In partnership with CCS Fundraising, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has embarked on strategic fundraising initiatives to ensure its long-term sustainability and relevance. This Q&A with the CSO’s Chief Philanthropy Officer, Mary McFadden Lawson, explores the orchestra’s comprehensive efforts to transform its vision to strategy by adapting to modern challenges and leveraging opportunities for growth. Glean insights on nonprofit innovation, diversity, digital engagement, and unprecedented philanthropy through our conversation, below.

A vision of Relevancy Across the US

What is the long-term vision for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and how are current operations aligned to achieve this vision?

Our vision is to be the most relevant orchestra in America. As part of our 10-year strategic plan, we’ve thoroughly examined every aspect of the organization to align our work with this vision. This has included adding two new departments: Diversity Equity & Inclusion, led by a new Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, and a Digital Content & Innovation team within our Communications department. We’ve also made quieter, yet significant, changes in how we hire, train, and retain staff, along with auditing our language and accessibility. We’ve challenged ourselves to deeply examine our Board and governance, and to find sustainable ways to host free community concerts. Every step, big or small, is in service to our overarching vision.

How Arts and Culture Strategies Can Shift

Can you discuss any recent strategic shifts or innovations the orchestra has undertaken to enhance its artistic and operational success?

It starts with our mission to seek and share inspiration, and we lean heavily on the seeking part.

Recently, the orchestra has undertaken significant strategic shifts and innovations to enhance both its artistic and operational success. We crafted a comprehensive strategic plan and implemented several key changes, including the creation of a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) department and a Digital Content & Innovations department, which did not exist before. These changes are part of a broader effort to fine-tune every aspect of the organization, from artistic planning and supplier lists to musician recruitment and audition processes, as well as shaping the board. All these changes are aimed at making the orchestra the most relevant in America. The initial results and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, fuelling our determination to continue pursuing these strategic goals.

Embracing Diversity and Community

Could you share a specific initiative or project that demonstrates the orchestra’s commitment to social justice and its impact on the community?

Our approach is grounded in a longstanding care for the community, and our work today represents a much greater intentionality—an unapologetic effort to make music for all. We believe that music is for everyone and strive to eliminate barriers to access. While some may not support our focus on engaging those historically excluded from classical music, we remain committed to this because our priority is to serve the broader community, not just a select few. We offer free community concerts, collaborate with community partners, and provide a variety of ticket discounts and pay structures. We focus on addressing engagement deserts by guiding our decisions through data, ensuring that we reach areas and demographics not previously represented in our database.

A picture of three violinists playing.

Translating Vision to Strategy at Arts and Culture Institutions

As a leading arts and culture institution, Could you shed light on the orchestra’s fundraising strategies and how they have evolved to meet changing economic landscapes?

Nonprofit innovation doesn’t always mean creating something entirely new. For example, by examining how nonprofits outside the arts sector engage younger, more diverse donors, we can find valuable strategies for our own organization. Leveraging our online presence and social media for fundraising, while being data-driven in analysing results, can significantly enhance our approach. It’s crucial to focus on our organizational identity and messaging, rather than solely on our activities. Diverse voices within our team offer essential perspectives, as evidenced by our monthly e-newsletter. One team member highlighted the need to feature a story that represents a broader aspect of our community. We’re now taking a more holistic view of our messaging to foster deeper philanthropic connections. Language plays a key role in this process, and we’re grateful to CCS for initiating that important discussion.

How would you define a culture of philanthropy?

The culture of philanthropy at the CSO is defined by the understanding that every team member’s role contributes to the success of fundraising efforts. It’s about recognizing how each aspect of our work—whether it’s delivering a phenomenal concert experience, ensuring a seamless ticket purchasing process, or supporting music education in schools—enhances our ability to engage and impact donors. In this culture, there is a shared sense of celebration when gifts come in, not just by the philanthropy team but across the entire staff.

It’s not a siloed approach; rather, there is a clear understanding of how all departments’ efforts support the overall pathway to success. This shift towards a broader perspective on philanthropy, highlighted by changes such as the transition from my title as VP of Development to VP of Philanthropy and now to the role of Chief Philanthropy Officer, emphasizes the importance of integrating philanthropic goals with the work of all other areas, from marketing and communications to artistic programming.

How significant is the role of donor engagement and philanthropy in sustaining the orchestra’s mission, and what innovative approaches are you taking to enhance donor relations?

Donor engagement is how we make the intangible tangible. Connecting beyond the concert experience to how it comes together, to the people who make it happen, to spaces not often explored by audiences, to observing young listeners experience the full orchestra—each of these are mission moments and we lean into them for our donors. What is a normal day for us “at the office” is radically different than the average donor’s day, so we invite them in because we have found that experience speaks louder than a branded tote bag.

Harnessing Digital Trends for Expanded Reach

How has the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra adapted to digital trends to reach wider audiences and engage with fans in innovative ways?

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has adapted to digital trends by creating and integrating a Digital Content & Innovation department into our Communications team—it’s the intersection of storytelling, art and technology. Recognizing that digital and social media are now the primary channels through which people receive news and influence, we’ve built our digital strategy to complement rather than replace existing practices, ensuring we don’t alienate our established audiences. Our digital presence includes free, full-length concert livestreams, in-depth explorations of programs, sneak peeks of rehearsals and behind-the-scenes shorts, curriculum-supporting education videos, radio broadcasts, and commercial recordings. All of these elements have been well-received, reflecting our commitment to consistent and engaging digital efforts. We also offer digital program notes and detailed content that caters to enthusiasts to complement Fanfare Magazine print edition which focuses more on storytelling in a magazine format on an in-concert audience.

Future Challenges for Translating Vision to Strategy at Arts and Culture Institutions

What are the biggest challenges facing the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the next five years, and how are you preparing to address them?

One major challenge is overcoming the persistent elitist perceptions associated with orchestras, perpetuated by media such as TV shows and movies. Despite our efforts to be community-focused and move beyond these outdated stereotypes, popular culture continues to reinforce them, making it difficult to change public perception.

Another significant challenge is demonstrating ongoing value and relevance to our audience. Even as we celebrate our successes, we must work to maintain engagement and show that there is always a need for continued support and involvement, ensuring that people don’t become complacent with what they already have.

To address these challenges, we are constantly revisiting our strategic plan, holding it up to changing trends and issues relevant to our field and community. This doesn’t mean we take a whiplash approach to what’s next, but it does mean we earnestly evaluate how our current work addresses impact and how we need to change the way we operate to be even more effective in the future. We look at trend lines instead of relying on a crystal ball, ensuring that our strategies remain adaptive and forward-looking.

Translating Vision Into strategy In the Coming Years

What opportunities do you see for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the next five years, and how do you plan to leverage them?

