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Top 5 Trends for Non-Profits in 2022

Top 5 Trends for Non-Profits in 2022
Non-profits can lead with a data-driven strategy that seamlessly connects staff and volunteers and engages donors if they have the right tools.

In the coming year, non-profits will continue to correct course in a still chaotic environment, providing opportunities to rethink strategy with data gathered since transitioning to a digital-first environment. With Dreamforce in the rear-view mirror and the new year fast approaching, our non-profit experts are here to share the top five trends for non-profits in 2022.

Non-profits continue to adapt and shift strategies:
89% of non-profit marketers have updated their digital engagement strategy and the ability to pivot to digital-first options. For example, remote fundraising; these are the times when organizations adapt to change and priorities to win the hearts of constituents.

Connection and collaboration from anywhere:
Getting together, meeting new people, and gathering has changed drastically and will continue to evolve. Hence making remote connections is a key trend for non-profits in 2022.

Data-informed decisions:
Establishing transparency around your non-profit gives you insights into how your funds are spent. The best way to showcase it is through data-informed decisions.

Invest in people:
Non-profits use digital platforms and can depend on that data to create meaningful conversations with donors and volunteers to build relationships and also with the staff to ensure what are their needs that requires attention.

After two years of going digital, every non-profit’s new year's resolution should be to put data to use. Using data through foundational technology is the best way to connect with constituents while also remaining agile in order to adapt and ensure that teams are working effectively to power your mission.

Non-profits must continue to adapt to new ways of fundraising in a hybrid work environment in order to survive and thrive. Furthermore, there is a greater emphasis on finding new ways to connect with donors in an entirely digital environment.

Spotlight

Donor Impact

Building board members' commitment to fundraising, and donor engagement are our specialties. Comprehensive guidance with experienced, hands-on participation is provided in fund development areas from annual giving to major gift programs. For 12 years Kathie held professional roles to build nonprofits' fundraising sustainability, and has served on nonprofit boards for 20 years. She is collaborating with others to provide marketing and sales savvy, vital to build a fundraising culture and increase revenue. Executive directors appreciate guidance as they determine where to focus and refine plans and strategies, materials and calendars.

OTHER ARTICLES
Nonprofit Management

Non-Profits Cannot Afford to Ignore These Business Practices

Article | July 14, 2022

While not-for-profit organizations have different missions and objectives than for-profit businesses, both need the appropriate management team and operational procedures to operate and develop. Unfortunately, maintaining good business processes can be problematic in the not-for-profit sector due to funding, staffing, and management resource limitations, which prevent companies from attaining their full potential. Through this article, you can learn about business tactics that would help build a strong foundation and structure for your non-profit organization to reach its full potential. Management and Board Supervision Management and its governing board must understand their roles, responsibilities, and authority. The rules, processes, and board training materials of the not-for-profit should formally reflect this knowledge. Board members need to be trained and made aware of their duties. Depending on the size of the organization and the backgrounds of its board members, the training's regularity and formality will probably change. CPA firms and other organizations offer resources and instruction on good board procedures. The training should include organization-specific topics, including the entity's programs, activities, mission and philosophy, strategy, finances, and the board's relationships with the organization and its employees. Management of Finance and Cash Flow For any firm, having strong finances is essential. The majority of not-for-profit organizations create annual budgets, but many fail to take into account setting up operating reserves or keeping track of and anticipating unrestricted net assets and cash flows. A formal operational reserve policy that outlines guidelines for how and when the reserves can be used as well as how they are funded should exist and be authorized by the board. Implementing Technology Investment in IT ought to be included in the overall strategy. For not-for-profit organizations, there are numerous options for systems and software, including cloud-based resources, in areas including general accounting, donor administration, record retention, and management reporting. Monthly-fee subscriptions could offer hosting, better functionality at a reduced price, and little IT support. The market for cloud-based services has improved in recent years, offering higher quality at significantly lower prices. In addition, many cloud service providers give discounts to not-for-profit organizations. Adhering to these above-mentioned business tactics would undoubtedly help your non-profit organization be structurally sound with a solid foundation. However, to develop a value proposition and new revenue sources, leadership must be able to view a not-for-profit company differently.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

How Nonprofits Can Secure Corporate Sponsorships

Article | June 2, 2021

As a nonprofit organization, you’re doing your part to make the world a better place. Your cause matters to your staff, volunteers, donors, and those you serve. What you do likely also appeals to businesses. Many businesses have corporate sponsorship programs with funds set aside to support nonprofits. According to a study published on Statista, an online statistics company, corporations paid 65.8 billion dollars in corporate sponsorships worldwide in 2018. If your nonprofit hasn’t pursued corporate sponsorship for your programs, capital campaigns, or fundraising events, you’re leaving a lot of potential money on the table.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Make Every Fundraising Day Count in December

