an impact in the time of COVID-19. Of particular note is tonight's benefit concert featuring Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen, airing on television, radio, and digital platforms nationally, to benefit our client partner, the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund.
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We will continue to add new fundraiser resources to our website as the situation develops.
The CARES Act: What It Means for Donors and Nonprofits
Click here
for a one-page resource with what you need to know about the CARES Act.
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COVID-19 and Fundraising: What Comes Next?
TAG has been discussing the evolving crisis with our client partners and friends for weeks. Now, as things appear to start to stabilize and in the wake of the federal government's release of the Guidelines to Re-open America, let's talk about what's next.
Join TAG for the next generation of the COVID conversation. We're hosting three interactive ZOOM meetings, grouped by organization type, during which we will invite our client partners and colleagues across a variety of industries to share plans and goals for moving forward. With healthcare facilities facing a new reality, educational institutions mapping plans for Fall semesters and beyond, and arts and cultural organizations assessing their programs for the rest of the year, now is the time to come together to hear from your peers as you develop your own plans.
Due to the intimate and custom nature of these sessions, each will be limited to 20 registrants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please register for one of the below sessions based on your organization's sector:
Community Organization Discussion
Thursday, May 7 at 11 a.m. ET
Healthcare Discussion
Thursday, May 7 at 1 p.m. ET
Education Discussion
Friday, May 8 at 11 a.m. ET
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Planned Giving: A Tactful Approach
Many people have approached us for advice about asking for gifts, including planned gifts, which may be particularly sensitive in these times. Below, senior consultant Greer Polansky answers the most commonly asked questions about planned giving and COVID.
1) Is it appropriate to continue planned giving discussions right now?
The short answer is yes, for many donors it is an appropriate time to talk about planned giving. One caveat, of course, is if a donor or their family member is unwell--whether due to the virus or other reasons--in which case, you should only be communicating with them about their health and well-being. However, for your age appropriate donors (in their 60s and 70s) it is very appropriate to have those conversations particularly if you were beginning to discuss planned giving options before the pandemic's onset. Because planned gifts do not require current dollars, now is the ideal time to circle back.
And don't forget - be sure to reach out to those who have already made legacy gifts to your organization to check in on how they are doing.
2) How can we sensitively encourage our donors to consider planned giving?
During this time, it is best to customize this approach by engaging with donors individually, rather than mass appeals or communications about planned giving. In particular, if you happen to be at an organization that is currently in a campaign, do you have donors who are age-appropriate who could add to their cash gift and make a planned gift? Or, if they have a pending gift, maybe they want to make all or part of it a planned gift to make it less financially stressful.
If you already have planned giving language in your existing communications (website, newsletters, etc.) that is fine, but you don't want to send the message that a pandemic is an impetus to begin to consider planned giving. Instead, be willing to explore it with donors who you already know and consider it an option to open the conversation about their current or intended contributions.
3) What are donors' biggest concerns about making a planned gift right now?
Donors in their 50s and early 60s who are just beginning to consider a planned gift may be concerned about the market -- don't push the conversation. In this scenario, time is our friend. Let time pass for an eventual market recovery and then re-engage the conversation. If you have a donor who has already committed a planned gift and is concerned because the market dropped and the value of their portfolio is down, reassure the donor that whatever the gift is, it is appreciated, but be open to letting some time pass if it makes sense for your organization. Unless the donor is well into their 80s, a market recovery is highly likely and their gift may be able to have its intended impact after some time. For others, the waiver of 2020 Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for certain retirement plans and IRAs may be reassuring. Donors may also consider other options including bequests, beneficiary designations, or charitable gift annuities.
When it comes to planned giving, it is important to continue to have these conversations with your donors. Treat each prospect on a case-by-case basis and recognize that in some cases, it may make sense to wait, while in other cases a planned gift may be just the answer right now.
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Across the country and across industries, our clients are making an immediate and measurable impact on their communities - now more important than ever! Below are just some of the highlights of the good work our client partners are doing in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.
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New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund Raises $20M and Presents Jersey 4 Jersey Virtual Benefit Show Featuring Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and more
TAG is honored to partner with the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund (NPRF), a statewide immediate response effort spearheaded by First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Murphy, to address the medical, social, and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the state's most vulnerable populations. In less than a month since its inception, the NJPRF has raised more than $20M and has distributed grants to more than 100 organizations on the frontlines of the crisis.
Tonight, Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m., NJPRF presents Jersey 4 Jersey, a one-night broadcast fundraiser featuring some of Jersey’s biggest names, including Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Fountains of Wayne, Halsey, Charlie Puth, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, and SZA with special appearances by Saquon Barkley, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Chelsea Handler, Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, and other guests.
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Englewood Health receives $10M Gift to Establish Nursing Institute
The
Englewood Health Foundation
announced earlier this month that it has received a $10 million donation from The Kaplen Foundation and its president, Maggie Kaplen. The gift is the largest in the health system’s 130+ year history and will establish The Kaplen Institute for Nursing Excellence at Englewood Health. "Now more than ever, we are reminded of how valuable access to high-quality care can be for a community," said Warren Geller, CEO and president of Englewood Health. The donation will allow for Englewood Health to invest, develop and nurture its current and future nursing staff.