Despite the challenges, there are significant opportunities to redefine and broaden our image. A key opportunity lies in integrating our new Music Director into this work, leveraging his energy and artistic perspective to further our commitment that music is for all. This integration allows us to enhance our community connections and innovate in our engagement strategies, supported by digital trends and content innovations.

By folding in our new Music Director’s vision and focusing on inclusivity, we can more effectively reach wider audiences and deepen our impact, ensuring that the orchestra continues to evolve and resonate with diverse communities.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) continues to stand as a pillar of artistic excellence and community engagement, driven by a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through strategic partnerships like the one with CCS Fundraising, the CSO is navigating the complexities of modern nonprofit innovation to secure its long-term sustainability and relevance. To discuss how to transfer vision to strategy at your arts and culture institutions, reach out to CCS.

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Article

CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Arts and Culture Spotlight

February 2025

This Arts and Culture Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 104 survey respondents from that sector.

Publication

CCS Philanthropy Pulse

February 13, 2025

Uncover the latest fundraising trends in the 2025 CCS Philanthropy Pulse report! Packed with data-rich insights from 600+ nonprofit organizations across diverse nonprofit sectors, this free report will help you plan for success in 2025.

SEE ALL IN: Arts & Culture

Among other tools, organizations can drive donor cultivation through the creation and engagement of an associate board.

Known as “The Great Wealth Transfer,” Baby Boomers will pass on an estimated $84 trillion over the next two decades – the largest wealth transfer in human history. At the same time, the number of retirees is rapidly accelerating. These factors will significantly alter nonprofits’ donor base and have an outsized impact on the composition of governing boards as new generations become the leading stewards of organizations’ missions.  Nonprofits that seek to get ahead of this trend are focusing on nonprofit donor cultivation through associate boards.  

The data is clear: now is the time to act. As discussed in our recent publication Finding, Engaging, and Retaining the Next Donor Generation, over the last decade, the average millennial (those born between 1981-1996) household has increased its giving by more than 40%. Millennials have surpassed Gen X as the second most philanthropic generation in America, second only to Boomers. Despite this, donor participation rates are going down overall, meaning organizations have an imperative to prioritize sourcing their next generation of mission-champions.

Volunteerism has always played an important role in philanthropy. In fact, nearly half of major donors report that they volunteer for their top philanthropic priority organizations. The volunteer-to-donor overlap is even more significant among younger generations, for whom service and activism are frequently embedded in their upbringing. These generations are also more likely to be influenced by their peers’ giving and by peer-endorsement of institutions and brands (i.e., those already volunteering for an institution).

What Is an Associate Board?

Associate boards (sometimes coined ‘young’, ’emerging leaders’, or ‘junior’ boards) are volunteer boards that can be a powerful affinity-building opportunity; seed a donor pipeline for future decades; and have numerous short- and long-term benefits on an institution’s culture of philanthropy, contributed and earned revenues, and community engagement writ-large. 

In this article, we’ll describe the five necessary factors and steps needed to launch – or revive – your associate board. We’ll articulate how building a vibrant culture of philanthropy in your associate board can emanate outwards, inspiring your institution via the power, passion, and vision of these motivated Millennial and Gen Z leaders. 

  1. Define your “Why”
  2. Ensure you have your champions for this initiative
  3. Value the program fiscally inside your organization
  4. Embrace that this will be a resume and network building opportunity
  5. Manage your “cliff” – transitions are key

We’ll model these 5 key steps with a successful case study from Nashville Symphony, an internationally regarded, Grammy® Award winning orchestra, and long CCS partner on various projects since 1998.  

Step 1: Define Your “Why”

Before you start, we recommend that you ask yourself: is launching or reviving an associate board an initiative you can support long-term? Be prepared to experiment for at least three to five years before deciding whether to continue. If you decide to move forward, center this conversation in your values and your mission.

Consider how long-term donor cultivation will impact your organization and donor base over the coming years and decades, and proactively plan according to these trends. 

Discuss these questions with your team: fundamentally, why are you launching this initiative? What will you change or achieve through the enhanced efforts of these new volunteer leaders? How will you align your associate board’s operations with your larger institutional goals and your current strategic plan? Are you aligning your needs to local and national philanthropic trends? The answers to these questions will inevitably evolve, but specificity at the start is key to your success. 

Keep expectations realistic and clear. An associate board will not solve all your institutional woes. Be particularly wary of the idea that your associate board can quickly change or fix issues with your larger fiduciary board. However, with a well-defined vision, an associate board can play a transformational role in your organization’s advancement — as is evident from the Nashville Symphony’s own path. 

Step 2: Ensure You Have Your Champions To Launch/Revive Your Associate Board

All associate boards require a champion for success – a staff member who will drive this project together. They will need to both address short-term operational needs and foster the vision for long-term growth. Don’t underestimate the time and attention that a new associate board will require, especially for the initial two to three years of liftoff. 

One of the key needs for your champion is to drive a decision regarding where the associate board will sit structurally in your organization. Ensure anyone who will be impacted is included in some way during the planning process. These include your chief executive; their assistant; various departments and staff members throughout your institution; your board chair; governance committee chair; development committee chair, and other board members as relevant.

Equally critical is buy-in from the board. This is most effectively done by identifying one to two dedicated board members who will actively help to make this governance structure a reality.

Once a decision has been made, be sure that your organizational chart is formally revised and that everyone impacted has both verbal and visual articulation of how the associate board will fit within your operations and organization. Continue keeping board members apprised.

Step 3: Value the Program Fiscally Inside Your Organization

As the adage goes, “If you want to know someone’s values, look at their budget.”

Associate boards require both start-up and ongoing costs. At the same time, they should drive new revenue for the organization (though as a leadership investment opportunity, they may not always be revenue-positive). With the right framework, associate boards can even have a transformational impact on an organization’s bottom line — as has been the experience for the Nashville Symphony.

Step 4: Embrace That This Will Be a Resume- and Network-Building Opportunity

Leadership development and networking are key to any board. These will hold outsized value for an associate board. As younger professionals, associate board members may take a transactional or skill-development-driven approach to their service. Embrace and leverage this reality. Ensure strong screening for new members, set clear expectations, and select early leaders who can model the kind of service you wish to see in all associate board members.

Your designated associate board champion and their team (see step two) should research generational workstyles and volunteerism to ensure you incorporate best practices, relevant language and culture, and operational frameworks to maximize engagement among your Millennial and Gen Z volunteers.

Step 5: Ensure Smooth Transitions

The way associate board members enter and exit their service term is key. Given the demographics of typical associate board members, plan for higher fluidity and turnover than on your governing board (including both members of the board transitioning employers, and in rolling off the board generally).