Article | July 20, 2022

I do not know about you, but I am now in a full-blown fundraising sprint to the end of the year! I am multi-tasking. Yesterday, I arrived in the office at 7 a.m. and the day did not end until I arrived home at 7:30 p.m. There is not a minute to lose. Beyond many job-related tasks, I spent time identifying, cultivating, stewarding, and especially soliciting individuals, corporations, foundations, associations, and organizations. I also volunteered last week to help three organizations in their end of year fundraising activities. When you work in the world of social services, all you think about, especially in December, are the needs of others. Why should nonprofits sprint to the end of the year at this time on the calendar? According to Neon One, there are major year-end giving statistics that show how powerful December is each year. One-third of annual giving occurs in December; 12% of all giving occurs in the last three days of the year; more than 53% of nonprofits plan their year-end appeal in October; November and December collectively represent 77% of the most popular months for making year-end asks; and 28% of nonprofits raise up to 50% of their annual fund from their year-end ask. In addition, two-thirds of people who make donations do not research before giving; 80% of volunteers also donate to their organization; 60% of nonprofits make up to three touches for their year-end campaign; and direct mail is the most popular medium for year-end asks, followed by email, website, and in-person asks. The Allegiance Group noted that there are essential things your nonprofit should do at the end of the year. These include holding an annual meeting, electing officers and directors, preparing financial reports, approving next year’s budget, filing IRS Form 990, filing your Secretary of State Annual Report, maintaining a registered agent, obtaining or renewing charitable solicitation licenses, reviewing solicitations and donor receipts, and updating your files and records. Strive to assess and make plans for the new year. Critique your operational results and strive to improve your operational model. The Tapp Network published five fundraising benchmarks every nonprofit should know to double December donations. These benchmarks include 30% of fundraising occurs in December, 10% of all online fundraising occurs in the last three days of the year, 30% of donation page traffic occurs around Giving Tuesday and early December, and 200% more donations are raised by mobile-responsive as opposed to non-mobile websites. Also, 52% higher donation values are attributed to December than any other time of the year. Be prepared for the December rush by building email lists and social media support now. Upgrade your sites to be mobile responsive and donation collective during December. Send reminder emails during the last week of December and continue to ask for financial support via social media. For a Good Cause noted that for December fundraising efforts, which heighten a spirit of generosity, create a year-end customized donation page on your website. Double check that your website is optimized for mobile, so your page is user friendly. Brand your campaign, tweet about the campaign, and link the donation page to your Instagram bio. Because New Year’s Eve is the biggest day of the year for nonprofits, send out multiple appeals that day using all social media channels. Create a fundraising thermometer on your website and keep it up to date. Do not forget to thank your donors by telling them what they accomplished by giving your organization money. Use December as a time to utilize creative Christmas fundraising ideas. An article by Donor Box provides you with wonderful possibilities in this regard. An estimated 43% of higher income donors (households earning more than $200,000 annually), donate more during the holidays. Key December Ideas shared by Donor Box include the following: Create a matching gift program. Establish a gift-wrapping party to engage volunteers. Create a soup party for volunteers, wrapped around a donor thank-you call event. Hold an ugly sweater party where participants pay to enter. Hold a polar plunge for your nonprofit. Host a holiday gala dinner. Establish a Christmas-themed fundraising day. Invite donors to have a Christmas cookie bake-off. Have a story telling campaign on social media. Have volunteers create homemade Christmas cards. Host a letter to Santa event. Create a donate page on your website. An article by National Giving Month noted that if 10,000 signatures from people who believe in charity are sent to U.S. Senators, Congressman, and the White House, a legislative resolution will be offered proclaiming December as National Giving Month. Last year, Americans gave $410.2B to charity, breaking all previous records. Our generosity demonstrates that even in divisive times, our commitment to charity is secure. So far, 10,194 supporters have signed the proclamation and counting. There are three weeks left in 2021. It is never too late to try something new. See where you are in your fundraising goals. Engage your staff, administration, volunteers, friends and organizational family to help your organization sprint to the fundraising end of year. Everyone needs to own their responsibility for fundraising success, and it starts with your CEO. The sands of the hourglass are continuing to fall. Use whatever motivates your prospects to give, including tax incentives, recognition, personal satisfaction, feelings of joy through giving, and sharing of organizational stories. You will have time for a brief breather next year. December is not the time to pull back your energy and efforts. Most people are in the spirit of giving now and you need to tap their brief feeling for total success to occur. Do not waste one second of your time on activities that do not produce solid ROI (return on investment). Make every fundraising day count in December. It will be gone before you know it.

