Understanding donors’ motivations based on evidence is key to effective fundraising. On the surface, that’s a logical concept, but so many fundraising organizations overlook the importance of analyzing data and instead keep doing what they’ve always done – because it works every now and then.

Finding and retaining major donors can be challenging, especially in lean economic times. However, major donors who are committed to an organization’s mission and vision are likely to continue to support the organization – in good times and bad.

High-profile data breaches expose how vulnerable even organizations with sophisticated IT departments can be to attacks from outside. But you don’t have to be a large organization to be concerned about  data privacy.  Protecting data for nonprofits is just as important and can be especially risky when dealing with marketing vendors. 

There is no question that all of us who raise funds for animal welfare organizations are in unchartered waters with the coronavirus and the economic uncertainty it is causing. Organizations are juggling countless priorities to make sure their staffs and volunteers are safe and that the animals continue to receive optimal care. And, they are struggling to make decisions around business continuity, including fundraising plans. Events are being cancelled or postponed resulting in a significant loss of revenue.

There is no question that we, who work in the non-profit world, are in unchartered waters with the coronavirus and the economic uncertainty it is causing. We’ve heard over and over from clients that they are struggling to make decisions because the situation is changing minute by minute. 

CHALLENGE:
A 1,200% increase in net proceeds may not seem possible, but that’s exactly what we helped the Detroit Zoo achieve over a five-year period through a more efficient and targeted marketing program.

Every announcement by a new administration about plans to reform the tax law is met with a certain amount of trepidation by charitable organizations of all sizes. But, the reality is that most individual donors don’t give for the tax break. A tax break is a welcome benefit, but most donors give because they believe in the cause, want to help or were asked by someone they know to donate.

There’s so much uncertainty surrounding the impact the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on individual giving, that many of our non-profit clients are asking for advice on how to plan their fundraising activities for the coming years.