Designing meaningful transitions for each retiring associate board is key to your success in managing your post-service ‘cliff’. Create opportunities for celebration, reflection, and continued stewardship. Organizations should treat this ‘cliff’ as an opportunity. Work with each associate board member to identify next steps post-service. Most of your associate board alumni will not directly join your organization’s fiduciary board. Ensure you define meaningful transitions for these engaged, passionate volunteers in whom you have invested so much time.

Nonprofit Donor Cultivation Is Possible With An Associate Board

The Great Wealth Transfer is coming, and it can significantly impact your organization. By launching or reinvesting in an associate board, you can cultivate the next generation of donors and ensure success during this wave of philanthropic opportunity. We encourage you to use this article and our worksheet to initiate a conversation with your team regarding launching your own associate board.

More Insights

Publication

CCS Philanthropy Pulse

February 13, 2025

Uncover the latest fundraising trends in the 2025 CCS Philanthropy Pulse report! Packed with data-rich insights from 600+ nonprofit organizations across diverse nonprofit sectors, this free report will help you plan for success in 2025.

Article

Donor Acquisition and Retention Strategies for 2025

February 11, 2025

Read this article to learn how to develop an effective donor acquisition and retention plan in 2025.

The 2024 presidential election of Trump was set against a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty. Economic volatility, including inflation and fears of a potential recession, can create a challenging environment for fundraising. With policy shifts on the horizon and diverse donor bases to consider, it is crucial for fundraising professionals to proactively adapt their strategies. This article explores how the election may influence higher education fundraising while offering actionable insights for navigating this season of change and uncertainty. 

All nonprofits, especially higher education institutions, must prepare for the ripple effects this season may have on their fundraising efforts. The impact of Trump’s education and economic policy agendas, combined with political polarization, can make fundraising seem unreliable. Amidst challenges, one thing is certain: Americans are inherently generous, underscored by the $577.2B given to charitable causes in 2023. Generosity endures, even in times of upheaval, from pandemics, to elections, to recessions. In fact, charitable giving grew in 90% of the last 10 election years. 

As advancement professionals, you can capture this generosity by staying proactive in your preparation and remaining aware of any changes on the horizon. 

Preparing Your Fundraising Team  

Advance Relationship-Centric Fundraising

Genuine connections, hyper-personalization, and prioritizing donor relationships over transactions are key. These relationships allow you to tailor your approach to each donor’s priorities and concerns while emphasizing the long-term impact of their contributions. This approach helps you navigate challenging subjects and secure sustained support​. 

Relay Urgency & Emphasize Immediate Impact

Donors may adopt a “wait and see” approach, delaying significant gifts until the political and economic climate stabilizes post-inaguration. Fundraising professionals must emphasize the immediate impact of donations and prepare for varying donor sentiments based on election outcomes. Highlighting how contributions immediately benefit students, faculty, and campus improvements makes for a compelling case for support. 

Be Honest about the Influence of the 2024 Presidential Election on Higher Education Fundraising and mission

Changes in federal and state policy can lead to shifts in funding streams for many higher education institutions, presenting an opportunity to engage in discussions about why philanthropic support is essential. Often, philanthropy fills critical gaps, sustains mission-driven initiatives, enables transformational programs, and unlocks future potential for students. Creating fact-based, mission-focused talking points that highlight the connection between philanthropy and potential policy changes can help development officers respond to donor questions effectively. 

Utilize Institutional Resources

Policy experts at your institution in public affairs, legal, or other departments can help with questions you may have about current or future state policies. Regularly engage these offices in the lead up and after the results of an important election. These departments can also help teams understand scholarship policy shifts. 

Engage Younger Donors

As donor demographics shift, institutions need to engage younger alumni who prioritize different causes such as environmental and social justice issues. Tailoring fundraising messages and strategies to resonate with prospective donor values is essential for securing support from the next generation of donors​.

 

The Influence of the 2024 Presidential Election on Higher Education Fundraising

Policy Changes on the Horizon  

Issues at stake for the influence of the recent election on higher education fundraising will impact the philanthropic landscape, including higher education. 

  • Charitable Act Extension and Tax Policy Changes: This legislation, if extended, is expected to boost charitable giving by allowing more substantial tax deductions for donations. Conversely, changes in tax deduction caps and limits could impact the timeline or urgency of larger gifts from high-net-worth individuals. Fundraising professionals must stay informed about these changes to communicate the benefits of giving​. 

Some policy issues will more specifically impact higher education fundraisers.

Staying informed and agile will enable your team to adjust strategy as needed and maintain donor support. 

  • Federal Funding for Higher Education: Cuts in federal support may require institutions to increase philanthropic fundraising to cover budget shortfalls. Conversely, increased federal funding could ease financial pressures, allowing institutions to focus on endowment building and other long-term goals​. With potential changes on the horizon, institutional advancement leaders should prepare their teams to be adaptable. 
  • Local Policy Priorities: Be mindful of the policy priorities of local incoming officials. An administration’s focus can influence the availability of grant funding in specific sectors — whether for research, student financial support or relief, or the types of institutions that are prioritized for federal and state dollars. Pay close attention to these platforms and consider the opportunities and challenges each may present.  
  • Student Loan Policies: Enhanced loan forgiveness programs could reduce the financial burdens on graduates, potentially increasing their capacity and willingness to donate to their alma maters. Conversely, restrictive loan policies strain graduates’ finances. Being mindful of these changes will help you engage recent graduates or parents.  
  • Estate and Gift Tax Reforms: Policy that effects planned gifts can be particularly relevant to the higher education landscape, where endowed scholarship funds, positions, and programs are prevalent. Estate taxes may motivate donors to include charitable bequests in their estate planning to reduce tax liabilities. On the other hand, lower estate taxes might decrease the urgency for planned giving, affecting long-term fundraising prospects for universities​. Staying aware of estate tax reform will help you carry out a targeted blended gift strategy.  

Colleges and Universities can ensure fundraising excellence in 2025 and beyond

For fundraising professionals at universities and colleges, staying ahead of the influence of the recent election on higher education fundraising is crucial. By focusing on the specific needs and values of their donor base, higher education institutions can ensure continued financial support and success in their fundraising endeavors. 

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Article

CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Higher Education Spotlight

February 2025

This Higher Education Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 53 survey respondents from that sector.

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse

February 13, 2025

Uncover the latest fundraising trends in the 2025 CCS Philanthropy Pulse report! Packed with data-rich insights from 600+ nonprofit organizations across diverse nonprofit sectors, this free report will help you plan for success in 2025.

