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SEVEN STEPS TO SECURE GIFTS FROM DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS

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
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Topics: Capital Campaign, Donor Stewardship, Donation, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Financial Development, Annual, Annual Fundraising, Fundraising Management, Capital Fundraising, Fund Development, Communication, Cultivation, Development, Campaign Planning, Making The Case, Making The Ask, Donor, Online Giving, Donor Advised Funds

NEW YEAR NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Posted by Bruce Berglund

As we turn the page on the calendar and step into a new year, nonprofit leaders everywhere are greeted with a world of opportunity. The new year is more than just a fresh start; it’s a chance to reflect, reimagine, and reignite our passion for the causes we serve.

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Topics: Leadership, Donor Stewardship, Stewardship, Fundraising, Gratitude, Annual Campaign, Goals, Donor Love, Vision, Donor Relations, Fund Development, Fundraising Campaign, Execution, Communication, Cultivation, Development, Campaign Planning, Donor

APPRECIATION AND IMPACT

Posted by Jon Simons

December is a busy time in the life of a nonprofit fund raiser. It starts with Giving Tuesday and continues with year-end appeals and gentle reminders for open 2024 pledges. Nonprofit leaders with fundraising responsibilities have a number in their heads: what do I need to raise to meet my year-end goal?

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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Donor Cultivation, Stewardship, Gratitude, Donor Love, Donor Recognition, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Donor Relations, Handwritten Notes, Fund Development, Year-End, Execution, Communication, Appreciation, Campaign Planning, Gift Of Giving, Donor, Client Stories

INSPIRING WAYS TO CONNECT WITH DONORS AT YEAR END

Posted by Lindsay Casavant
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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Donor Cultivation, Stewardship, Fundraising, Asking, Gratitude, Donor Love, Donor Recognition, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Donor Relations, Handwritten Notes, Fund Development, Year-End, Execution, Communication, Appreciation, Campaign Planning, Gift Of Giving, Donor, Client Stories

USING DATA TO STRENGTHEN YOUR YEAR-END FUNDRAISING

Posted by Kali Righter

Written By: Kali Righter and Sarah Breece 

With nearly 31% of annual donations coming in December, crafting a strong appeal is essential for your nonprofit organization.

  1. Step one is identifying the right story and writing impactful copy.
  2. Step two is determining who you will be soliciting and how they will be asked.

Here are strategies to maximize the use of your donor database and wealth screening tools for this process.

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Topics: Donor Cultivation, Fundraising, Asking, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Fund Development, Fundraising Campaign, Year-End, Execution, Communication, Data Management, Campaign Planning, Making The Ask, Donor

PLANNING FOR YEAR-END

Posted by Bruce Berglund

The time between Thanksgiving and year-end offers a prime window for fundraising, as people often feel a heightened sense of generosity and motivation to support causes they care about. This season can be a tremendous opportunity to engage donors, share your mission’s impact, and inspire end-of-year contributions. Here are some practical fundraising strategies and tactics to maximize your campaign success during this season:

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Topics: Donor Cultivation, Fundraising, Asking, Donor Communications, Change, Strategy, Best of DBD, Year-End Giving, Fund Development, Fundraising Campaign, Year-End, Communication, Planned Giving, Development, Campaign Planning, Making The Ask, Gift Of Giving, Donor, Ideas, strategic planning

MOVING FROM OLD TO NEW: BOARD WORK

Posted by Richard Clegg

Nonprofit boards often find themselves stuck in a rut, performing the same old tasks with the same agenda month after month, with little impact. This "old work," as described by board expert Richard Chait in his 1996 article "The New Board Work of the Nonprofit Board," remains highly relevant today. I had the opportunity to rediscover this valuable resource in my files, and it reaffirmed that boards have the potential to move their work toward a more impactful and relevant approach.

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Topics: Communications, Board Development, Goal Setting, Change, Goals, Culture, Strategy, Board Management, Board Leadership, Execution, Communication, Relationships, Development, Collaboration, Attitude, Ideas, strategic planning, board governance, Curiosity

DO LESS TO DO BETTER

Posted by Johnathan Teal

What are things you might stop doing that could improve the quality of your day-to-day life? Harvard professor and researcher Arthur Brooks calls this a “to don’t” list: things that you find yourself doing out of habit or obligation even though they lower happiness and productivity.

As you consider your own list, I encourage you to try the following:

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Topics: Communications, Fundraising, Change, Goals, Culture, Strategy, Inspiration, Fund Development, Communication, Relationships, Appreciation, Attitude, Happiness, Ideas, Curiosity, Presence

THE GIFT OF PRESENCE AND CURIOSITY

Posted by Bruce Berglund

As our firm has grown over the years, I’ve had the privilege of spending time with our new consultants, sharing our company history, axioms, and explaining how we “show up” for our clients.

Recently, the leader of a large $200M+ nonprofit asked me what I look for when hiring consultants. What advice would I give when hiring fundraising professionals? How does DBD Group differentiate itself from other firms in the same space?

I think he was surprised when I didn’t talk about years of experience, education or successful previous campaigns. Without pausing to contemplate the question I answered that I look for the gifts of presence and curiosity. These two gifts are a powerful pairing.

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Topics: Fundraising, Donor Communications, Culture Of Philanthrophy, Culture, Inspiration, Development Officer, Relationship Building, Listening, DBD Axiom, Communication, Relationships, Appreciation, Development, Attitude, Curiosity, Presence

WHEN TO RESET YOUR CASE FOR SUPPORT

Posted by Sara Luke

As a nonprofit organization, your case for support is a critical tool to communicate the value and impact of your work, build relationships with donors, and secure the resources needed to fulfill your mission. But it’s not enough to write it once and assume it’s always going to work.

While you should dust off and evaluate the strength and validity of your case every year, sometimes you need a bigger reset.

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Topics: Fundraising, Case For Support, Donor Communications, Change, Campaign Leadership, Strategy, Case Statement, Communication, Development

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