Read More
Fundraising

Using Social Media in Peer to Peer Fundraisers

Article | May 25, 2022

Much of the nuts and bolts of fundraising costs money, and expenses can impact your organization’s bottom line. Still, many successful nonprofits have enjoyed robust giving in recent years due to one relatively inexpensive method to exploit: social media. We’ve become much more familiar with the various social media platforms recently; if the pandemic showed us anything, there is connective power to social media platforms. From the comfort of our homes, we can engage with people and organizations in our hometowns and far away places. If you are fundraising for a nonprofit, this connectivity is one way to attract new donors, cultivate current donors, steward your donors, and, ultimately, encourage gifts from friends new and old. Through peer-to-peer social outreach, the most impactful online connections are made, just as in “real life” fundraising. Peer-to-peer fundraising can look a few different ways. One way is by encouraging your supporters to set up their own fundraiser pages. Some fundraising softwares make this easy by allowing a person to set up their own campaign. All of a sudden, their network becomes your network, too! Understanding the Best Platform for your Organization Another way of tapping into peer-to-peer power is through social media. How can social media help attract new donors? First, take an inventory of the social media accounts associated with your organization. Do you have a Facebook page? LinkedIn? Instagram? TikTok or Twitter? Find someone savvy within your nonprofit – or a friendly supporter – to help you determine if all of these (or some of them) are a good fit for your nonprofit’s personality and mission. Do you serve an adult client base? Facebook and Instagram might be good starting platforms for you. Does your organization help teenagers? Post to Instagram and TikTok. Perhaps a professional LinkedIn page is more in line with what you do. If so, make sure it is up to date and that you are interacting with other like-minded organizations! Organizing Campaign Content for Donors Once you have your platforms figured out, pushing organizational content that highlights your group’s work and mission will help you attract new friends and cultivate your loyal supporters. Think about posting entries that highlight the work you do in short sentences and compelling pictures, and think about posting on some kind of schedule. Perhaps you post about programming on Tuesdays and feature a client or member on a Thursday. Mindless posts are not compelling – make them relevant, interesting or clever, and tactical. Overwhelming the social media feed is not the goal – compelling content which drives social media users to your organization to learn more is. Peer-to-peer social media fundraising often begins with peer-to-peer content sharing. Once you have a handle on the kinds of posts your organization will create – and when they’ll be pushed out – you must leverage the power of social media connections to help further your organization and its case for support. Encourage all of your staff and Board members to “friend” you on the various platforms, and encourage them to boost your content by sharing it with their networks. Do you have an event coming up? Be sure to get this out to your social media contacts and ask them to share it. Has a donor been particularly generous, and can you feature them in a social media post? If you can do so, “tagging” the donor will, in many instances, automatically push your content out to their networks. The reach becomes massive with the right connections. Leveraging Peer Audiences Cultivation and stewardship of your nonprofit’s loyal supporters are very easy on social media. Pictures and words of gratitude or recognition are simple to post and can demonstrate your organization’s impact far beyond the reach of any email or mailing list. Finally, social media’s usefulness in fundraising cannot be overstated. Create virtual events that allow friends to RSVP and share them with their networks. Use Instagram to push out the publicity about the fundraiser – any promotional materials you may have or can create – to manufacture some “buzz” about the event. Utilize TikTok to showcase aspects of the fundraiser: perhaps highlight a program that the fundraiser will benefit or a behind-the-scenes of the event planning. There is no need to restrain creativity – give viewers a reason to return to your site, your event, and your nonprofit!

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Non-Profits Impacting the Economy

Article | July 14, 2022

While not-for-profit organizations have different missions and objectives than for-profit businesses, both need the appropriate management team and operational procedures to operate and develop. Unfortunately, maintaining good business processes can be problematic in the not-for-profit sector due to funding, staffing, and management resource limitations, which prevent companies from attaining their full potential. Through this article, you can learn about business tactics that would help build a strong foundation and structure for your non-profit organization to reach its full potential. Management and Board Supervision Management and its governing board must understand their roles, responsibilities, and authority. The rules, processes, and board training materials of the not-for-profit should formally reflect this knowledge. Board members need to be trained and made aware of their duties. Depending on the size of the organization and the backgrounds of its board members, the training's regularity and formality will probably change. CPA firms and other organizations offer resources and instruction on good board procedures. The training should include organization-specific topics, including the entity's programs, activities, mission and philosophy, strategy, finances, and the board's relationships with the organization and its employees. Management of Finance and Cash Flow For any firm, having strong finances is essential. The majority of not-for-profit organizations create annual budgets, but many fail to take into account setting up operating reserves or keeping track of and anticipating unrestricted net assets and cash flows. A formal operational reserve policy that outlines guidelines for how and when the reserves can be used as well as how they are funded should exist and be authorized by the board. Implementing Technology Investment in IT ought to be included in the overall strategy. For not-for-profit organizations, there are numerous options for systems and software, including cloud-based resources, in areas including general accounting, donor administration, record retention, and management reporting. Monthly-fee subscriptions could offer hosting, better functionality at a reduced price, and little IT support. The market for cloud-based services has improved in recent years, offering higher quality at significantly lower prices. In addition, many cloud service providers give discounts to not-for-profit organizations. Adhering to these above-mentioned business tactics would undoubtedly help your non-profit organization be structurally sound with a solid foundation. However, to develop a value proposition and new revenue sources, leadership must be able to view a not-for-profit company differently.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Ladder of Engagement: Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies

Article | June 2, 2021

As a nonprofit organization, you’re doing your part to make the world a better place. Your cause matters to your staff, volunteers, donors, and those you serve. What you do likely also appeals to businesses. Many businesses have corporate sponsorship programs with funds set aside to support nonprofits. According to a study published on Statista, an online statistics company, corporations paid 65.8 billion dollars in corporate sponsorships worldwide in 2018. If your nonprofit hasn’t pursued corporate sponsorship for your programs, capital campaigns, or fundraising events, you’re leaving a lot of potential money on the table.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

What Does the Health of Your Nonprofit Website Mean and How Can You Improve It?