SEE ALL IN: Higher Education

During the 2020 US presidential election, political campaigns collected over $25.3 billion ($29.8 billion after adjusting for inflation). More recently, presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ team raised more than $81 million in the 24-hour period after Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, claiming to be the largest single-day total in the country’s history. This massive influx of funds highlights the intense financial efforts and strategic planning involved in modern political campaigns. As experts in campaign fundraising, we work with leading nonprofits to stay on the cutting edge of campaign technology, borrowing techniques from leading strategies across sectors. What similarities can be drawn between nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns? In this article, we share with you some strategies from the political fundraising landscape that can be applied to your organization.  

The Structure of Fundraising Campaigns 

Your Development Team is LIKE a Political Action Committee 

Most of the funding for the 2024 election – over 65%, or nearly $5.6 billion – comes from political action committees, otherwise known as PACs. PACs are organizations that raise and spend money to support candidates and influence elections. They can represent industry groups, labor unions, or individual companies. They run advertisements on specific issues or for candidates, finance get-out-the-vote drives, do research on election issues, and more. In a way, these PACS are like a nonprofit’s development team, but on a much larger scale. However, there are some tactics we can learn from them and implement in our own fundraising efforts. 

Timeless Pillars of Philanthropic Fundraising

Every fundraising mission, including political fundraising, begins with “case, leadership, prospects, and plan.” 

A picture of a political action committee, nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns.

Political Fundraising Pillars 

There are three key political fundraising pillars that drive PAC’s impactful efforts. These pillars focus on effective communication, engaging donors and volunteers, and utilizing diverse fundraising channels. Nonprofits can learn from these strategies to enhance their own fundraising efforts and build stronger, more engaged communities. 

One: Effective Communication and Relationship Building in nonprofit and POLITICAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS 

Effectively conveying mission and impact is paramount during election years to build relationships with donors and volunteers, as well as during nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns. It requires not only a clear understanding of the donor’s interests and motivations, but also an alignment of those factors with the PAC’s objectives and activities. A nonprofit could replicate this approach by fostering a culture of transparency and gratitude. This can be achieved through regular updates on how donations are being utilized, success stories that highlight the tangible outcomes of their support, and opportunities for donors and volunteers to engage directly with the organization’s mission.  

Additionally, creating tailored engagement plans that recognize and celebrate individual contributions can further strengthen these relationships, ensuring long-term commitment and support. During the last US presidential election cycle, 64% of voters reported receiving text messages and 60% reported receiving emails from political campaigns. However, an even greater percentage (78%) indicated they were reached through more traditional methods, such as printed mail or fliers. As donors and potential donors receive more political outreach during this time, nonprofits should ensure communication is as personalized as possible, updating donors on how contributions have made a difference. 

TWO: Donor/Volunteer Engagement and Mobilization 

A grassroots approach requires diligence and a strong online presence, and PACs must also rely on word-of-mouth, local events, and volunteer activities. Nevertheless, the method can be highly effective, especially for PACs that are supporting hot-button topics that constituents are passionate about. Nonprofits can replicate this by leveraging similar strategies to engage their communities. By focusing on personalized outreach, hosting community events where volunteers can be active participants, and maintaining active communication channels, nonprofits can build strong, lasting relationships with their supporters to get them involved. Additionally, utilizing social media and other digital platforms can amplify their message and mobilize a broader audience, ensuring their mission resonates with a wider group of constituents. 

THREE: Diverse Fundraising Channels

Political fundraisers often solicit contributions through direct mail campaigns, fundraising events, door-to-door solicitations, and meet-and-greets with political figures in the form of talks or dinners. For nonprofits, this could mean sending personalized letters or newsletters to potential donors, highlighting their mission, recent achievements, and how contributions make a difference. Hosting events such as charity galas, auctions, or community fairs, visiting neighborhoods to share information about the nonprofit’s work, and organizing talks or dinners with key figures in the nonprofit sector can provide additional channels to connect and build lasting relationships with supporters. 

ENGAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Beyond direct engagement, digital outreach is critical in this post-pandemic virtual world, and social media is a leading online fundraising tool. Fifty-five percent (55%) of people who engage with nonprofits on social media subsequently donate or volunteer. By creating compelling content and targeted advertisements, PACs tap into networks of potential donors who share their political views or interests, and once they have built a strong social following, they maintain their momentum in and out of campaign season, allowing for consistent fund generation.

Nonprofits can apply this method to their own organization by leveraging social media to share impactful stories, engage with their audience regularly, and create targeted campaigns that resonate with their supporters’ values and interests. This not only attracts new donors, but also retains existing ones by keeping them informed and involved in the nonprofit’s mission and activities. 

CONSIDER BRANDED MERCHANDISE

Selling branded merchandise is another way in which PACs raise funds. Items like t-shirts, hats, bumper stickers, and other memorabilia generate revenue, consolidate a brand identity, promotes the PAC’s cause, and can be a tool to recruit others to their mission and maximizes visibility. Effective merchandising relies on strong branding, so PACs often use slogans, logos, or symbols that resonate with their target audience to create a sense of identity and community among supporters. Former President Barack Obama’s slogans “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In” and Reagan’s 1984 slogan “It’s Morning Again in America” were among the most well-known, and were featured on merchandise sold across the country during their campaigns, demonstrating the power of effective branding.

Interestingly, 70% of buyers hope their political merchandise will influence others to support the same candidate and 75% view the purchase of political merchandise as a political donation. Since many buyers already perceive merchandise purchases as donations, nonprofits can capitalize on fundraising opportunities by offering their own merchandise. Additionally, merchandise can enhance engagement and loyalty while strategically spreading the organization’s core values and mission through well-designed items.  

Lessons in nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns  

In political and nonprofit fundraising, continually assessing and refining strategies is crucial for success. Below are key focus areas and essential questions to help your Development Team consider “borrowing” from the political fundraising playbook.

CASE: 

  1. Are our appeals urgent and emotionally engaging? 
  2. Is our language consistent? 
  3. Are our case statements too long?  
  4. Are our asks specific? 
  5. What is the copy for our :15, :30, :60 advertisements? 
  6. Are we working to drive virality?  
  7. How are we utilizing “merch”? 
  8. What is our brand angle and audience?  
  9. Are we communicating by email and text too much or too little?
  10. Do we have message/branding discipline? 
  11. Have we considered being featured in advertisements?

LEADERSHIP: 

  1. Who are our surrogates?  
  2. Are we using our surrogates effectively?
  3. Who are our (local) celebrity spokespersons? 
  4. When was the last time we simulated a donor interaction (parallel to “debate prep”)? 
  5. Are we “staffing” our leaders appropriately?
  6. Do we have a strong advance team to allow our leaders to not “sweat the small stuff”? 

