Presses Are Rolling
As you are reading this the presses are printing our second book, How to Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift, written to empower professional and volunteer non-profit leaders to elevate their organizations to the next level of visibility, prestige and especially robust impact in fulfilling their noble missions that touch, improve and save more lives, especially helping those who are struggling. (This news release more fully describes the book.)
The topic was selected in direct response to what we heard from our learning community partners during more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, webcasts, podcasts and board training sessions. Every day million-dollar gifts are made, and you and your board management, staff, volunteers, friends and especially the beneficiaries of your noble missions deserve them and the exciting opportunities they unlock.
By November 12, 2024, the book will be available on our website and through Amazon in both print and digital formats. But for those who want to pre-order, we have a special offer: Just click here to reserve your copy, and we will send you a complimentary copy of our first book 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons ($16.95 value) that provides a solid foundation to understand how to best to apply the lessons highlighted in the new book.
Book Rollout
Over the next several weeks we will be sharing social media messages from prominent fundraising experts on the meaning and impact of first $1 million gifts. We will also be releasing video interviews with non-profit leaders who experienced first-hand the landing of million-dollar gifts. Our webinar scheduled for Wednesday, November 13th 4 to 5 PM, Central time, will be exclusively devoted to the book launch as we share highlights, answer questions and award complimentary copies. We’re also excited about hosting our first book signing event in collaboration with The Nonprofit Council’s (South Central Texas) Holiday Mixer in San Antonio on December 12th, 4:30 to 6:30 PM, Central time. Watch for more details on all of these activities.
Oracle of Omaha Update
Warren Buffett has donated more than half his wealth to five foundations since 2006. He’s gifted Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation and four of his family’s foundations. The 94-year-old investor is worth $145 billion thanks to a 15% stake in his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate. That’s despite donating 56% of his Berkshire shares so far — worth $55 billion based on when they were received. In honor of his late wife Susan, he pledged to give more than 99% of his fortune to philanthropy and has been making large annual donations for nearly two decades now. Those yearly gifts have gone to the Gates Foundation and four of his family’s foundations: the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and NoVo Foundation. He’s also revealed that upon his death, his remaining riches will be placed in a charitable trust controlled by his three children, while the Gates Foundation won’t receive anything.
Corporate Citizenship
The State of Corporate Citizenship 2024 is a research project of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship that examines how executives view their firms’ performance in the environmental, social, and governance dimensions of business. This longitudinal study examines how corporate citizenship efforts contribute to business objectives, including attracting and retaining customers and the development of innovative new products. Key takeaways include:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs continue to be — and are predicted to be three years from now –the most prioritized program within corporate citizenship.
- Executives and community relations professionals are more aligned on social issues than in previous studies, particularly in regard to community and economic development, health and wellness, and DEI.
- More than 85% of executives surveyed reported that stakeholders are encouraging their companies to be more environmentally sustainable by increasing climate-related reporting outputs, adopting emissions reduction targets, engaging in or increasing carbon capture technology, and/or subsidizing or promoting environmentally sustainable behavior for employees.
- The percentage of corporate executives who reported that their corporate leadership took a stand on social or environmental issues within the past two years increased nearly 55% since the 2020 edition of this study, from 59% to 91%.
Disheartening News
Non-profit employees are heroes, but unfortunately, too many aren’t paid that way. To wit: a first-of-its-kind study finds 22% of non-profit workers struggle financially. Independent Sector and United For ALICE’s first-ever ALICE in the Nonprofit Workforce report finds that more than one in five non-profit employees in the U.S. struggled financially in 2022. The report rigorously analyzes publicly available data to understand the financial status of the country’s 13.9 million non-profit employees in greater detail than ever before. Of all non-profit workers, 5% were below the official U.S. poverty level, and another 17% (more than three times as many) were ALICE®, or Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE non-profit employees live in households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than what it costs to survive in the counties where they live. They can’t afford the basics: housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, technology, and taxes. This study is a starting point and call to action to find data-informed solutions — whether through policy or practice — to invest in the financial needs and well-being of non-profit workers who are essential to driving meaningful and sustained change.
Encourage Everyday Giving
Andrew Dunckelman, Deputy Director, Philanthropic Partnerships, Gates Foundation calls for five investments in the tools and technology that enable giving, for “flexible capital to experiment and invest in relational fundraising,” and more:
(1) Invest in campaigns that reinvigorate giving norms and nurture generosity. Campaigns like GivingTuesday have been shown to have a 500-times charitable return on investment. The newer BackBlack campaign is calling attention to — and closing — funding gaps for Black-led non-profits.
(2) Support pro-giving policies in partnership with non-profits. Public policy is vital to foster charitable giving. Even within the limits placed on foundation advocacy, grant makers can do much to support non-profits that are working to create a legal environment in which philanthropy thrives.
(3) Support research, data collection, and analysis that powers giving. Missing, outdated, or incomplete data often hinders effective fundraising.
(4) Support digital tools and technologies that enable giving. Digital technologies have revolutionized the way we give — and it’s likely just the beginning.