Article | July 20, 2022

I do not know about you, but I am now in a full-blown fundraising sprint to the end of the year! I am multi-tasking. Yesterday, I arrived in the office at 7 a.m. and the day did not end until I arrived home at 7:30 p.m. There is not a minute to lose. Beyond many job-related tasks, I spent time identifying, cultivating, stewarding, and especially soliciting individuals, corporations, foundations, associations, and organizations. I also volunteered last week to help three organizations in their end of year fundraising activities. When you work in the world of social services, all you think about, especially in December, are the needs of others. Why should nonprofits sprint to the end of the year at this time on the calendar? According to Neon One, there are major year-end giving statistics that show how powerful December is each year. One-third of annual giving occurs in December; 12% of all giving occurs in the last three days of the year; more than 53% of nonprofits plan their year-end appeal in October; November and December collectively represent 77% of the most popular months for making year-end asks; and 28% of nonprofits raise up to 50% of their annual fund from their year-end ask. In addition, two-thirds of people who make donations do not research before giving; 80% of volunteers also donate to their organization; 60% of nonprofits make up to three touches for their year-end campaign; and direct mail is the most popular medium for year-end asks, followed by email, website, and in-person asks. The Allegiance Group noted that there are essential things your nonprofit should do at the end of the year. These include holding an annual meeting, electing officers and directors, preparing financial reports, approving next year’s budget, filing IRS Form 990, filing your Secretary of State Annual Report, maintaining a registered agent, obtaining or renewing charitable solicitation licenses, reviewing solicitations and donor receipts, and updating your files and records. Strive to assess and make plans for the new year. Critique your operational results and strive to improve your operational model. The Tapp Network published five fundraising benchmarks every nonprofit should know to double December donations. These benchmarks include 30% of fundraising occurs in December, 10% of all online fundraising occurs in the last three days of the year, 30% of donation page traffic occurs around Giving Tuesday and early December, and 200% more donations are raised by mobile-responsive as opposed to non-mobile websites. Also, 52% higher donation values are attributed to December than any other time of the year. Be prepared for the December rush by building email lists and social media support now. Upgrade your sites to be mobile responsive and donation collective during December. Send reminder emails during the last week of December and continue to ask for financial support via social media. For a Good Cause noted that for December fundraising efforts, which heighten a spirit of generosity, create a year-end customized donation page on your website. Double check that your website is optimized for mobile, so your page is user friendly. Brand your campaign, tweet about the campaign, and link the donation page to your Instagram bio. Because New Year’s Eve is the biggest day of the year for nonprofits, send out multiple appeals that day using all social media channels. Create a fundraising thermometer on your website and keep it up to date. Do not forget to thank your donors by telling them what they accomplished by giving your organization money. Use December as a time to utilize creative Christmas fundraising ideas. An article by Donor Box provides you with wonderful possibilities in this regard. An estimated 43% of higher income donors (households earning more than $200,000 annually), donate more during the holidays. Key December Ideas shared by Donor Box include the following: Create a matching gift program. Establish a gift-wrapping party to engage volunteers. Create a soup party for volunteers, wrapped around a donor thank-you call event. Hold an ugly sweater party where participants pay to enter. Hold a polar plunge for your nonprofit. Host a holiday gala dinner. Establish a Christmas-themed fundraising day. Invite donors to have a Christmas cookie bake-off. Have a story telling campaign on social media. Have volunteers create homemade Christmas cards. Host a letter to Santa event. Create a donate page on your website. An article by National Giving Month noted that if 10,000 signatures from people who believe in charity are sent to U.S. Senators, Congressman, and the White House, a legislative resolution will be offered proclaiming December as National Giving Month. Last year, Americans gave $410.2B to charity, breaking all previous records. Our generosity demonstrates that even in divisive times, our commitment to charity is secure. So far, 10,194 supporters have signed the proclamation and counting. There are three weeks left in 2021. It is never too late to try something new. See where you are in your fundraising goals. Engage your staff, administration, volunteers, friends and organizational family to help your organization sprint to the fundraising end of year. Everyone needs to own their responsibility for fundraising success, and it starts with your CEO. The sands of the hourglass are continuing to fall. Use whatever motivates your prospects to give, including tax incentives, recognition, personal satisfaction, feelings of joy through giving, and sharing of organizational stories. You will have time for a brief breather next year. December is not the time to pull back your energy and efforts. Most people are in the spirit of giving now and you need to tap their brief feeling for total success to occur. Do not waste one second of your time on activities that do not produce solid ROI (return on investment). Make every fundraising day count in December. It will be gone before you know it.

