Gulf Coast

How much will Americans end up donating to the Haitian earthquake relief efforts? If past disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami provide guidance for today’s efforts, the result is likely to be in the billions.

New York, August 27, 2009 — Private and community foundations awarded an additional $125 million in grant support for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts between January 2007 and mid-2009, according to Giving in the Aftermath of the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Profile of the Ongoing Foundation and Corporate Response (2007-2009), an update of the Center's earlier study. Since 2005, the Center has tracked nearly $1.3 billion in grants, program-related investments, and corporate in-kind gifts from foundations, corporations, and other institutional donors in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

We’ve dedicated four issues in 2009 to our Fundraising 101 series, which we hope will offer a solid look at some of the more fundamental issues involved in nonprofit fundraising. We start this month with a look at direct mail. In April, we tackle acquisition; in June, it’s special efforts, including monthly giving, lapsed donors, capital campaigns and planned giving; and, finally, we look at
e-philanthropy in October.

Whether you’ll be reading as a fundraising newbie looking for some entry-level guidance or as a seasoned professional looking for a refresher course to smooth the waters in this tough economic climate, we hope you’ll find these special reports immensely helpful. 

The nonprofit sector has witnessed an explosion in the number of online application vendors providing products designed to help organizations achieve their mission. From fundraising to e-communication to accounting solutions, there are many vendors vying for the opportunity to help nonprofits harness the power of the Internet. Understanding the benefits of software as a service (SaaS) vs. traditional on-premise software, organizations are faced with the task of selecting the SaaS provider with which to partner. But what should organizations be looking for during the SaaS vendor selection process beyond the usual product feature comparison? This paper identifies the foundational selection criteria for nonprofits to

[Editor’s Note: This article first apperared on NPAdvisors.com and outlines ideas presented to New Orleans-area nonprofits after Hurricane Katrina. Though born of a specific disaster, they also offer sound advice for any small nonprofit looking to find a place for the Web in its fundraising efforts.] Think cheap and quick. There are plenty of free Web tools out there, but don’t use any that take too long to learn. … Many large nonprofits need to “have” a Web site. A small nonprofit with no budget, no tech staff, who is literally digging itself out of the mud needs to only “do” online what produces

Mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs — all pretty common buzzwords in the for-profit world. But, increasingly, savvy nonprofits are realizing the benefits of looking outside themselves and introducing a variety of new ventures under the umbrella of their firmly established brand.

The right projects can help an organization expand or enhance the breadth of services it offers or the reach of its service area. They can bring in new supporters and volunteers, or engage existing ones in new ways. And they can, ultimately, mean more donations.