Happy October!
Happy October everyone. Here we are entering the Fourth Quarter. For the nonprofit world, this is where we are getting most of our donations as we enter “Year End Appeal” season. Here we go! Let’s end 2021 on a high note!
Philanthropy and the Public Good
This blog post from The Fund Raising School at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University really hit home for me for a number of reasons. First, the Lilly School of Philanthropy has absolutely rock-solid educational programming when it comes to fundraising which is backed by research.
But more importantly, this blog post goes to the heart of why so many of us in the non-profit world do what we do. We are here to serve the public good. Whether it’s to provide a good home for a new pet or a warm meal for a struggling family, the public good is met by the vast array of nonprofits in every community each and everyday.
And this why fundraising is so vital. Fundraising gives our donors a unique and intimate opportunity to be a part of the public good. By sharing our stories of the services offered (and more importantly the lives changed!), we can show how our organizations are on the front line meeting the public good in our communities every day.
Ohio Nonprofits Still Nervous About the Future
This article from the Dayton Daily News recently outlined a survey that was conducted by Bowling Green State University and Ohio State University on the state of nonprofit organizations here in Ohio. The results seem kind of grim:
About three-fourths of Ohio’s nonprofits are somewhat or very concerned when looking ahead about revenue losses and declining donations.
About 40% of public charities that employ staff are concerned about having to lay off employees or shut down operations indefinitely.
More than half of the nonprofit groups that took the survey do not have staff (57%).
Nearly one in three organizations with employees cut or furloughed staff during the public health crisis and some think their staffing reductions will be permanent.
Employment in the sector is down more than 4%, compared to prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
More than two-thirds of nonprofit organizations are providing services and programs in either a moderately reduced capacity (34%), a severely reduced capacity (25%) or not at all (9%).
Another note that was interesting that was roughly 2/3rds of all nonprofits report annual incomes of less than $50,000 a year. I was just talking with a nonprofit director yesterday who started a nonprofit. When I asked her to describe her effort she said, “We are small, we only raised $64,000 so far this year.” I told her, “You are bigger than most nonprofits out there. You are big.” I could tell that encouragement went a long way.
What’s the best source of new donations? Existing Donors!
This article from Non Profit Times discusses how donors say they will increase giving. It just goes to prove something those folks in fundraising have known for a long time, your best source of new money for your organization is existing donors. The article stated that 27% of donors gave “significantly” more in 2020 than they did in 2019 and that in 2021, 90% of existing donors will give the same amount or more this year than they did last year.
The number one thing you can do to help grow your organization is to grow your existing donor base. Take a $100 donor this year and challenge them to become a $200 donor next year. It takes time and it takes effort, but this is how you grow. Remember, the first dollar is always the hardest to get.
Duke Graduate Academy for Community Leadership - Version 2.0 is back!
This week the Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership at Edison State Community College announced that the 2nd version of the Academy 2.0 will be offered in 2022. Sessions will be held on January 26th, February 23rd, March 23rd, April 27th and will be capped by the annual Mosaic of Community Leadership Conference that will be held on May 18th.
The program is designed for those folks that went through Academy 1.0 and drills deeper on governance, management, fundraising and communication. It is a great program and is highly regarded for delivering quality content as well as providing great networking opportunities for those in the sector.
The cost for the program is $299 and more information can be found by contacting Rick Hanes at Edison State Community College at foundation@edisonohio.edu.
Other Ways to Connect
Did you know you can also be a paid subscriber to Pinnacle Strategies content on substack? Why would you want to? First, if you are a paid subscriber, I have a special gift I would like to give you! Second, through the paid newsletter, each week you will be given a tangible tool or deliverable that YOU can use to help you understand and serve your non-profit better. The first tool is about Giving Ladders. Huh? Well, become a paid subscriber for $7/month and you can learn more!
Check us out on our LinkedIn Page
and Check out the Celebrating Leadership Facebook Group for daily content and interaction with other leaders!
Finally, do us a favor and share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues.