19
2018
2019: Ten Trends Affecting Nonprofits
Article by Dania Miwa and Jim Toscano. Transition was the name of the game in 2018 for nonprofits, anticipating changes in government policy, especially in tax law, and trying to decide what directions should be taken. More than ever, large nonprofit organizations’ fundraising focus was on the top of the donor pyramid with programming focused on expansion. Almost everyone else tried to just hold on, with some nonprofits attempting to fill gaps caused by changing societal, economic, environmental and government trends through alternative funding strategies. Here’s what’s in store for 2019: Enlargement of the Civil Benefit Sector. With increases…
11
2017Eleven Ways to Increase Nonprofit Revenue
Dania Toscano Miwa and Jim Toscano For many nonprofits the current revenue situation is undergoing change, especially those seeking growth. With increasing numbers of nonprofits, higher competition, changes in individual giving, more narrow focusing of many foundations and corporations and impending loss of some government funding, where do we look for stability and growth of revenue? Here are eleven options. Many work together. Not all, or any, may fit specific nonprofit organizations. Hopefully, out of these possibilities, will come some opportunity for increased revenue or a stimulus for creative new options. Overall, the first step is to build a culture…
07
2015
A New Collaboration?
Foundations must spend at least 5% of their corpus each year, under a federal requirement governing their activities. Imagine what could be done if all of their corpus–spending and investments-were directed at their missions? What about their staffs—those substantive and technical experts they hire—could they work cooperatively as truly equal partners with nonprofits and for-profits in the formulation of the very projects they all want to see succeed? For many years, a handful of foundations have been making program-related low interest loans to further their mission; others have been managing investments away from certain areas, e.g. cigarettes, fossil fuels, gambling…
12
2014
We Call Ourselves Something We’re Not – Ten New Names
The name “Nonprofit” has nothing really relevant to what our organizations really do. Clearly, we do not dispense profits to shareholders, but is that the real distinction we wish to make to distinguish ourselves from business? A side excursion to Roget’s under “nonprofit” yields, among others, “worthless” and “unsuccessful.” (Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.) Or, more important, is this the name by which we really want to be known? If so, we can go back to the debates as to whether there should be a hyphen somewhere in the name. However, I…
02
2013And Now For Something Completely Different
A Post from James V. Toscano Bush at 60 The Bush Foundation is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Founded by Archibald Bush, a legendary 3M executive, and his wife in 1953, the Foundation has been a force in philanthropy over these years in important ways. Bush was an early leader in funding education and scholarships. A substantial portion of the $800 million given away in its first sixty years went to education in a variety of ways, from challenge grants to scholarships.
03
2011“Bah, Humbug!! — Ebenezer Scrooge May Have Been Right”
Post by James V. Toscano Just after he responded to those two proper gentlemen, asking for an end of year donation for the poor, with his classic, “Bah, Humbug !” Ebenezer Scrooge must have mumbled under his breath, “The only time I hear from them is when they need money.” How many of your donors might say the same thing? If the objective of our efforts is a long-term, productive relationship with our donors, then something more than the periodic appeal is required of us. We need to know and understand our constituents’ “visions,” their dreams. We need to reinforce…
19
2011
To Give…And Receive
Post by James V. Toscano When I was a young…and presumptuous….development officer, I remember saying such smart alec, cynical things about donors as“They say they don’t want to be thanked for their donation, but just forget to send them a letter.”Or “Just leave their name off the annual report, or misspell it, and you’ll see!” I was really on to something, only backwards! Development is not a one-way relationship. It is an exchange. An exchange of values. It is always two-way. Marketing expert, Armand Lauffer says, “Exchange is a process whereby individuals and/or organizations associate in order to achieve shared or complementary objectives.” In development, exchange…