3 Nonprofit Giving Pyramid and Major Gifts Trends for 2015

To get a handle on what’s in store for 2015, NonProfit PRO rounded up some of the nonprofit industry’s finest, who were kind enough to share their nonprofit trends for 2015. Here are three trends on the giving pyramid and major gifts.

GIVING PYRAMID
Tycely Williams, chief development officer, American Red Cross National Capital Region
1. Smart development officers are sharing more gift options with donors. Nonprofits won’t be able to achieve or maintain competitive advantage by following the giving pyramid. It is a new day. As a result of technology, donors are smarter and have many avenues for education — forget the mechanics of major and planned giving. Donors turn to nonprofits to make a difference, to eradicate a disease, to end an epidemic. First rule of thumb when integrating major and planned gifts is to know what your organization needs financial resources to do — it must be something extraordinary that will invoke excitement.

MAJOR GIFTS
Richard Perry, founding partner, and Jeff Schreifels, senior partner, Veritus Group
1. A push for a higher level of professionalism and accountability in the major gift field. Look for a call to an accredit the position beyond a CFRE as more and more nonprofits embrace major gifts and are quickly dismayed at the dearth of solid talent to fill positions.

Gail Perry, consultant, Fired-Up Fundraising
2. Mega donors making mega gifts. Mega gifts are clearly back! Our most wealthy and generous donors are making major investments to their favorite nonprofit causes.

The top 10 biggest charitable gifts in 2014 came to a combined total of an amazing $3.3 billion, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Imagine that much money coming from just 10 people!