The Rundown - July 1, 2022
The latest news and notes from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
The Rundown - Canada Day Edition!
We have quite a few Canadians that are subscribers to this newsletter (and we are happy to have you here!). And as a nod and a wink to our northerly neighbors, I want to take this moment and say, “Happy Canada Day!”
I am not sure the proper way to celebrate, but maybe these two guys can help out.
Trends in Corporate Philanthropy
Last week, this newsletter highlighted the trends in the annual GivingUSA report compiled by the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University in Indianapolis. In that report, the authors found that corporate giving grew by nearly 25% to account for over $21 Billion in charitable giving last year.
This week, a new report, “Giving in Numbers” by Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose was released. You can read more about the report in this story on the Inside Philanthropy website.
There were four main takeaways from this report on corporate giving.
Giving to healthcare was driven by Covid-19
More companies are giving to diversity initiatives, but it’s still only 3% of total investments.
Workplace giving campaigns decreased from 44% of participation to 38%.
Employee engagement and brand-building are important.
Of all of these impacts, I think the third one is the most interesting. For years, nonprofit professionals (perhaps more in rural and smaller communities) are seeing less and less reliance on corporate giving campaigns, such as the Federated Giving Campaign and the United Way.
With the proliferation of direct solicitations and fundraising through social media and tools such as donor advised funds, the need for these campaign tools are becoming less and less necessary. Nonprofits and charities are more empowered than ever to make direct asks of those that they want to curry favor. Donors have more power to give their dollars to causes near and dear to their heart than ever before. While groups like local United Ways can still play an important role by providing technical assistance and networking to small nonprofit organizations in communities, their value as a critical fundraising tool is becoming less and less prominent.
An Interview with a Donor Advised Fund Insider
This story on the Financial Advisor website highlighted an interview with Cor Hoekstra, Executive Vice President and General Manager of TIFIN Give. TIFIN Give is a charitable giving platform within the TIFIN Wealth Family; think of it as a version of Fidelity Charitable, one of the largest Donor Advised Fund networks in the country.
The author of the Q+A had one big question that he wanted to know: Charitable giving in the United States has soared to $471.44 billion in 2020, according to Giving USA, why then are less than 50% of High-Net-Worth donors currently utilizing a tax and process efficient vehicle?
The article’s audience is primarily financial advisors, but the article lends some insights into how the industry is thinking and integrating Donor Advised Funds into the work that they are doing. Overall, the industry is seeing that through technological advancements, Donor Advised Funds are now more widely available than ever and financial advisors realize that families and individuals of all means can now use these tools.
Full Disclosure: I have a Donor Advised Fund with Fidelity Charitable.
A Peer Group Starts
This was a heart-warming article on the Muncie (IN) Journal website.
The nonprofits in and around Muncie are coming together to not only learn about their work, but also to support each other as well. The article describes the vision for the work:
Peer groups provide an opportunity for nonprofit professionals to connect with each other in a safe and confidential space. Nonprofit organizations face many of the same challenges and sometimes they can seem unique to each organization. By convening groups of organizations regularly, collaborations and partnerships grow and develop, knowledge is shared, and professional and emotional support is cultivated.
I have been in plenty of these groups, both as a facilitator and a participant, both in person and online. These groups are beyond valuable to everyone who participates.
The work of the nonprofit is always challenging. And often as directors or senior staff or even board members, we can feel terribly unprepared and overwhelmed. The thing that I have learned is that no one every grew up wanting to be in a nonprofit. The paths that have lead us to where we are varied and unique. Sometimes, it is in that feeling of being unique, we feel like we are all alone.
In this line of work we often believe that no one knows the challenges, no one knows the burdens, no one knows the anguish. While some of that is true, a lot of it isn’t. Many of our challenges are self-imposed and we need to step back and work with our fellow nonprofit directors and staff members and lend a listening ear or a strong word of encouragement.
This is is hard work, let’s not make it any harder on ourselves that it needs to be.
What Can We Work on Together?
Did you know that Pinnacle Strategies works individually with nonprofit and public sector leaders to help them solve problems, achieve goals and gain confidence in their roles?
Why?
Because, this work is hard and it’s often a lonely road. Our nonprofit and public sector leaders need people that they can talk to to get solid advice and encouragement to do the work that is in front of them. If you feel that this can be of value to you, or a member of your team, please reach out to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com and let’s talk.
A Quick Note of Thanks!
Thank you all for subscribing to this newsletter. The subscription numbers continue to grow and from what I am learning, this side job seems like it has “sticking power”. I am not getting inquiries and calls from literally all over the world wanting to partner and work together to create value for you, the non profit and philanthropy leader. I feel very excited about the future of this newsletter and if you have any ideas or comments, please feel free to share them with me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com
I know many of you have shared this with your friends and colleagues and I am very grateful. Thank you! If you haven’t shared it yet…..well, here is your chance….
Ready to Learn Something New?
Spring is a wonderful time to visit Indianapolis and it opens a perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills and meet new professionals in the field. I would encourage you to look at some of the offerings of The Fund Raising School at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University’s campus in Indianapolis. The professional development school has great programming both on-line and in-person both in Indianapolis and at other sites across the country. Take a look at their course offerings here!
Other Ways to Connect
Our coaching practice has openings starting here in 2022. If you are interested in working with me to get your nonprofit organization on a track to achieve the big missions you have for your organization, please reach out to me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Here are some other ways you can keep in contact with Pinnacle Strategies!
Check us out on our LinkedIn Page
Check us out on the Celebrating Leadership Facebook Page.
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