When it comes to making charitable giving decisions, it turns out that most U.S. couples work together. But the number of such joint decision makers is on the decline. According to a study from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, about 62% of couples consult with each other. That’s down from 73%…
Nonprofit organizations generally operate on lean budgets. This means volunteers are a necessity for most nonprofits. Knowing their worth and having an effective and organized volunteer program will help your cause — and your bottom line. How much are they worth? Nonprofit advocacy group Independent Sector has estimated the value of the average American volunteer…
Many nonprofits are counting on social media more than ever to boost fundraising and build awareness. These tools have proven increasingly effective in recent years, but you need to keep in mind the very real risks to reputation that come with social media. Employees, board members, volunteers and even unaffiliated third parties can cause significant…
COVID-19 has hit many nonprofits with a double whammy — fundraising has become more important due to a drop-off in revenues, yet the need to cut expenses makes it harder to fundraise. Nonprofits can’t afford to waste a single dollar on ineffective methods. But focusing solely on cost when evaluating different approaches generally isn’t the…
The 2020 Eagle Hill Consulting Nonprofit Survey, conducted by Ipsos, finds that 58% of more than 500 nonprofit employees polled say that their employer cut costs last year. And they predict similar changes in 2021, including program reductions (32%), hiring freezes (32%), salary reductions (23%), layoffs (20%) and furloughs (17%). Most employees (54%) report that…
GoFundMe Charity, the fundraising-dedicated website launched in November 2019, is now scheduled to shut down on September 30, 2021, when it will merge with GoFundMe.com. The last day to start a new fundraising campaign on the platform is June 30, 2021. Nonprofits have through December 31, 2021, to view and export their donor and fundraiser…
Operating reserves — generally, unrestricted assets you can easily tap — are often called “rainy day funds.” But stable reserves are critical for far more pressing reasons than the metaphorical rainy day. Many nonprofits, for example, have drawn on their operating reserves since the spring of 2020 to cope with the economic backlash of the…
The pandemic and ensuing economic downturn have put many nonprofits on shaky ground. In crises such as these, solid board leadership is more essential than ever — critical decisions affecting an organization’s long-term survival must be made. As your board members attempt to stabilize the organization and build for a successful future, they should bear…
With many nonprofit employees continuing to work at home, engagement and morale can suffer. But more than a year into the pandemic, some best practices have emerged for combating feelings of isolation and disconnection that undermine productivity. Here are five: 1. Stay in regular contact Perhaps the most important step you can take is to…
The COVID-19 relief legislation signed into law in December 2020 includes some provisions that could be a boost to donors and the nonprofits they support. For example, it extends the temporary “universal charitable deduction” for taxpayers who don’t itemize their deductions through 2021. The deduction was limited to $300 for cash contributions to qualified charities…