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Sharp Healthcare Foundation Raises $3M in COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
Sharp Healthcare, with multiple facilities on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in California, has raised nearly $3 million for COVID relief, including two $1 million anonymous gifts. This includes two gifts of $100,00 each to fully fund the purchase of new disinfecting robots at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Sharp Memorial Hospital. Sharp also developed the COVID-19 Sharp Employee Emergency Assistance Fund, which will provide emergency cash grants as a safety net for those employees at significant financial risk from this state of emergency. The fund is through gifts of Paid Time Off (PTO) donated by Sharp Team Members. In the less than a week, more than 5,000 hours of PTO were donated, an inspiring outpouring of generosity.
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ConnCAT Commits to Raising $100K Per Month for the Next 6 Months in Support of COVID-19 Relief
The
Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT)
creates empowering, arts-based educational environments for underserved youth and training programs for under and unemployed adults in medical billing and coding, phlebotomy, and culinary industries. In response to the pandemic, ConnCAT has committed to
raising $100,000 a month for the next six months, with over $100,000 toward that goal already raised in its first week through support from a $50k gift from Yale University, $10k from The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, $25k from Craig Crews and Katherine McKenzie via their family fund at Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, $15K from Seedlings Foundation, and other donors and organizations.
The Newhallville and Dixwell neighborhoods have one of the highest concentrations of poverty in New Haven, with 45% of the families earning less than $25,000. As such, the majority of ConnCAT’s effort will be focused on supporting impacted families in those areas. ConnCAT has partnered with the Dixwell and Newhallville Community Management Teams along with Elm City Communities, the city’s housing authority, to distribute those funds via debit cards directly to neighborhood residents who are out of work.
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Fordham Prep Donates Safety Equipment and Meals to Local Hospital
When the pandemic first hit New York, Fordham Preparatory School responded by donating the safety goggles from its science labs to nearby St. Barnabas Hospital. The donation also included lab gowns and several boxes of exam gloves. Continuing their efforts to support frontline responders, Fordham Prep launched Lunch for Life, a fundraising drive to support meals for healthcare workers in the community. The school partnered with David Greco, alumni parent and owner of Mike's Deli in the Arthur Avenue Retail Market and Dr. Ernest Patti, current parent and Senior Physician of Emergency Medicine at St. Barnabas, to ensure that the staff at St. Barnabas Health is well-nourished as they work endless hours to serve the community. The school raised over $50,000 so far for this effort.
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Summit Resident Donates Clothing to Overlook Foundation
When Summit resident Chris Volpe heard that some COVID-19 patients were being discharged from Overlook Medical Center in their hospital gowns, he jumped into action, delivering more than 1,500 brand-new tees, shorts, and sweatpants that same day to the Overlook Foundation. Many patients have had their clothing discarded upon admission given the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus. Because of this wonderful gift, every patient at Overlook Medical Center who needs clean clothes to wear home upon discharge will have them.
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Canine Support Teams shares virtual training tips, while TAG follows the journey of Pickles!
TAG is excited and proud to sponsor “Pickles,” a Corgi puppy who will begin her journey to become a Service Dog with Canine Support Teams, Inc. (CST). Pickles will be socialized and initially trained by a volunteer puppy raiser over the next 12-18 months. In light of social distancing, Canine Support Teams is providing all volunteer puppy raisers with video tips and online gatherings to address the challenges of raising a new puppy during these times.
After living with her volunteer puppy raiser, Pickles will enter CST’s Advanced Training to pass the Public Access Test and become a Certified Service Dog. Upon successfully completing certification, Pickles will be matched with a Canine Support Teams client with disabilities, for whom she will serve as a constant companion
offering greater independence, mobility, and confidence. TAG is excited to follow Pickles’ journey!
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Fundraising During the COVID-19 Crisis
There is no question that this represents a period of significant change for our country. To that extent and through conversations that we’ve had with colleagues and clients, the most common theme that has transcended all other is that of responsibility and compassion. TAG outlines key actions to plan for the new normal.
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Five Philanthropy Trends To Watch In 2020
With a constantly changing philanthropic landscape it can be difficult to know what trends will stick and which will come and go. In this blog we take a look at 5 trends to watch as we continue through 2020. Whether it is millennials needing transparency from the organizations they support, or adapting to the new demographic of donors, we want to make sure your organization is ready to tackle the coming trends in the new year.
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Donor Advised Funds Are Here to Stay
Donor advised funds aren't just a passing phase. After the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, donors have found donor advised funds to be a favored way to give to organizations. Is your organization prepared to work with donor advised funds? We unpack some of the most important things to know. Don't let your organization miss out on a big donation!
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Why Planned Giving Is More Important to Healthcare Organizations Than Ever Before
With razor thin margins and changing reimbursement rates, hospitals and their health systems are increasingly turning to philanthropy to modernize and build facilities, fund new programs, and recruit and retain talented medical staff. In this fast-paced conversation (see link below), Jay Angeletti and Joe Tumolo of Gift Planning Development, LLC, discuss how the world of healthcare fundraising development has changed in recent years.
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New and Renewed Partnerships
The Angeletti Group is proud to announce new partnerships and projects with the following organizations:
Animal Haven;
North Haven, CT
Canine Support Teams;
Temecula, CA*
Covenant Preparatory School;
Hartford, CT
Fund Love;
New York, NY
The Gulliver Schools;
Miami, FL*
Gurwin Jewish Family of Healthcare Services;
Commack, NY
Hopkins School;
New Haven, CT
Jewish Home Foundation;
Rockleigh, NY
New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund;
Morristown, NJ
Riddle Hospital;
Media, PA*
Rutgers University Press;
New Brunswick, NJ
VNA of Northern New Jersey;
Morristown, NJ*
*new projects with existing or previous TAG clients
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