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
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
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
By Mary Whitrow, Content & Creative Marketing Manager, Kindsight The art of fundraising has undergone a seismic shift. Shrinking donor pools, rising nontraditional giving channels, and the vast amount of available donor data are redefining how fundraisers operate. The teams staring at long sets of outdated spreadsheets
By Justine Morgan Senior Associate, Ruotolo Associates If recent history has shown us anything, there are virtually no guarantees regarding funding sources. We’re all living in a world of Fundraising Disruptors (FD). If you’re in the nonprofit sector, or even the community at large, you’ve likely seen
By Sarah Sebastian, Director of Corporate Communications at OneCause There’s always some chatter about whether event fundraising still has its place in today’s nonprofit world. The answer, according to the first-ever 2025 State of Nonprofit Auctions Report, is a resounding YES. Auction donors gave an average gift
By Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Community Engagement, Neon One We’ve all seen the headlines: donor participation is declining, while overall giving remains steady. It’s a trend that paints an incomplete picture of what generosity really looks like today. So we decided to look closer. At Neon
By Laura Hutyra, CFRE, Vice President of M. Gale Last year, The Generosity Commission released its report on the shifting landscape of generosity and the extraordinary power of giving and volunteering. As a member firm of The Giving Institute, M. Gale launched a new education series
By Leya Simmons, CEO and Co-founder, BetterUnite When I transitioned from my career as a fundraising professional to co-founding a technology platform focused on empowering nonprofits, I witnessed firsthand the rapid evolution and the growing urgency around fundraising events. Today, as organizations face reduced government funding,
Giving is a passionate act. As fundraising professionals, we are always looking for strategies and pathways to elevate the fundraising discourse beyond budgets and business plans (though they are important) – because seeing the “big picture” will motivate a donor to understand the full value of their gift and thus
By Janell Johnson, MPA, Chief Growth Officer, Kinetic In the nonprofit sector, adaptability is key. Economic uncertainty, shifting donor priorities and evolving community needs all require nonprofits to stay adaptable, innovative and mission-focused. While these challenging times can pose threats to fundraising and program sustainability, they
By: Tom Osborne, Vice President of Creative at Parisleaf Every meaningful nonprofit has a mission—the baseline, the reason for existing, the north star that keeps an organization focused. Being mission-driven provides clarity and direction, ensures alignment, and builds trust. However, mission alone won’t get the job done