PROSPECTS: 

  1. Have we done the appropriate donor tracking and research?
  2. When was the last time we did some polling (surveys), canvasing (one-on-one interviews), and/or focus groups? 
  3. Are we empowering prospects to be volunteers, or are we attempting to gain volunteers first and prospects second?  
  4. Do we track volunteers? 

PLAN: 

  1. Are we benchmarking our progress?
  2. Do our timelines include concentrated bursts of energy?
  3. Are our events for fundraising or to build support (like a political rally)?
  4. Have we considered a “town hall” event? 
  5. Do we have something similar to a “convention,” or large-scale event? 
  6. What is our annotated table of gifts, mirroring a “path to 270” or election plan? 
  7. Have we considered recurring gifts in our plan? 
  8. Have we defined our “field operation” and its components?   

Leverage Political Campaign Fundraising Tactics at Your Nonprofit  

Political fundraising offers key strategies that nonprofits can adopt to boost their efforts. By learning from PACs, nonprofits can enhance donor engagement, build strong relationships, and develop an effective online presence. By integrating these proven methods, nonprofits can drive greater impact and achieve their fundraising goals more efficiently. 

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2024 Philanthropic Landscape, 13th Edition

September 9, 2024

This report provides a comprehensive look at the current state of US philanthropy, compiling and analyzing annual data from Giving USA and other prominent research to ensure your organization stays up-to-date on the most significant industry trends.

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Charitable Giving During Presidential Elections

February 23, 2024

As we approach the 2024 US presidential election, many nonprofit professionals wonder if and how politics will affect this year’s charitable giving landscape. Read on as we examine research that helps us understand the relationship between nonprofit fundraising and political giving.

In part one of this series, Building a Patient-Centric Journey to Giving, we explored five ways to lay the foundation for grateful patients to engage with philanthropy.

In part two, we dive into the next stage of engagement: using data to curate a communication journey that best cultivates grateful patients, converts them to donors, and creates a pathway for annual and consistent future giving.

Effective Grateful Patient Fundraising starts with tailored communication

There is a reward for soliciting the masses through direct mail and email. While you have gift officers queued to qualify and cultivate high-prioritized prospects, effective annual giving programs are most frequently the entry point for individuals to convert to donors. These donors may become your best major and planned giving prospects in the future.

But how can you make an annual giving program effective with grateful patients? Create a communication journey that taps into their overall patient experience at your healthcare organization. In other words, leverage your knowledge of patient and donor populations to craft targeted messages that recognize their experiences as patients and highlight reasons for deeper engagement with the organization. Retail brands have found customers are willing to pay up to 16% more for a product or service if the company provides a great customer experience. They do this by leveraging customer journey mapping—a tailored roadmap for how customers interact with the brand. An annual giving program can do the same between patients and the healthcare organization. Where do you start?

Separate Grateful Patient Acquisition and Retention communication Strategies

While this seems obvious, it is important to think of acquisition and retention completely separately, as they are geared towards different audiences and require different types of data.

new patients are Your grateful patient acquisition audience

This audience has just experienced your healthcare organization for the first time and should be communicated with as such. Focus on acknowledging your new patients, welcoming them into the community, demonstrating the institution’s resources, supporting them on their healthcare journey, and converting them into donors.

Existing donors are your grateful patient retention audience

Your retention audience (grateful patients who have made at least one gift to your organization in the past) has not only experienced your healthcare organization as a patient, but they decided it was worthy of their philanthropic support at some point. Their communication journey should acknowledge their grateful patient relationship and focus on what you know about them through their giving preferences, priorities, and overall interests.

Define the Data needed for Grateful Patient acquisition and retention

Separating your acquisition and retention audiences in grateful patient fundraising is important when you consider your data needs for each constituency:

Quantitative Data is key to new patient communication

Your acquisition audience of new patients means you will only have access to basic patient information permitted through Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) compliance (name, address, email, hospital location, physician name, and dates of care), and sometimes even less depending on the healthcare organization. At a minimum, contact information is the most important. If that is all you can access, you can make general assumptions about your new patients by leveraging relevant quantitative (population-based) data through market research.

You may conduct research based on the following questions:

  • What is the average household income in their county?
  • What is the average family size?
  • What health needs does their community have as identified by a Community Health Assessment Report?

These data points help guide your content choices and suggest appropriate gift sizes when making a specific ask. Consistent patient information, like hospital location and care dates, enables personalized communication journeys for those treated at community hospitals or specialized centers. For example, with a new pool of 1,000 people seen last week across various hospitals, you can customize email copy to reference the care they received at [hospital name variable].

make the most of Qualitative Data to cultivate grateful patient donors

Alternatively, retention audiences (grateful patient donors) have already given you valuable qualitative data through their past engagement with the organization. At this stage you know their:

  • Giving preferences: What did they make their gift to, when, and why (for example, did they respond to a specific appeal)? How much was the gift? Have they increased their gift over time or remained static? Do they continue to support the same priority, or has their giving designation varied?
  • Communication behaviors and preferences: Are they opening your emails and clicking through content? What content are they clicking on (patient stories? expert opinions)? Did they choose to make a gift online or in response to direct mail? How long after a communication did they make their gift?
  • Engagement behaviors and preferences: Although this is not a direct interaction with a communication journey, this long-term cultivation aims not only to retain and upgrade grateful patient donors but also to build a pipeline that leads them to qualify as a major gift prospect. To do this, interaction with the organization beyond their communication journey is a significant step! Additional engagement data you can incorporate into their journey includes event attendance, gift officer interactions, volunteer positions, and more. Defining a hierarchy of data points to prioritize will help streamline when and where qualitative data like this can be incorporated.  

find your grateful patient Data sources

Healthcare organizations vary in what data is accessible for new patients and retained grateful patient donors. Electronic medical record systems have enabled us to implement efficient and sophisticated fundraising strategies that more hospitals and health systems are able to leverage now than ever before. Now that we have defined what type of information is most impactful in guiding a communication journey for both new patients and retained patient donors, how do we retrieve the data?

Data will come from several streamlined sources, which funnel into one database for fundraising purposes. The sources you should prioritize incoming data from include:

your health system or organization’s technology services

Data is delivered directly from this source, ideally as a daily/weekly patient data feed automatically transferred through a CRM. This will require coordination with your clinical information and technology services and an investment of time and funding to implement, but it is a significant way to increase efficiency and intelligence in your program. For organizations that cannot implement this data transfer, a consistent, manually exported spreadsheet of new patient data (within HIPPA regulations) will still provide the same quantitative data points that enable you to efficiently execute your acquisition communication journeys.

