Fundraiser Education

Want your fundraising program to rocket to the heights? It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. Social media has redefined the communications paradigm—more power, more immediacy, more often than ever before. Tools are value-free, however...

Indiana University has announced a $10 million gift from anonymous donors to support undergraduate and graduate students at both the Kelley School of Business and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The gift is composed of two equal endowments of $5 million that will create financial aid opportunities at each school. "This remarkably generous gift…

Young guys in dusty polo shirts. New moms holding their babies. Grandmas in bright head wraps. They've all gathered in a clearing for one of the village meetings when something remarkable happens. Practically every person's cellphone starts tinkling. It's a text alert from an American charity called GiveDirectly. Last fall, GiveDirectly announced that it will…

There was a disconnect. The client was well connected to area foundations, communicated with them regularly and made annual visits. Moving beyond foundations to major individual donors—and even the organization’s own board members—were not as connected or committed...

According to Forrester Research, 7 percent of U.S. jobs will be eliminated by automation by 2025. Retail, restaurant and customer service areas are expected to be especially hard-hit as self-checking kiosks and AI chatbots become more prevalent. This wave of automation will inevitably sweep away many low-skill positions typically held by those with only a…

But another factor—the tax benefits for giving—could soon change if lawmakers push through tax reform. Few people donate simply because of the tax breaks and are unlikely to stop giving altogether if they don't get any. But analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and others have found that tax incentives typically increase how much you…

Sustainability in the nonprofit sector is a deeper existential question than it appears on the surface. Nonprofits are so often defined by their willingness to provide goods and services that some people feel “should be” taken care of by the government but aren’t, or remedying the ills of capitalism that “should be” taken into account…

I have just returned from teaching a weeklong Salvation Army Continuing Education Program class with my instructor partner, Mike Rowland. Mike is the director of community relations for The Salvation Army Indiana Division...

Generous givers inspire me! This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the fraternity convention of Phi Kappa Theta. I have the honor of serving as chairman of the fraternity’s foundation and was interacting with many generous donors over the weekend...

A cursory search on the Internet for “volunteer handbooks” produces disappointing results. Most examples are no more than a couple of pages stapled together, highlighting dress codes, attendance policies and general volunteering expectations...