Read More
Fundraising

Using Social Media in Peer to Peer Fundraisers

Article | May 25, 2022

Much of the nuts and bolts of fundraising costs money, and expenses can impact your organization’s bottom line. Still, many successful nonprofits have enjoyed robust giving in recent years due to one relatively inexpensive method to exploit: social media. We’ve become much more familiar with the various social media platforms recently; if the pandemic showed us anything, there is connective power to social media platforms. From the comfort of our homes, we can engage with people and organizations in our hometowns and far away places. If you are fundraising for a nonprofit, this connectivity is one way to attract new donors, cultivate current donors, steward your donors, and, ultimately, encourage gifts from friends new and old. Through peer-to-peer social outreach, the most impactful online connections are made, just as in “real life” fundraising. Peer-to-peer fundraising can look a few different ways. One way is by encouraging your supporters to set up their own fundraiser pages. Some fundraising softwares make this easy by allowing a person to set up their own campaign. All of a sudden, their network becomes your network, too! Understanding the Best Platform for your Organization Another way of tapping into peer-to-peer power is through social media. How can social media help attract new donors? First, take an inventory of the social media accounts associated with your organization. Do you have a Facebook page? LinkedIn? Instagram? TikTok or Twitter? Find someone savvy within your nonprofit – or a friendly supporter – to help you determine if all of these (or some of them) are a good fit for your nonprofit’s personality and mission. Do you serve an adult client base? Facebook and Instagram might be good starting platforms for you. Does your organization help teenagers? Post to Instagram and TikTok. Perhaps a professional LinkedIn page is more in line with what you do. If so, make sure it is up to date and that you are interacting with other like-minded organizations! Organizing Campaign Content for Donors Once you have your platforms figured out, pushing organizational content that highlights your group’s work and mission will help you attract new friends and cultivate your loyal supporters. Think about posting entries that highlight the work you do in short sentences and compelling pictures, and think about posting on some kind of schedule. Perhaps you post about programming on Tuesdays and feature a client or member on a Thursday. Mindless posts are not compelling – make them relevant, interesting or clever, and tactical. Overwhelming the social media feed is not the goal – compelling content which drives social media users to your organization to learn more is. Peer-to-peer social media fundraising often begins with peer-to-peer content sharing. Once you have a handle on the kinds of posts your organization will create – and when they’ll be pushed out – you must leverage the power of social media connections to help further your organization and its case for support. Encourage all of your staff and Board members to “friend” you on the various platforms, and encourage them to boost your content by sharing it with their networks. Do you have an event coming up? Be sure to get this out to your social media contacts and ask them to share it. Has a donor been particularly generous, and can you feature them in a social media post? If you can do so, “tagging” the donor will, in many instances, automatically push your content out to their networks. The reach becomes massive with the right connections. Leveraging Peer Audiences Cultivation and stewardship of your nonprofit’s loyal supporters are very easy on social media. Pictures and words of gratitude or recognition are simple to post and can demonstrate your organization’s impact far beyond the reach of any email or mailing list. Finally, social media’s usefulness in fundraising cannot be overstated. Create virtual events that allow friends to RSVP and share them with their networks. Use Instagram to push out the publicity about the fundraiser – any promotional materials you may have or can create – to manufacture some “buzz” about the event. Utilize TikTok to showcase aspects of the fundraiser: perhaps highlight a program that the fundraiser will benefit or a behind-the-scenes of the event planning. There is no need to restrain creativity – give viewers a reason to return to your site, your event, and your nonprofit!

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Donor Impact

Building board members' commitment to fundraising, and donor engagement are our specialties. Comprehensive guidance with experienced, hands-on participation is provided in fund development areas from annual giving to major gift programs. For 12 years Kathie held professional roles to build nonprofits' fundraising sustainability, and has served on nonprofit boards for 20 years. She is collaborating with others to provide marketing and sales savvy, vital to build a fundraising culture and increase revenue. Executive directors appreciate guidance as they determine where to focus and refine plans and strategies, materials and calendars.

Related News

Fundraising, Nonprofit Management

American Camp Association Receives $45.5 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Strengthen Character Development Programs for Young People

