Congressional earmarks have proven to be widely popular and don’t seem to be going away any time soon. Last year, the combined House and Senate earmark funding went from $9.9 Billion (FY 2022) to $16.7 Billion (FY2023), with significant increases from both House and Senate. (Source: Zach Courser, Ph.D., Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center). Known in the House as Community Project…
By Jeffrey D. Byrne Co-Founder + CEO Capital Campaigns looking for innovative ways to find new funding or to begin the process may find public/private partnerships advantageous. Nonprofits have shied away from this funding model because traditional public/private partnerships have been used for funding large civic projects where private entities may receive a certain amount of operating profits on the…
By Lori Kodanaz Vice President of Program Development Forecasting an election in today’s political environment is no easy task. Pundits swing both ways and unfortunately, leave us with more questions than answers. Target Point consulting recently interviewed 1,000 registered voters nationwide to get a feel for the prevailing views on nonprofits in relation to public policy. The results were mixed….
By Barb Bloch, Vice President of Major Gifts If your annual fundraising events are a major source of your organization’s revenue, COVID-19 has understandably complicated your operations over the past couple of years. You most likely were forced to make the difficult, but necessary decision to postpone and cancel in-person events, perhaps many times. But now that vaccines are widespread…
Giving USA is the most trusted annual report on the sources and uses of philanthropy in the United States, but it’s also a valuable resource in helping us improve philanthropy. Nonprofit organizations can use Giving USA 2022 data to help identify trends as well as opportunities to strengthen their fundraising in the coming years. Case in point, Giving USA 2022 highlighted several important trends in philanthropy like:…
Fundraisers are nervously watching the economic indicators and stakeholders’ reactions to the ups and downs of the stock market. Do we batten down the hatches? Do we ride it out, hoping for the best? What is the right move at this time? The good news is that, historically, giving during a downturn has dropped by only 0.5%. Even during the…
By Katie Santambrogio Principal, Social Impact Collaborative Consulting Senior Consultant, Byrne Pelofsky Foundations and nonprofit organizations have been engaging in impact investing since the 1960s. However, the last decade has seen the nonprofit sector take a greater strategic approach. By aligning endowments, investment portfolios, and cash management tools with mission-centered work, organizations are putting targeted social impact ahead of traditional…
Sandra Swirski, Partner, Urban Swirski & Associates brought policy and practical fundraising advice from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City at the 501c Success National Speaker Series on February 25. Swirski’s 30 years of experience in management consulting includes working with nonprofits and large membership organizations to reimagine, build capacity and scale their public policy and advocacy infrastructures. She indicated the…
While fully virtual strategies were sustainable at the peak of the pandemic, they’re not optimal for organizations that prefer connecting with supporters in person. With vaccines widely available, it’s becoming safer to meet face-to-face, which has organizations everywhere returning to in-person operations. While you’ve likely considered what the hybrid model looks like for your fundraising efforts, what about how it…
As a nonprofit professional, you know that your donors are some of the most important people. After all, without their support and funding, your organization would not be able to achieve what it has for your mission. That’s why engaging donors and nurturing those relationships are so important. When fundraisers talk about donor engagement strategies, they’re likely referring to donor…