As the debate continues over the crises in Iraq and Afghanistan, politicians and the media often reference the many sacrifices of the active military forces. These passionate troops have left behind families, friends and jobs to serve their country. Who are these servicemen and women, and what philanthropic causes do they care about?
The homeless epidemic in the United States is not something most Americans like to talk about — especially since we live in one of the richest nations in the world. But the sad fact remains that anywhere from 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless in America, according to estimates of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.
Who do you picture when you think of a sports fan? A big, shirtless guy beating his painted chest with his fists? Sure, sports fans are a passionate bunch. But if your nonprofit strategizes properly, you might get that guy — and his passion — on your side.
A few years ago, one of my clients requested rush research on a prospective donor. The client, a development officer at an independent school, explained that the headmaster was planning to meet with a parent to ask for a gift. He believed that the prospective donor had the capacity to make a $300,000 gift, but the development officer thought the number might be higher.
There are literally millions of diseases — some fatal, some rare, some affecting children, some other demographics. And behind each of them is a group of people who are passionate about finding a cure. And most of them depend on private donations to fund their efforts.
According to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Web site, approximately 750,000 U.S. teens will become pregnant this year, and nearly 4 million will contract a sexually transmitted infection — in part because they don’t have access to the information they need to make responsible decisions about their health.
Today’s parents are busier than ever. We know they juggle jobs and PTA meetings, dog walking, laundry, chaperoning and play dates. So, how do you get your cause onto this congested radar? Appeal to the one thing all parents have in common: kids.
[Editor’s Note: This is the first in a quarterly series of stories that we’re calling “The Leadership Series,” where leaders in the fundraising sector speak to big-picture issues that fundraisers need to think about over and above the day-to-day details of their jobs.]
Healthcare institutions certainly have come under fire in the past few years. As new reports emerge about failing emergency rooms, overworked staff at understaffed hospitals, insurance issues, and skyrocketing medical expenses, the challenge to raise funds for nonprofit healthcare groups has never been greater.
Couple this with a lack of public education about the difference between for-profit and nonprofit medical facilities, and this challenge becomes even bigger.
Men are a somewhat forgotten demographic in the fundraising world. Nonprofits have long created campaigns that target women, minorities or other specific groups, but men seem to fall by the wayside, lumped into other general campaigns.
This probably is a mistake. Those few groups that do target men as potential donors find that while men give to fewer causes than women do, they give more to those causes they support — and there are some proven ways to make your work their cause.