PR Newswire | February 02, 2024

The American Camp Association® (ACA) is honored to announce that Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded ACA a $45,535,623 grant to support the creation of a new, multiyear initiative to grow, improve, and celebrate character development at camps across the United States. Character at Camp is an innovative initiative anchored in the belief that summer and year-round camp programs provide an unparalleled opportunity to promote the character development of young people. While camps vary greatly in their mission, size, activities, programming, and location, many are run with an intrinsic focus on youth development and character-building skills and traits. ACA's recent National Camp Impact Study demonstrated that camp experiences support social connectedness among youth and the development of skills and traits such as perseverance, responsibility, and the willingness to try new things. This study also found that these skills and traits last over time. Individuals who attended camp as children demonstrate these skills and traits throughout academic environments and well into their early careers. For more than a century, character development has been foundational to the camp experience, as each camp distinctively offers a variety of opportunities to develop important character skills and traits. Camps provide young people with experiences in less-distracting settings, often surrounded by nature, that can help support character development through social interactions with peers and counselors, time for reflection and other activities. For example, campers learn responsibility as they help set tables in the dining hall, engage in leadership when guiding groups during hikes, and practice empathy when they support fellow campers who are missing home. In today's world, the benefits of building character skills and traits such as gratitude, kindness, creativity, curiosity, perseverance, resiliency, empathy, courage, and teamwork could not be more important. The Character at Camp initiative will be conducted during the next six years. ACA will make available in-person and virtual training opportunities, educational tools, and other resources to camps to strengthen, expand, or establish character development programs at the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps across the US. As a direct result of this new initiative, ACA will invite camp leaders to participate in educational and peer-learning opportunities, networking, training, other experiences to learn how to help develop character skills and traits at camp. ACA will work with camp professionals, youth-development experts, and others to create new educational resources, training, and assessment tools to provide camps with opportunities to engage in this important initiative. Starting in 2025, all eligible nonprofit camps will have the opportunity to apply for competitive one-, two-, or three-year grants to support their character development programs. Eligible organizations will be able to apply for funding in amounts ranging from $50,000 to up to $300,000 based on the length of the grant period. Funds may be used for staffing, training, curricula, assessment, communications, and/or outreach and partnership efforts to support camps' specific goals related to character development. The initiative will support a broad range of camps serving young people from varied backgrounds and experiences, including under-resourced and underrepresented youth, as well as provide funding for developing character-based programming that is culturally relevant and values the diverse perspectives of youth and families. "We are deeply grateful for Lilly Endowment's support of ACA and our shared commitment to support camps across the country with the funding, tools, resources, and education to expand and prioritize character development programs," said Tom Rosenberg, ACA president/CEO. "This Character at Camp initiative recognizes the diverse needs of children and youth. We know camp experiences build a world of belonging and growth, and we're excited to engage camps as they work to strengthen their character development programs." "Lilly Endowment's founders firmly believed that developing the character of young people was vital to the future of communities and our country, and they supported many efforts to understand how character is formed," said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment's chairman and CEO. "For decades, well run camps have had a positive impact on the character development of thousands of campers. We believe, with the commitment, leadership, and expertise of ACA, its Character at Camp initiative can meaningfully enhance and expand character development from a variety of perspectives and in a diverse array of young people throughout the nation."

Read More

Financial Management, Philanthropy

TIFIN Give expands its reach as a leading technology powered philanthropy platform for wealth enterprises

PR Newswire | February 01, 2024

TIFIN, a leading AI and innovation platform, today announced its philanthropy platform TIFIN Give has acquired Giving Place, the tech solution for family office giving programs and private foundations. The newly combined company now has increased scale and resources to service families through advisors, the workplace, and family offices. The firm now helps oversee $670 million in philanthropy assets and helped facilitate $40 million in charitable donations in 2023. The donor-advised fund (DAF) space has seen rapid growth in recent years. DAF assets nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022 and stand today at ~$230 billion; total DAF assets are estimated to grow to $1 trillion by 2030. Private foundation assets reached $1.25 trillion last year. The ability of TIFIN Give to serve these charitable structures, among others, continues to unlock substantial opportunities and value for wealth enterprises and their clients. TIFIN Give's next-generation DAF platform provides a multi-custodial platform, SOC-2 security compliance, and expanded investment options including custom model portfolios. It is now deployed at leading wealth enterprises and employers through their recent partnership to power an employee DAF solution with Morgan Stanley at Work. Through the Giving Place acquisition, TIFIN Give can now address the philanthropic needs of all asset classes in the wealth enterprise space," said Cor Hoekstra, Head of Wealth Enterprise Partnerships at TIFIN. "We are excited to now reach all types of donors. The new company will be led by Giving Place's co-founder and CEO, Paul Lussow. Co-founder Alex Paul, will remain involved and serve on the TIFIN Give board. "Our focus on supporting and growing the philanthropic capabilities of wealth enterprises will accelerate through this combined company," said Lussow. "The key to solving many pain points for donors and their advisors will be powered by the integration of TIFIN Give's digital-first DAF platform with Giving Place's philanthropy software solution for family offices and private foundations," said Giving Place co-founder and TIFIN Give board member Alex Paul.

Read More

Fundraising, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy

The National Geographic Society Breaks Fundraising Record with $122.8 Million in New Commitments