Your communications

Consider your communications your biggest source of qualitative data that will inform how best to customize the journey for your acquisition audiences and grateful patient donors. Each communication offers several key opportunities to collect engagement data to guide the next ‘step’ in a journey:

  • Did they open the email?
  • How much time did they spend reading the email?
  • Did they immediately delete it?
  • Did they click any of the links? If yes, which links did they click? (examples include a patient story, clinician spotlight, patient resources, ways to get involved, philanthropy information, etc.)
  • Did they make a gift?
  • Did they unsubscribe?
  • Was the email delivered, or did it bounce back?
  • Similarly, was the direct mail letter returned due to a bad address?
  • Did they send a reply envelope? Or make a gift via mail?

Trends from other advancement teams and colleagues

Especially if a new patient is rated highly or a recurring donor has the potential for major gifts, they may move in the pipeline earlier than anticipated, giving you additional data points your colleagues enter directly into the database for you to consider long-term.

Although the qualitative data generated from your communication is specific to just one email or one direct mail piece, over time, it leads to a significant wealth of knowledge and trends that inform how effective the communication journeys are when it comes to increasing engagement and donor conversion.

consider using AI

This is a significant opportunity to use artificial intelligence (AI). Leveraging these insights, AI could help you codify how likely a grateful patient of Dr. Doe at East Hospital may make a gift if your initial communication features a patient story from the same hospital, also seen by Dr. Jones.

Further, AI may be the solution to quickly help generate ways to customize further the communication journey beyond what your email software can do to automate and populate variables to increase personalization. This is an opportunity for AI to be effective if the data is thoughtfully collected and used to inform current and future grateful patient fundraising strategies.   

grateful patient fundraising is supercharged by data-informed communication

Lastly, as you consider the best communication journeys to implement for your grateful patient fundraising, here are four tips to help you get started:

  • As shared in part one of this series, insights indicate a patient or patient’s family is 76% more likely to make a gift if they receive communication within the first 30 days of post-hospital visit or care.
  • Your acquisition audience is your best testing group for content, messaging, and timing. Because you consistently receive a new set of patients to contact, you can adapt the communication journey as you evaluate what generates the most engagement.
  • While you can see engagement almost immediately through email, giving your program a full one or two years to identify larger trends in engagement and donor conversion is important. You will start to see what communications generate the most interaction and tweak your engagement strategy to maximize the successful tactics.
  • Be patient and remember that every communication is an opportunity to gather more intel and data regarding who your patients are. Take advantage of each one!

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Health Spotlight

February 2025

This Health Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 81 survey respondents from that sector.

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse

February 13, 2025

Uncover the latest fundraising trends in the 2025 CCS Philanthropy Pulse report! Packed with data-rich insights from 600+ nonprofit organizations across diverse nonprofit sectors, this free report will help you plan for success in 2025.

SEE ALL IN: Health

The High Holidays bring a time of reconnection and renewal for Jews worldwide. It allows us to recommit to living out our Jewish values, reminds us of the comfort that our Jewish communal spaces offer, and gives us an opportunity to rededicate our practice of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). With so many congregants and constituents turning to their communal organizations this time of year, clergy, lay leaders, and professionals have a ripe landscape to meaningfully engage donors to inspire greater generosity in the year to come.

This article offers five ways to leverage this time of year to cultivate deeper relationships and inspire your donor base toward another year of generosity and impact.

1. Acknowledge the Challenges of This Year and Celebrate Resiliency for High Holiday Donor Engagement

5784 has been fraught with challenges for the Jewish community. Just as the New Year began last fall, the attack on October 7, 2023 and subsequent events across Israel and the Middle East have changed global Jewry for a more than a generation. In the months since, we’ve seen antisemitism reach an all-time high across the US and around the world. However, in the face of everything, giving to Jewish organizations has increased significantly over the last year as individuals and families have risen to meet funding needs across every facet of the community. CCS recently published a report on Jewish Philanthropy Since October 7 which showed significant increases in support across the sector for both regular and crisis funding, particularly in October and December 2023, and March 2024.

We encourage you to find an opportunity over the holidays to formally acknowledge and celebrate the ways your community has supported one another over the past 12 months and the impact it has made, even in this challenging landscape.

  • Synagogues: Consider highlighting this increased generosity in the congregation president’s High Holiday remarks.
  • Summer camps: Consider sharing a summer impact report with parents and alumni of your camp.

2. Share New Year Wishes with Donors

This time of year gives us an easy touchpoint for donor engagement: Reach out to donors and wish them a sweet new year! Be it with a personalized video message from your leadership reaching a broad audience, or phone calls to individual donors, use this time to thank your community for all they have done to advance your shared mission and inspire them toward what’s ahead in 5785.

3. Engage Donors by Connecting In-Person at Synagogues or Campus-Based Organizations

At least six in 10 Jews will attend High Holiday services this fall. With so many donors and prospects entering our religious homes, clergy, lay, and professional leaders have an opportunity to prioritize personal connections with families over the High Holidays.

  • Synagogues: Identify a few loyal donors and relevant prospects and equip clergy and lay leaders to make personal contact with each of them before or after services, or in the days leading up to or following Rosh Hashanah.
  • Campus-based organizations: Consider inviting donors to attend upcoming holiday-related programming to allow them to experience the impact of their giving first-hand.

4. Create Custom Appeal Plans for Renewed Annual Giving

Leverage your existing donor data to identify those who often give or pledge their annual commitments this time of year and invite them to do so again through a customized appeal sequence. Renew expiring payment plans and invite increased giving in the year ahead given the growing and evolving needs across the community.

5. Build on these high Holiday donor Engagement Efforts into the New Year

Capturing the energy and connection following the High Holidays will keep the sweetness of the new year present and be a smooth transition into fall fundraising. Track each interaction over the High Holidays and find time in the upcoming weeks and months to sit down with donors to personally share your outlook for the year ahead, emphasizing how their continued generosity will lead to greater impact. As you make plans for the fall, find ways to align donor cultivation, donor engagement, and other constituency events with upcoming holidays and festivals like Sukkot and Simchat Torah to forge closer connections with both your mission and shared Jewish identity.

CCS Fundraising is proud to partner with Jewish organizations across the sector to advance their important missions. We wish all who celebrate a sweet, meaningful new year. Shana Tova!

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse

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Article

Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards

November 18, 2024

Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of “the Great Wealth Transfer”? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.

SEE ALL IN: Jewish

The next generation is inheriting twice as much as a decade ago, which means that nonprofit organizations must learn to cultivate younger donors for successful fundraising in the short- and long-term. In fact, approximately $84 trillion is transferring from Baby Boomers to younger generations over the next several years. Engaging family foundations will ensure that your nonprofit is building relationships across generations as the Great Wealth Transfer takes place.