(5) Give grants to strengthen non-profits’ everyday donor development efforts. To sustain and attract more donors, non-profits need the talent, resources, and flexible capital to experiment and invest in relational fundraising.
It's FUNdraising
If you’re leading a fundraising initiative, and you want everyone connected to your non-profit to enthusiastically participate, you better lead by example in demonstrating there is genuine joy in this hard but essential work. Pardon the cliché: Challenge donors to not give until it hurts, but to give until it feels good. There is ample scientific evidence proving the uplifting mindset that donors enjoy healthier, happier and longer lives. This is a win-win-win in which solicitors, donors and beneficiaries all come out ahead. In fact, those of us of who’ve been in the profession for a long time recognize that it is donors who derive the most satisfaction. Our thanks to our friends at Bloomerang for featuring our article titled “10 Practical Ways To FUNdraise.” Let us know your thoughts on how you inject F-U-N into your fundraising programs.
Going Digital
The M+R Benchmarks 2024 Study on digital programs is designed to allow any non-profit to compare the results they are seeing to what their peers are reporting and identify which parts of their program may not be cutting the mustard. Highlights:
- Average online revenue declined by 1% in 2023.
- Revenue from monthly giving increased by 6% and accounted for 31% of all online revenue.
- Non-profits raised an average of $0.94 through direct mail for every dollar raised online. Direct mail revenue fell by 6% in 2023.
- Total advertising investment by non-profits increased by 13%. The biggest change was in radio spending, which increased by 67%.
- TikTok audiences for non-profits increased by 112% in 2023, far faster than other social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram follower counts grew by 6% and 11%. The number of Twitter/X followers declined by 1% on average.
- E-mail revenue declined by 7% on average. The share of all online revenue directly sourced to e-mail was 16% in 2023.
- The majority of non-profit website traffic came from users on mobile devices — 52%, with 48% of traffic from users on desktop devices. However, 78% of revenue came from users on desktop devices.
Celebrity Corner: The Big "O"
She has a big voice, and she knows how to use it to champion good works. Guided by the intention of supporting those in need, the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation (OWCF) supports organizations around the world. Oprah herself, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation have helped organizations that serve children, families, and communities, with a specific focus on youth education. OWCF has also provided assistance to similar organizations since 2010. A thumbnail summary of her charitable impact: $400 million donated, 72,000 people educated and 75 million meals served. She is also a steady stream of wisdom and inspiration.
On Bookshelf: The Progress Principle
As Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer explain in The Progress Principle, seemingly mundane workday events can make or break employees’ inner work lives. But it’s forward momentum in meaningful work — progress — that creates the best inner work lives. Through rigorous analysis of nearly 12,000 diary entries provided by 238 employees in 7 companies, the authors explain how managers can foster progress and enhance inner work life every day. The book shows how to remove obstacles to progress, including meaningless tasks and toxic relationships. It also explains how to activate two forces that enable progress: (1) Catalysts — events that directly facilitate project work, such as clear goals and autonomy and (2) Nourishers — interpersonal events that uplift workers, including encouragement and demonstrations of respect and collegiality. Brimming with honest examples from the companies studied, this book equips aspiring and seasoned leaders alike with the insights they need to maximize their people’s performance.
Who's Rich?
A million bucks isn’t what it used to be. Just ask American millionaires, a number of whom say they don’t even consider themselves wealthy. To be sure, how far $1 million takes you can depend on a number of factors, including where you live and whether or not you support dependents. But the rest, apparently, is subjective. Only one-third of American millionaires — or those with at least $1 million in investible assets — consider themselves “wealthy,” according to a Northwestern Mutual study. While two-thirds of millionaires might not feel rich, their substantial financial assets do afford them a greater sense of financial clarity over spending decisions, and preparedness compared with the general population, according to the survey. And at a time when many Americans say they are woefully underprepared for retirement, 87% of these high-net worth individuals say they expect to be financially prepared for their golden years. That compares with 54% of the general public who say as much.
Quiz: Best Colleges
Campuses are bustling with activity and the WSJ/College Pulse ranking of U.S. colleges is out. The ranking measures how well each college sets graduates up for financial success. It looks at how much a school improves students’ chances of graduating and their future earnings, balancing these outcomes with feedback from students on college life. It doesn’t measure reputation, nor the college’s own finances. Match the following schools with their respective ranking (No.1 means the best, and so on). Answers are shown at the bottom of the page.
1. Babson College a. No.1
2. Harvard
3. Notre Dame c. No.7
4. Princeton
5. UT-Austin
Stratagems is published monthly by Jim Eskin, Founder of Eskin Fundraising Training, LLC. We offer workshops and customized training sessions for board members, staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations of all kinds and sizes. For details about our services and information, or to find out how to schedule a training session for your organization, visit our website. Follow our events on Facebook, and read more articles about philanthropy on our LinkedIn page.
Jim Eskin, Founder
Eskin Fundraising Training
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 210.415.3748
www.eskinfundraisingtraining.com
ANSWERS TO THIS MONTH’S QUIZ: 1=b, 2=c, 3=d 4=a, 5=e |
