05
2021
2021: Ten Trends for Significant Nonprofit Survival
2021 will be a year of transition for nonprofit organizations as well as for the rest of society. Transition does not mean heading back to the business as usual of 2019, but movement toward a blending of what was, what has been learned, what has changed and what is needed for a more equitable and just society. The Pandemic taught us many things and reminded us of things we knew, but were easy to push to the back burner. It changed patterns of thought, behavior and action. Our culture, society, economy, technology and all other aspects responded. We hear of…
14
2020
The Blog is Back
Essay by Dania Toscano Miwa & Jim Toscano As many of you know as supporters, clients, friends and colleagues of Toscano Advisors, Jim and I moved our business to Portland, Oregon last year. Since that time we have been busy meeting new people and new Nonprofits. We’ve also been creating new relationships, networks, and learning as much as we can about NGO’s working in the Pacific Northwest. In that time, we took a hiatus from writing and updating the blog regularly.
23
2017
The Big Shift in Fundraising
Note: This guest post is from Andy Robinson, a terrific fundraising trainer and consultant who works across North America. On November 15, Andy will be in St. Paul, leading a workshop for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: Mobilize Your Board to Raise More Money. I hope you can join him! -Dania Like many fundraisers, I always anticipate the annual release of Giving USA, which offers a thorough overview of trends in U.S. philanthropy. I’ve also been reading Ruth McCambridge of the Nonprofit Quarterly, whose cogent analysis of the Giving USA data is really helpful – and inspired this post. Thanks,…
22
2017Ten Ways to Find New Donors
The third essay in a series by Dania Toscano Miwa and Jim Toscano We all want new donors—as many as possible!!! We all need new donors—as many as possible to replace those who didn’t renew and more. We all hope for new donors—as many as possible to help us finance new, important projects. In the last essay we talked about retention. Now we will focuson recruitment. How then do we go about finding donors? That often depends on how sophisticated your existing donor program is, how much resource and time you can devote to discovery, cultivation and solicitation, and how…
15
2015
Guest Post – A Nickel Sent Was A Nickel Wasted (Almost)
By Jim Thalhuber I received a solicitation in the mail today from a well-known national nonprofit organization and there it was, peeping through the small, round window on the front of the envelope — a shiny, brand new 2015 “Return to Monticello” nickel, minted in Denver, bearing an image of President Thomas Jefferson (based on the Rembrandt Peal painting of 1800) on the obverse and the 1938 restored design of Jefferson’s Virginia home of Monticello on the reverse. I trust/hope that the soliciting nonprofit organization has done its homework and can prove that the nickel gambit is effective in securing new…
02
2015
A New, Old Fear
Since the great recession of 2007-2010, gifts to charities have changed in subtle ways. Not only was there a temporary reduction in overall totals, but the mix has also changed. The interior and shape of the gift pyramid have changed. Donor behavior has changed. There are many bright spots as we emerge from the crisis. We hear many accounts of increases in digital giving, often in small amounts, although in larger numbers. Certain “days” resound with increasing totals, such as the Give to the Max and Giving Tuesday. Crowd-funding may be a new avenue, or a temporary fad. We also…
10
2013Nonprofits 2013: The First State of the Sector
A Post from Jim Toscano As the end of year approaches and before our annual predictions for next year, it might be useful to summarize the current status of the nonprofit sector. Where are we, the near-million current nonprofits in the nation? Clearly all over the lot, but are there reportable milestones and trends that may characterize nonprofits? Twelve complex factors comprise major parameters that are prominent in 2013, part of the constant change that we all experience. Over the years, our nonprofit sector has attributed our strong societal standing to American exceptionalism, while we have also heard from various…
15
2013The Effective Development Program; Ten Essentials for Success
A Post from James V. Toscano There are many factors spelling success for development programs at nonprofits. Development here means the larger, always increasing building of constituency, reinforcing brand, motivating volunteers, inspiring donors and increasing fundraising totals. Ten of these factors appear essential, are measurable and, thus, may be continuously improved. Here are the ten: 1. The essential agreement among Board members, executive directors and development directors on their respective roles in the development process. While this may vary from organization to organization, the elements of Board participation, executive director leadership and development director management of the process must all…
29
2013Ten Requisites to Retain Development Directors
A Post from James V. Toscano Since the release of the Underdeveloped Study, much has been written here and elsewhere about the state of development and fundraising offices and people in nonprofit organizations. We have been somewhat shocked by what we read in the report on short tenures, distrust, misunderstanding, and intentions to terminate and to leave. All in all, the report gives a picture of a disaster happening before our eyes. We know there are many places where this is not happening, yet we also know a number of nonprofits where elements of this picture are present, some in…
16
2013The Ten Requisites for Conducting a Capital Campaign
A Posting by James V. Toscano Capital Campaigns, which, for purposes here, include endowment as well, used to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. One could expect one’s religious institution, alma mater, cultural center and favorite charity to solicit a capital donation once. Now, there’s a certain circularity cycling capital campaigns every x years. An institution of higher education near to my home has just gone over its $500M goal and is celebrating. It is simultaneously planning its next campaign, perhaps in five to seven years.