The State of Artificial Intelligence in the Nonprofit Sector

whitePaper | January 9, 2020

Nonprofit organizations serve a critical role in today’s society by providing opportunities for advancing divested and underserved populations, facilitating volunteerism and civic engagement, and developing innovative approaches to solving complex issues--to name a few. In order to effectively serve the community, however, nonprofits must balance maintaining their commitment to excellence, equity, and accountability while successfully realizing their missions, managing resources, and executing proper governance. In order to help Illinois nonprofits strike this balance, set forth on the following pages are thirteen key principles of nonprofit governance, followed by best practices for consideration in effectuating on these principles.

whitePaper | May 10, 2021

Our 2021 Nonprofit Technology Trends Report highlighted some of the specific challenges nonprofits faced this year including decreasing funding, canceled fundraisers, and virtual programming. The survey also highlighted the myriad of innovations nonprofits have developed as a result of the pandemic.

whitePaper | June 1, 2022

When you are trying to get to the same place as everyone else, you can use the same map. But when you are blazing your own trail, those directions might help you get started, but they won’t get you where you ultimately want to go. With financial reporting, you need the standardized reports that everyone uses—such as a cash flow statement or budget to actuals—to give you an understanding of where you sit financially. These reports also help you see how you compare with industry benchmarks and other not-for-profit organizations. Knowing that the entire industry is seeing their expenses increase because of inflation makes your tighter margins easier to understand.

whitePaper | February 12, 2020

As technology and innovation continue to be in the forefront of the nonprofit sector, 2020 will be about learning more about what these technologies and solutions have to offer and tying them back in with traditional fundraising strategies. New bright and shiny technologies are offering what seems like limitless ways to connect with donors. But it’s important to remember that donors still need human interaction, personalization and relationships, so the tried-and-true fundraising strategies shouldn’t just be tossed out the door.

whitePaper | July 30, 2021

Nearly all companies engage in corporate philanthropy as a means of giving back to the communities in which they operate. This includes financial contributions, product donations, in-kind services, and employee matching and volunteering. Technically, a corporate foundation is classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a type of 501(c)(3) public charity called a “private non-operating foundation.” The Internal Revenue Code does not distinguish corporate foundations from family foundations. Both are subject to the same regulations. From a practical stand point, however, there are differences in funding and governance. A corporate foundation is funded by a company, instead of an individual or family. And the board members of a corporate foundation are typically company executives. However, only a fraction of these companies take advantage of the additional benefits that come from adding a corporate foundation to their philanthropic efforts. This toolkit will help you understand the benefits of a corporate foundation and provide an overview of the operational requirements.

whitePaper | January 14, 2020

Nonprofit organizations operate in a complex and evolving financial world. As one of the world’s largest investment managers, Vanguard has helped thousands of nonprofit organizations navigate their unique investing, organizational, and governance challenges. We recognize nonprofits differ by size, served market, and sophistication. The chief financial officer of a hospital will likely have different needs from the CFO at a college, while the executive director of a small public charity will have different needs from either