PR Newswire | January 25, 2024

Today, the National Geographic Society announced its largest fundraising year in its 136-year history with $122.8 million in new commitments for 2023 the Society's third record-breaking year in a row. Contributions came from individuals, corporations and foundations to support the nonprofit's mission work, including the transformation of its Base Camp in Washington, D.C., global community of National Geographic Explorers and portfolio of impactful programs. The Society invests 100 percent of donor contributions into the organization's programmatic priorities to strengthen its mission of illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world. Donors and partners fuel the Society's ability to leverage scientific research, exploration, education and unparalleled storytelling to spark curiosity in hundreds of millions of people to learn about and care for our planet. These philanthropic investments accelerate the Society's sustainable business model and build a culture of philanthropy, key to the organization's five-year strategic plan, NG Next. This achievement underscores our community's belief in our mission and vision for the future," said CEO Jill Tiefenthaler. "The dedication of our donors is instrumental to funding the extraordinary National Geographic Explorers who are driving positive change for our planet and its people. Thank you to all those helping us support our Explorers, transform our Base Camp, and achieve our mission and global impact. Last year, the Society launched its newly formed Principal Donors Society, the highest designation for lifetime giving, which recognizes individuals, corporations and foundations who have championed the nonprofit through cumulative philanthropic support of $1 million or more for pivotal priorities and impact areas. The second annual Principal Donors Society induction ceremony and celebration will take place on February 7, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. "We are most grateful for the unprecedented generosity of our donors that this year's giving reflects, as it clearly demonstrates the growing global support of the National Geographic Society's mission to illuminate and protect the wonderful of our world," said the Society's Board Chair Jean Case. 2023 fiscal year fundraising highlights include: Secured the largest commitment in the Society's history from long-time partner, Rolex $122.8 million in overall new commitments, a 4% increase from the previous record-breaking fiscal year ($117.9M) 81 new commitments of $100,000 or above, a 16% increase over 2022 16 new commitments at $1 million or above $13.2 million raised through Annual Giving & Membership, a 13% increase over 2022 100% participation by the Board of Trustees 100% participation by the Society's Senior Leadership team Increased membership in the Hubbard Council (annual donors of $50,000 or more) by 30% Launched the Principal Donors Society in January 2023, recognizing donors of lifetime giving of $1M or more to the Society, with 65 donors; adding an additional 11 donors during 2023 "We accomplished this tremendous fundraising year thanks to our loyal, global network of industry and thought leaders who are personally dedicated to the Society's success," said Chief Advancement Officer Kara Ramirez Mullins. "It's encouraging to see real investment in, and momentum for, the Society's key priorities like the Base Camp renovation project. We have a bold vision for the future and the time to invest in the Society is now!"

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Fundraising, Nonprofit Management

American Camp Association Receives $45.5 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Strengthen Character Development Programs for Young People

PR Newswire | February 02, 2024

The American Camp Association® (ACA) is honored to announce that Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded ACA a $45,535,623 grant to support the creation of a new, multiyear initiative to grow, improve, and celebrate character development at camps across the United States. Character at Camp is an innovative initiative anchored in the belief that summer and year-round camp programs provide an unparalleled opportunity to promote the character development of young people. While camps vary greatly in their mission, size, activities, programming, and location, many are run with an intrinsic focus on youth development and character-building skills and traits. ACA's recent National Camp Impact Study demonstrated that camp experiences support social connectedness among youth and the development of skills and traits such as perseverance, responsibility, and the willingness to try new things. This study also found that these skills and traits last over time. Individuals who attended camp as children demonstrate these skills and traits throughout academic environments and well into their early careers. For more than a century, character development has been foundational to the camp experience, as each camp distinctively offers a variety of opportunities to develop important character skills and traits. Camps provide young people with experiences in less-distracting settings, often surrounded by nature, that can help support character development through social interactions with peers and counselors, time for reflection and other activities. For example, campers learn responsibility as they help set tables in the dining hall, engage in leadership when guiding groups during hikes, and practice empathy when they support fellow campers who are missing home. In today's world, the benefits of building character skills and traits such as gratitude, kindness, creativity, curiosity, perseverance, resiliency, empathy, courage, and teamwork could not be more important. The Character at Camp initiative will be conducted during the next six years. ACA will make available in-person and virtual training opportunities, educational tools, and other resources to camps to strengthen, expand, or establish character development programs at the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps across the US. As a direct result of this new initiative, ACA will invite camp leaders to participate in educational and peer-learning opportunities, networking, training, other experiences to learn how to help develop character skills and traits at camp. ACA will work with camp professionals, youth-development experts, and others to create new educational resources, training, and assessment tools to provide camps with opportunities to engage in this important initiative. Starting in 2025, all eligible nonprofit camps will have the opportunity to apply for competitive one-, two-, or three-year grants to support their character development programs. Eligible organizations will be able to apply for funding in amounts ranging from $50,000 to up to $300,000 based on the length of the grant period. Funds may be used for staffing, training, curricula, assessment, communications, and/or outreach and partnership efforts to support camps' specific goals related to character development. The initiative will support a broad range of camps serving young people from varied backgrounds and experiences, including under-resourced and underrepresented youth, as well as provide funding for developing character-based programming that is culturally relevant and values the diverse perspectives of youth and families. "We are deeply grateful for Lilly Endowment's support of ACA and our shared commitment to support camps across the country with the funding, tools, resources, and education to expand and prioritize character development programs," said Tom Rosenberg, ACA president/CEO. "This Character at Camp initiative recognizes the diverse needs of children and youth. We know camp experiences build a world of belonging and growth, and we're excited to engage camps as they work to strengthen their character development programs." "Lilly Endowment's founders firmly believed that developing the character of young people was vital to the future of communities and our country, and they supported many efforts to understand how character is formed," said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment's chairman and CEO. "For decades, well run camps have had a positive impact on the character development of thousands of campers. We believe, with the commitment, leadership, and expertise of ACA, its Character at Camp initiative can meaningfully enhance and expand character development from a variety of perspectives and in a diverse array of young people throughout the nation."

