“Anyone who has been involved in philanthropy, either as a donor, volunteer, or development professional, knows the joy that comes from giving generously or serving as an intermediary to a generous gift.” – Daniel A. Schipp, Senior Consultant, JGA
Since March 2020, our motto at JGA has been “generosity is not cancelled.” So many things in our lives have been cancelled due to the pandemic, but generosity is not one of them. Donors have not stopped sharing their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. We have seen this generosity in support of campaigns, days of giving, and ongoing operations, as well as a continued commitment to volunteerism – although the format has changed in a virtual world.
What does this mean for 2021? As you look toward continuing to raise philanthropic support for your mission in 2021, what will you do to set the stage for generosity to continue?
The CARES Act, an economic stimulus bill that was passed into law on March 27, 2020, contains many provisions to assist for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Most of the initial commentary about the recent stimulus packages has, for obvious reasons, focused upon the organizational aspects such as payroll protection and enhancements to the small business loan program.
It is important that you also consider the tax changes that potentially affect the planning considerations of your donors and, therefore, might also affect your fundraising efforts.
Here are three aspects of the CARES Act that might have an effect on the philanthropic planning of your donors. Keep in mind that these are not the primary reasons a donor makes a gift. Your mission matters the most. Tax planning tends to affect how they give, not why.
We have all heard it: fundraising is an art. However, those of us who have been in the field for any length of time know that fundraising is the perfect blend of art – and science. In terms of the science, there is a proven process that works in developing relationships with major donor prospects: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
The focus of this blog post is the art of donor qualification.
Donor-advised funds (DAF) continue to be a popular way for individual donors to manage their philanthropy. DAFs are not a passing trend and are, in fact, here to stay. According to the 2014 Donor-Advised Fund Report, issued by National Philanthropic Trust, as of 2013, more than 217,000 DAFs had been established, which is a 34 percent increase in just seven years. In that same year, DAFs granted $9.66 billion to charitable organizations, and more than $17 billion was contributed into these funds.
With this in mind, it is important to understand the basics about DAFs to better prepare your organization to work with individuals who have DAFs.
by Kris Kindelsperger