Giving USA 2014 Report Highlights

click here for site.

The Giving USA 2014 report Highlights provides an overview of key 2013 data. The Giving 
USA 2014 report Highlights is instantly downloadable.

Some of the highlights:

Who gives the $335.17 billion in 2013?

72%   Individuals
15%    Foundations
  8%    Bequests
  5%    Corporations

I wonder if we should have our fundraising plans shaped to spend 72% of our time with individual donors?

The dead still out pace corporations in giving.

Cherryland Humane Society needs $500,000

From the TC Ticker e-newsletter 2 June 2014

Humane Society Facing Closure, Needs $500k June 2, 2014

By Lynn Geiger

For the second time in three years, the Cherryland Humane Society is facing a desperate financial situation and possible closure. The board of directors says it needs to raise $500,000 to keep the more than 60-year-old nonprofit animal shelter afloat and caring for the 60-plus animals currently lodged there. Letters have been sent to previous donors and other fundraising activities are in the works while the board explores “numerous ways to ensure financial stability going forward.” Local veterinarian and Board President David Burke says donations are down considerably, costs are up and the organization has enough money to operate “another three or four months.” If funds don’t materialize, he sees two choices: cut operational hours and staff or close down completely. More here

Planned Giving Fundraisers MUST Stop Living On The Tip Of The Iceberg

From Greg Warner Marketing Planned Giving blog ...

In Fraser Green’s book titled Iceberg Philanthropy he points out how planned giving fundraisers get tricked into thinking that what they see (the tip of the iceberg) is what truly exists.

Here’s what I mean:

1. Most organizations’ planned giving staff will not see (and/or cultivate relationships with) the entire group of people capable of making a legacy gift. That includes their entire database plus anyone else that might support their mission. Rather, most PG Officers are probably only seriously talking to way less than 300 people each year.

2. Those 300 people usually have special circumstances that require the PG Officers’ expertise. But everyone else does not. This is why so many gifts drop in unexpectedly. Face it, the vast majority of your planned gifts will come from people who never involved your organization’s staff in the decision-making process.

3. So, if most planned giving fundraisers only see the 300 that need help, then they are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. And that group is NOT analogous with the other 90% of your bequest donors.

If you want to attain more legacy gifts, stop living on the tip of the iceberg. Look for the commonalities in the 90% instead. Then find ways to satisfy their needs. That usually means you should market simple bequests, bequests, bequests.

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Click for for more information by  Greg Warner

Posted on his blog: May 21, 2014

Special Delivery

From the Grand Traverse Insider, 4 May 2014
Grand Traverse Insider > News

Postal workers collect food donations for local pantries

REGION – Post offices in Benzie County and throughout the area will participate in a national food drive this month to help re-stock several area food pantries.

On May 10, the 22nd Annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive will be held, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers, in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service, National Rural Carriers Association, the AFL-CIO, United Way of America and local anti-hunger agencies nationwide, such as Michigan’s Northwest Food Coalition.

In Benzie, area letter carriers will pick up donations of non-perishable food items left out at mailboxes across the county. Donations picked up will benefit the Benzie County Food Partners, Lake Ann Food Pantry, Fresh Wind Christian Community Food Pantry and Unveiling Truth food pantries.

Read more - Click here 

US Charity Donations Suggest Growing Confidence

Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - 10:30

Reality Check: US Charity Donations Suggest Growing Confidence

By Jon Hurdle
--Biggest Growth Seen for Major Gifts; Community Donations Show Signs of Decline

PHILADELPHIA (MNI) - Charitable giving by U.S. individuals, foundations, and corporations gained in the first quarter as stock prices rose and the job market improved, but donations have not fully recovered to their pre-recession level, fundraising professionals said.
Anecdotal reports from philanthropic trade groups and the leading academic source of data on the U.S. charity sector indicate that improving economic confidence among donors, especially those giving $1 million or more, is boosting the income of universities, hospitals, arts organizations and other recipients of charitable gifts.

There is some evidence that donations from those much lower on the income scale is declining, perhaps as a result of greater competition for limited funds, in a trend that could disrupt fundraising strategies in future, experts said.

But overall giving so far this year has continued the solid gains seen in 2013, according to preliminary indications ahead of the industry's annual data that are not published until mid-year.

Click here for more of article

Turing Myths into Gifts

Greg Lassonde, www.greglassonde.com, is demystifying legacy giving to make it accessible to all including our staff and volunteers making legacy gift solicitations.

He defines then breaks 10 paradigms of "old school" planned giving and prefers the focus to be "legacy giving". His reshaping of the estate giving allows for many to be involved in the process and volunteers comfortable in asking for these kinds of gifts.

Check out his white paper of Legacy Giving - Click here

Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #7

The Planned Giving Design Center is one of the best on-line resources and newsletters for the issues, topics, and concerns for gift planning. Sign up for their e-newsletter today. http://www.pgdc.com/ 

Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #6

This might seem very basic.

I had the good fortune in the first week of my professional philanthropy career to literally sit at the feet of the master. I attended a Hank Rosso Fundraising School session in Minneapolis where I had the good fortune of speaking with him directly over the coarse of a week workshop.

Hank's advice was always, "The first gift to any campaign is yours."  Americans in their DNA know if someone has "put their money where their mouth is." So yours is the first gift to any appeal that you make including estate and planned giving.

Yours is the first planned gift to your organization in your new post.

Go through the estate planning process first before you go out and talk with people so that you know what they will go through.  Plan your planned gift to your organization.  Either a bequest or beneficiary designation works fine.

Then you can look people in the eye and say that you have already have done this kind of gift.

peace+

Estate and Gift Planning, Tip #5

MarketSmart.com are creators of marketing tools for all kinds of fundraising.  They put out insightful white papers and presentations on a variety of fundraising topics.

In the Planned Giving area, their download "Inside the Mind of a Planned Giving Donor" using Russell James's research is insightful.

Check it out at:

http://imarketsmart.com/russelljames/