In this article, we help you understand how family foundations function and how to leverage them, among other methods of family philanthropy.

family foundations Are Growing in Impact

Families are reflecting on their purpose and practices. Many are now increasing their annual payout rates by making larger, long-term, and more flexible unrestricted gifts, predominantly through family foundations. Others are examining their family’s beliefs that have been upheld for generations in order to respond to a contemporary and ever-changing landscape.

Nonprofit organizations must cultivate this new wave of donors – a more diverse generation that is making their own wealth while inheriting significant assets and has already shown different interests than those that came before them. This shift in mentality can rock the boat of nonprofit relationships with these high-net-worth families.

Grounded in values and shared beliefs, families are coming together to make their mark – establishing a powerful legacy through family foundations and philanthropic impact made across the community and the world. The definition of a family foundation can look different from family to family, ranging from:

  • Two individuals or 100
  • One generation or 20
  • An established governing body or philanthropic decisions being made organically once a year
  • Managed solely by family members or including community voices
  • Engaging all generations in decision making or only the matriarch/patriarch of the family

Every family is unique and should be treated distinctly from their peers. Through family foundations and philanthropy, families are bonded – they come together, learn from one another based on individual interests, and build a tradition of giving back to the causes that matter most. While family foundations usually start with a single vision, it grows over time to include the vision of not only family members, but also other community members.

Effective family foundations and philanthropy are informed by the following principals:

  • Accountability: Ownership over the impact made across the community including reflection/assessment.
  • Equity: Commitment to learning, breaking old habits and taking action to reduce or eliminate inequities across staff, family, grantees, and the community.
  • Reflection and Learning: Address difficult internal and external questions and sharing learnings broadly – resulting in a shift in impact strategies.
  • Relationships: Build relationships grounded in trust, transparency, breaking down power dynamics and leading with empathy.

What is a family foundation?

A family foundation is a private foundation set up by a family, funded with family assets and often run by family members who determine how assets will be used to meet their mission. A foundation has no required length of existence and can shift as the family’s composition and charitable focus changes. Each year, at least 5% of their net investment assets must be distributed to charity. About 50% of private foundations in the U.S. are family foundations.

Inside philanthropic families and multigenerational giving

Family foundations are not always simple. Parents, children, and their philanthropic institutions must address a number of challenges and reflect on key questions as they determine their purpose, strategy, legacy and operations for their collective philanthropy.

Families often face the following challenges while managing their foundations and philanthropic initiatives:

  • Addressing the tension between individual versus collaborative philanthropy.
  • Remaining nimble to try new practices that create deeper impact and respond to the community.
  • Embracing a dialogue around power and privilege that focuses on equity.
  • Considering the role of those outside the family when it comes to philanthropic decision making.
  • Identifying how evolving technology can affect traditional ways of giving and family engagement.

Families often consider questions like the below while managing their foundations:

  • What is our motivation for engaging in philanthropy?
  • What values do we cherish?
  • What outcome and impact are we hoping to achieve?
  • What percentage of family wealth are we willing to give? What percentage of our wealth do we need to live comfortably?
  • How can we make gifts that meets our needs and the needs of those we want to serve?
  • How do I work with grantees? What is my role versus what is theirs?
  • What philanthropic role, if any, should the next generation play?
Family Foundations

How can nonprofits engage with family foundations and family philanthropy

Nonprofits have an opportunity to be proactive in building relationships with multigenerational families while leveraging relationships with family or community foundations and well-known wealth advisors to advocate for the organization and open the door to philanthropic families.

Six ways to prepare for engaging a family foundation:

  1. Assess your current donor base — focus on access, affinity, and ability. Prioritize donors that have made gifts through a DAF or family foundation.
  2. Research and identify family foundations whose vision and priorities align with the organization’s mission and programs.
  3. Utilize existing relationships with younger generations to gain access to additional family wealth.
  4. Ensure your organization has mapped out transformational funding opportunities with defined outcomes.
  5. Elicit discussion with high-net worth individuals and their families to build trust, transparency and alignment with your organization. Sample questions to consider for discussion include:
    • How do you and your spouse/family make your philanthropic decisions?
    • How are you hoping to engage your children/family in your philanthropy?
    • If you were to accomplish only one thing with your philanthropy, but it would be your legacy, what would that be?
    • Is it important to you to be active in the mission of the organizations you support (i.e. volunteering, attending events)?
    • Through your philanthropic investments, how would you define success?
    • Out of all your philanthropic investments to date, what has brought you the most joy?
  6. Leverage opportunities to engage across generations. You may consider the following three options for personalized outreach:
    • Experience the Mission in Action: onsite tours, events, volunteer days
    • Volunteer Leadership Opportunities: board involvement or event hosts
    • Communication/Outreach: Story telling through impact or utilization of social media

Other Forms of Family Philanthropy

Selecting a charitable vehicle or vehicles is one of the most important choices a family makes to support their philanthropic goals. If not a family foundation, the following vehicles are tools or entities established to manage a family’s philanthropic resources and achieve social impact.

Family Office

Family offices are private entities that manage the personal and financial affairs of wealthy individuals and families with assets at or above $100 million. Although philanthropy isn’t the primary focus of a family office, they can facilitate philanthropic decisions through outright gifts, grantmaking, impact investing, and other means. About 71% of family offices are engaged in philanthropy, but only 41% have a philanthropic strategy established.

Donor Advised Funds (DAF)

A low-cost opportunity to manage one’s philanthropy. This vehicle allows families to give anonymously if they choose. A sponsor organization, such as a community foundation, manages and administers DAFs, offering families expertise and guidance on which organizations to support. Families receive an immediate tax deduction for what they contribute to a DAF even if the gift comes at a later date. Grants from DAFs increased 9% ($52.16B) in 2022, a new high.

Individual Giving Across Generations

Some families value philanthropy and have yet to set up a formalized structure or have no interest in exploring complex giving vehicles. Multigenerational gifts can still be made outright to a nonprofit by having family members agree on a charity they care about and each making a separate contribution to it – these gifts can vary in size depending on the individual’s capacity.

Nonprofits can effectively engage family foundations

Every family is unique. One’s financial and philanthropic goals will look different so we must enter every engagement with curiosity. Family philanthropy takes time and effectively engaging across generations can take years before seeing a significant gift come to light. We can control the experience we provide families and the relationship we offer them with the organization. Always lead with donor intent and remember to view yourself as a partner on a long journey of achieving transformational impact through philanthropy.

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Arts and Culture Spotlight

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This Arts and Culture Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 104 survey respondents from that sector.

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If your nonprofit is global or pursuing donors in the UK, this article will highlight charitable giving in the UK and how geography impacts the structures and tools linked to fundraising success.

The US and UK are statistically among the most charitable countries in the world, operating as global financial centers in New York and London and home to populations with enormous wealth. However, while the US and UK both maintain extremely influential positions within the global philanthropic landscape, the differences between the two countries’ cultures of giving are as notable as their similarities.

