Major Gifts

Eight conservative groups are backing an appeal to the Supreme Court over a controversial California regulation requiring nonprofits to disclose their big donors on a tax form, saying the rule tramples on donors' constitutional rights. Mark Fitzgibbons of American Target Advertising, a direct marketing and fundraising agency for nonprofit organizations, accuses California Attorney General Kamala…

Pierre Omidyar, who co-founded online giant eBay, has given 10 percent of his stock in the San Jose-based online auction company, worth an estimated $269 million, to undisclosed charities, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Pierre and Pam Omidyar's Omidyar Group, their philanthropic enterprise, didn't say where the charitable funding will go. The…

Right now I think you are probably pretty stressed. Like everyone in fundraising, a large percentage of your overall revenue comes in between now and the end of the year. So, my question to you is this: During times of high-level stress, do you still feel a sense of joy in what you are doing? Your answer is critical...

The Native American tribe leading the fight to change the Washington Redskins name is locked in a dispute—one that includes accusations of lying, bribery and exploitation—with the foundation that team owner Dan Snyder created to help Indians in need. On one side is the Oneida Indian Nation, backed by millions of dollars in casino money,…

As P.K. Subban walked into the atrium of Montreal Children's Hospital for what would be the most important announcement of his life Wednesday, he looked up in the giant room he was entering and it hit him. Up on the wall, in giant letters, were the words "Atrium P.K. Subban," a recognition of the $10…

I will never forget what happened to the major gifts officer (MGO) who went into the office of an owner at a very large company in California and asked for a gift. The donor said, “When you have something that has some vision and is in the million-dollar range, come back and see me. What you are proposing today does not interest me.” ...

At this time of year, many major gift officers (MGO) are evaluating their caseloads. Great MGOs understand the donors on their caseloads are really not theirs. They understand that in order to grow the major gift program, sometimes they have to “sacrifice” some of the donors they have been cultivating and “give” them away to another MGO who is building their caseload...

The Portland State University Foundation is trying to put would-be donor John Fitzpatrick behind it after a scandal that led to the Sept. 1 resignations of CEO Françoise Aylmer and chief development officer Kristin Coppola. “The university has had no more nor desires to have any discussions with Mr. Fitzpatrick,” said Portland State University spokesman…

A University of Wisconsin-Madison fundraising drive that began last fall with a $100 million pledge has generated a quarter of a billion dollars, university officials announced Tuesday. Alumni John and Tashia Morgridge pledged last November to match up to $100 million in donations—the largest gift from individual donors in school history—to help establish endowed professorships…

I don’t believe you must be rich to be a philanthropist. The very word philanthropy means “love of humanity.” Anyone can do it. But, the rich are different. Not fundamentally, of course. We’ve already established that they just have more money. But that’s enough to warrant a different approach, because major-donor giving will make more of a difference to your cause and to instilling energy into life-affirming organizations and projects...