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Last week, Carnegie Mellon University received the largest individual gift in the history of American higher education. $3 billion! Citadel founder Ken Griffin committed $2 billion to establish an entirely new Carnegie Mellon campus in Miami and another $1 billion…
Nonprofits spend a lot of time thinking about two groups of donors. Annual donors and major donors. But there is a group sitting between them that may deserve considerably more attention. The $1,000-to-$10,000 donor. New fundraising data provides a compelling…
Most capital campaigns begin with optimism. There is an important project. Leadership is excited. A campaign goal has been established. Prospective donors are identified, and everyone is eager to get started. Then, somewhere along the way, momentum slows. The first…
Fundraisers spend a lot of time trying to make gifts more attractive to donors. We name buildings. We create restricted funds. We develop detailed budgets and carefully describe exactly how every dollar will be spent. Sometimes that is exactly what…
Fundraisers spend a great deal of time thinking about how much a donor might give. Perhaps we should spend more time asking a different question: What does the donor ultimately want to accomplish with their resources? Eddie Smith Jr. spent…
It’s understandable why nonprofit leaders hesitate before launching a capital campaign. Construction costs remain high. Economic headlines can be unsettling. Boards worry about asking donors for significant gifts. The temptation is to wait for a “better time.” But waiting carries…
$617 BILLION. That’s how much Americans donated to charity in 2025. It’s the first-time charitable giving has exceeded $600 billion, and even after adjusting for inflation, giving was up 3.0%. That’s an extraordinary statement about American generosity. But if you’re…
Many nonprofit leaders believe they have a good handle on their donors. They know who gives, who attends events, and who has supported the organization for years. Then they launch a campaign. Suddenly, longtime assumptions are challenged. Prospects they thought…
When nonprofits think about fundraising relationships, they usually focus on donors, board members, and foundations. But many organizations are overlooking one of the most underutilized sources of connection and support sitting right in front of them: vendors, business partners, and…
Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) are no longer a niche giving tool used by a small segment of wealthy donors. They have become one of the fastest-growing vehicles in philanthropy, holding hundreds of billions of dollars earmarked for charitable giving. More…