Robyn Furness-Fallin

We live in uncertain times, with constant social, political, and economic shifts. During the American War of Independence Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown while the British band played the tune “the world turned upside down”. The most powerful army in the world had just been defeated by the American patriots. It must have indeed seemed like the world was upside down.

Today, nonprofit leaders may feel similarly challenged, as the funding and practices they have counted on in the past may no longer be available in the same ways. Whether you work in a nonprofit or volunteer as a board member, navigating uncertainty is part of the job description. Strategic management of resources is key to managing these uncertainties and ensuring your organization’s ability to fulfill its mission.

If you’ve been putting off implementing a strategy to secure gifts from donor-advised funds, let this be the year that changes that. Why? The numbers are too big to ignore.

• Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) contributions represent 8% of all donations in the USA.
• Total Assets in DAFs in 2023 was $251.52B
• Total Value of Grants made by DAF fundholders in 2023 was $54.77B
• Total Value of Contributions made to DAFs in 2023 was $59.43B
• Average DAF Account size in 2023 was $141,120

The Great Wealth Transfer is underway. Up to $90 trillion is expected to be passed on from wealthy, older generations over the next twenty years. $60 billion of that is predicted to be gifted in 2024.

If you’ve been neglecting your planned giving efforts - or putting them off entirely – it’s time to stop.

Besides the potential for transformational gifts, your organization should absolutely invest time in seeking planned gifts now for several compelling reasons:

August is Make-A-Will Month. What an opportunity for your organization to raise awareness about the importance of estate planning!

Using the concept of "Make-A-Will" to encourage donors can be a powerful strategy for your planned giving and endowment programs. Here are several ideas you can implement this month to capture donors' attention on this important topic.

Congratulations! The gift agreement is signed, and the joyful donor has made a bequest in their will. As a result, they have become a member of your legacy giving society. They are looking forward to your annual dinner and receiving the regular newsletter. But is that all there is for the next, ten, fifteen, or twenty years?

One of my favorite DBD axioms is “Listen the gift.” We use this as we coach our clients through a major or transformational gift ask. Listening to our prospect is an important piece of the puzzle in creating a meaningful outcome for the donor and the organization.

After the disruption of the past four years, it seems a great time to pause and think differently – not just about the organization, changing demographics, AI, or the shifts in technology that are all affecting our fundraising, but about our donors. They are the heart of it all. 

A Changing Landscape

You’ve probably heard the phrase “cash is king.” But is that still true?

When the Giving USA 2022 report was released earlier this year, this key finding left many nonprofit professionals concerned: Total dollars given was down 10.5%* to $499.33 billion.

What will the impact of AI be on your work? How can you use AI tools to streamline your donor communications? What even is ChatGPT? All of these are legitimate questions that nonprofit leaders are tackling. Consider this a primer to jumpstart your own usage of this technology.

The Bad News

According to the latest report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP), year-over year growth in contributed support fell nearly 2% during the final quarter of 2022.