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Financial Management, Philanthropy

TIFIN Give expands its reach as a leading technology powered philanthropy platform for wealth enterprises

PR Newswire | February 01, 2024

TIFIN, a leading AI and innovation platform, today announced its philanthropy platform TIFIN Give has acquired Giving Place, the tech solution for family office giving programs and private foundations. The newly combined company now has increased scale and resources to service families through advisors, the workplace, and family offices. The firm now helps oversee $670 million in philanthropy assets and helped facilitate $40 million in charitable donations in 2023. The donor-advised fund (DAF) space has seen rapid growth in recent years. DAF assets nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022 and stand today at ~$230 billion; total DAF assets are estimated to grow to $1 trillion by 2030. Private foundation assets reached $1.25 trillion last year. The ability of TIFIN Give to serve these charitable structures, among others, continues to unlock substantial opportunities and value for wealth enterprises and their clients. TIFIN Give's next-generation DAF platform provides a multi-custodial platform, SOC-2 security compliance, and expanded investment options including custom model portfolios. It is now deployed at leading wealth enterprises and employers through their recent partnership to power an employee DAF solution with Morgan Stanley at Work. Through the Giving Place acquisition, TIFIN Give can now address the philanthropic needs of all asset classes in the wealth enterprise space," said Cor Hoekstra, Head of Wealth Enterprise Partnerships at TIFIN. "We are excited to now reach all types of donors. The new company will be led by Giving Place's co-founder and CEO, Paul Lussow. Co-founder Alex Paul, will remain involved and serve on the TIFIN Give board. "Our focus on supporting and growing the philanthropic capabilities of wealth enterprises will accelerate through this combined company," said Lussow. "The key to solving many pain points for donors and their advisors will be powered by the integration of TIFIN Give's digital-first DAF platform with Giving Place's philanthropy software solution for family offices and private foundations," said Giving Place co-founder and TIFIN Give board member Alex Paul.

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Fundraising, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy

The National Geographic Society Breaks Fundraising Record with $122.8 Million in New Commitments

PR Newswire | January 25, 2024

Today, the National Geographic Society announced its largest fundraising year in its 136-year history with $122.8 million in new commitments for 2023 the Society's third record-breaking year in a row. Contributions came from individuals, corporations and foundations to support the nonprofit's mission work, including the transformation of its Base Camp in Washington, D.C., global community of National Geographic Explorers and portfolio of impactful programs. The Society invests 100 percent of donor contributions into the organization's programmatic priorities to strengthen its mission of illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world. Donors and partners fuel the Society's ability to leverage scientific research, exploration, education and unparalleled storytelling to spark curiosity in hundreds of millions of people to learn about and care for our planet. These philanthropic investments accelerate the Society's sustainable business model and build a culture of philanthropy, key to the organization's five-year strategic plan, NG Next. This achievement underscores our community's belief in our mission and vision for the future," said CEO Jill Tiefenthaler. "The dedication of our donors is instrumental to funding the extraordinary National Geographic Explorers who are driving positive change for our planet and its people. Thank you to all those helping us support our Explorers, transform our Base Camp, and achieve our mission and global impact. Last year, the Society launched its newly formed Principal Donors Society, the highest designation for lifetime giving, which recognizes individuals, corporations and foundations who have championed the nonprofit through cumulative philanthropic support of $1 million or more for pivotal priorities and impact areas. The second annual Principal Donors Society induction ceremony and celebration will take place on February 7, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. "We are most grateful for the unprecedented generosity of our donors that this year's giving reflects, as it clearly demonstrates the growing global support of the National Geographic Society's mission to illuminate and protect the wonderful of our world," said the Society's Board Chair Jean Case. 2023 fiscal year fundraising highlights include: Secured the largest commitment in the Society's history from long-time partner, Rolex $122.8 million in overall new commitments, a 4% increase from the previous record-breaking fiscal year ($117.9M) 81 new commitments of $100,000 or above, a 16% increase over 2022 16 new commitments at $1 million or above $13.2 million raised through Annual Giving & Membership, a 13% increase over 2022 100% participation by the Board of Trustees 100% participation by the Society's Senior Leadership team Increased membership in the Hubbard Council (annual donors of $50,000 or more) by 30% Launched the Principal Donors Society in January 2023, recognizing donors of lifetime giving of $1M or more to the Society, with 65 donors; adding an additional 11 donors during 2023 "We accomplished this tremendous fundraising year thanks to our loyal, global network of industry and thought leaders who are personally dedicated to the Society's success," said Chief Advancement Officer Kara Ramirez Mullins. "It's encouraging to see real investment in, and momentum for, the Society's key priorities like the Base Camp renovation project. We have a bold vision for the future and the time to invest in the Society is now!"

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