Prospects

Typically, we all work at 100 mph in our jobs. At certain times of year, we hardly have time to think about what we do and how we do it. In many cases, we react instead of act. We know what our jobs entail and, through muscle memory, plow through it. For many of us, the fundraising profession is our life and career choice...

If the way forward for fundraising is not how to get money out of me, the donor, but how to inspire me to tell the organization's story and engage my network, then we, as fundraisers, should really be after those "opt-ins." And if someone is feeling so annoyed by charities contacting them that they want…

How do donors want charities to approach them? That’s the question at the heart of new research by Rogare, a fundraising think tank at Plymouth University Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy in the United Kingdom. Led by Dr. Adrian Sargeant and sponsored by Pursuant and Bloomerang, the comprehensive, four-volume study provides a detailed look at relationship fundraising and the potential benefits it can have for nonprofits...

My first try at monthly giving happened years ago. As an unrepentant fundraising do-it-yourselfer, I read a lot. So more than 10 years ago, I happened on an article about monthly giving by Harvey McKinnon, author of "Hidden Gold." I knew I needed to give it a go. I was fortunate to be working at…

After spending two days with 100 different leaders in the nonprofit space, I have been surprised at the conversation around charity aggregators. It’s a hot topic. Please give me your thoughts. All I need is 10 minutes, and it is anonymous...

Seven of the 10 most profitable U.S. hospitals each cleared more than $160 million in 2013 from patient-care services despite their having nonprofit status, according to a new report. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Washington and Lee University drew on 2013 data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid…

Rarely in matters related to race can the issues be boiled down to contrasts between black and white. Typically, there are shades of gray that add nuance as to why situations are as they are and we find ourselves debating in those blurred lines. That blurriness is about to gain clarity with a new report…

Successful fundraising isn’t just about money. It’s about relationships. The organizations that understand this have happy, repeat donors. So who’s doing well with individual giving? "Fundraising Bright Spots: Strategies and Inspiration From Social Change Organizations Raising Money From Individual Donors," sponsored by the Evelyn & Walter Hass Jr. Fund, explores some possibilities. The new report…

The annual Sunday Times Rich List is a reminder that, for a select number of our fellow citizens, money seems to fall like confetti. The chance to compare the wealth of billionaires with plain old multimillionaires doesn’t come along that often. It is a strangely compelling reading. My eye, however, is quickly drawn to the…

In the market for good news? Look no further than “The Philanthropy Outlook 2016 & 2017,” a study from Marts & Lundy, researched and written by Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The report projected national giving trends and examined factors that impact the outlook. Here are some of its key findings...