From Scarcity to Strategy: Reframing Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising Mindset
Published August 12, 2025
By Ann Fellman, Chief Marketing Officer, Bloomerang Fear is not a sustainable fundraising strategy. Yet, too many nonprofits operate from a place of anxiety and uncertainty. Budgets get slashed, bold plans are shelved, and decisions are shaped by “what if” scenarios. This reactive approach can lead to missed opportunities, low morale, and […]
How To Build Your Fundraising Dream Team
Published August 5, 2025
By Lieve Hendren, Senior Consultant at Alford Group If you’ve ever spent a day in a development office, you know it’s a bit like herding cats — except the cats wear blazers, carry clipboards and are split between those who can’t wait to work the room at a gala and those who’d […]
How to Talk About Giving USA So Board Members Will Listen
Published July 15, 2025
By Gail Perry, President & Founder of Gail Perry Group You may be thinking… how do I bring Giving USA data to life for my board members? You’re in the boardroom. You’ve got the latest Giving USA report in hand. Charts ready. Statistics memorized. You launch into your presentation about billions […]
Have we been here before?
Published July 8, 2025
By: Laura MacDonald, CFRE, Founder & Principal of Benefactor Group Last week, I met with the board of a historic property. They had spent years preparing for a campaign to create a new education center and enlarge their endowment. Each step was carefully taken: strategic planning, building the capacity of fundraising […]
Do You Need a Feasibility Study? 5 Nonprofit Considerations
Published July 1, 2025
Before committing resources, time, and energy to a major campaign, you have to be sure your nonprofit is ready. This is where feasibility studies come in. However, feasibility studies are an investment in and of themselves, and there’s some debate in the nonprofit world about how necessary these assessments are. While many experts insist that […]
Giving USA 2025: U.S. charitable giving grew to $592.50 billion in 2024, lifted by stock market gains
Published June 24, 2025
Media Contact for the FOUNDATION: [email protected] Media Contact for the SCHOOL: Adriene Davis Kalugyer 317-278-8972 [email protected] Giving USA 2025: U.S. charitable giving grew to $592.50 billion in 2024, lifted by stock market gains 70th annual report reveals giving to most nonprofit subsectors rose in 2024 What to Know Key findings from Giving USA 2025: The […]
Campaigns Undergirded by Best Practices Will Continue to Advance Philanthropy
Published June 23, 2025
By Jeff Jowdy, President & Founder, Lighthouse Counsel Capital campaigns have been a vital fundraising strategy in America for more than a century. Churches, hospitals, colleges and YMCAs were early pioneers of organized fundraising. They focused on volunteer-led efforts to build facilities or endow programs, typically through peer-to-peer […]
Goodbye Pyramid… Hello Trapezoid! What the changing shape of fundraising means for Rescue Missions
Published June 17, 2025
Over the past decade, I’ve watched with interest as the traditional donor pyramid has steadily morphed into a new shape. Traditionally, about 50% of a Rescue Mission’s revenue came from donors giving less than $1,000 per year. Today, our pyramid has become top heavy: Higher value donors are making up a disproportionate amount of fundraising revenue. […]
3 Strategic Planning Steps for Private Family Foundations
Published June 3, 2025
By Aly Sterling, Founder and President, Aly Sterling Philanthropy Foundations are one of the most powerful philanthropic vehicles for charitable families. From big names like the Ford Foundation to smaller scale grantmaking organizations you can find next door, family foundations all share one common goal: to use their resources, expertise and […]