Consider the following four factors that impact UK philanthropy to tailor your fundraising strategy.

1. Donor Wealth and attitudes toward wealth impact charitable giving in the uK

While it’s true that the US and UK rank as some of the world’s wealthiest countries, the US has a much larger Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than the UK, and consequently, more money goes to philanthropy. As a percentage of the total GDP, US individual giving is more than double that of the UK at 1.37% to 0.52%. This difference reflects the wealth disparity between the two countries; people in the US have more money and thus give more to philanthropy.

However, it’s important to note that in terms of charitable giving as a population percentage, 71% of UK adults report donating annually to charity, compared to 61% in the US. This suggests that a larger proportion of individuals exhibit generosity in the UK by giving smaller amounts; conversely, fewer individuals in the US make larger gifts.

This divergence in donor behavior should inform your fundraising strategy accordingly—bigger gifts from a smaller group of donors are expected in the US; smaller gifts from a larger group of donors are more common in the UK.

2. the social safety net shapes UK donor motivations

At face value, social spending, or the measurement of how much a country spends to support the standard of living for vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, is similar in the US and UK. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as a percentage of GDP, the US and UK governments spend 22.7% and 21.1%, respectively, on health, education, family, unemployment, housing, and benefits for older adults or those with disabilities.

cultural expectations of Governmental Support affect uk charitable giving

However, voluntary private social spending, or benefits offered by privately operated organizations, including most nonprofits, accounted for almost 13% of GDP in the US versus a mere 5.85% in the UK. This discrepancy suggests that, while the cultural expectation in the UK is that the government will meet (or highly subsidize) most social needs, the US population is far more accustomed to relying on support from other sources, including employers, insurance companies, and other privately supported entities, including nonprofits. The higher education sector illustrates this point—the British government standardizes, caps, and subsidizes university fees. In contrast, top-ranked colleges and universities in the US often have extremely high tuition fees (financial aid and scholarship opportunities notwithstanding).

These differences align with the popular, though perhaps not entirely accurate, assessment that American culture lends itself to smaller government and more individual responsibility compared to the higher taxes, stronger social safety net, and collectivism favored by European societies. Indeed, 13% of US donors cite inadequate government support as a motivation for philanthropic giving.

3. donors are Partly motivated by tax benefits, which differ in the UK

The US offers more donor tax benefits for charitable giving than the UK and encourages donors to give through various wealth vehicles, including their estate and noncash assets, like art and real estate. US taxpayers can also offset their annual tax bill through cash deductions from donations made throughout the year to registered nonprofit (501(c)(3)) organizations. US-based donors also receive the same tax benefits for giving to nonprofits abroad through equivalency determination, which is nonexistent in the UK.

The US offers donors more options to give to nonprofits and opportunities to reap the financial benefits. It is common in the US for the highest income earners to view donating to nonprofits as an annual necessity for tax purposes, which makes sense considering that a smaller percentage of donors gives more money in the US.

Meanwhile, the UK offers various tax benefits for UK donors giving in the UK, but these benefits do not apply when a UK donor gives outside of the UK.

A picture of a financial advisor discussing the tax benefits of charitable giving in the UK with two British donors.

4. gDPR limits fundraisers’ use of UK Donor Information

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the world’s strongest set of data protection rules. Implemented in the European Union (EU) in 2018 and retained in UK law following their departure from the EU, GDPR limits how US organizations and fundraisers can use personal data, creating a substantial difference in privacy and data-sharing norms in the UK compared to the US. While federal- and state-level privacy regulations exist in the US, they vary across states and do not offer the same level of data protection as GDPR.

While the benefits of GDPR for privacy are indisputable, GDPR does impact fundraising strategies by placing strict guardrails on publicly available information. You cannot use the prospect identification and fundraising research software nonprofits commonly employ in the US—such as Wealth Engine and iWave—for British donor research. Instead, you will need to rely on publicly available information from specific sources, including public registry data, the Charity Register, and the news media. Further, US fundraisers must comply with GDPR regulations, as its rules apply to any organization, regardless of location, that processes the personal data of individuals within the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the UK.

Understanding Charitable Giving in the UK can strengthen your Fundraising Strategy

As the global philanthropic landscape continues to grow and change, now is the time for your nonprofit organization to consider where it is headquartered, where its donor constituencies are located (or could be located), and where its programs make an impact.

While there are pros and cons to US and UK fundraising, norms and circumstances in the US tend to foster more significant philanthropy than in the UK. Nevertheless, a larger percentage of the UK population participates in charitable giving than the American population. By leveraging this key distinction and the other influential factors we have identified, you can meet UK donors where they are and expand your fundraising.

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This Arts and Culture Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 104 survey respondents from that sector.

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Faith Spotlight

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This Faith Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 38 survey respondents from that sector.

Philanthropic support for the education sector has nearly doubled in the last ten years, and it is no surprise that the commitment of generous alumni serves an integral role in this significant increase. Wondering how to get alumni to donate to your institution?

As those responsible for the advancement operations of schools know, the engagement of alumni is essential for a healthy and robust donation pipeline. In fact, 15% of annual fund support at primary and secondary schools comes from alumni. Among colleges and universities, the top three alumni engagement strategies include alumni reunions/events (59%), annual giving campaigns (50%), and targeted digital communications (43%).

For many advancement shops, the role of alumni engagement and gift officer lies in separate silos; however, successful leaders in advancement understand the need for deep partnership in order to effectively build a comprehensive and dynamic alumni donor program.

In this article, we share three strategies to help create an aligned partnership between your alumni engagement and gift officer teams.

Fully immerse alumni engagement team members in fundraising strategy

Where there is a disconnection between alumni engagement and gift officer teams, miscommunication and information gaps can arise and be detrimental to the larger goal. To create a robust alumni donor pipeline, leadership must be intentional about including alumni engagement team members in donor strategy conversations.

As the advancement team looks at the philanthropic goal for the institution, we encourage you to include the alumni engagement teams in early prospecting work to help inform gift officer portfolios. The alumni engagement team has a working knowledge of alumni prospects that may lie outside of traditional data analytics results such as an RFM analysis. This information can be invaluable to adding a personal approach when developing gift request strategies. Coach alumni engagement team members by reminding them that they are just as much responsible for revenue-generating goals throughout the years as their gift officer counterparts.

It is beneficial to create a fundraising workshop for the entirety of your advancement team to share best practices in fundraising and alumni conversation cues and ensure your alumni engagement staff members feel confident with your fundraising goals. Gift officers should also make it a practice to include alumni engagement team members in gift request meetings to cultivate a working partnership.

Align Alumni Engagement Activities to Get alumni to donate

When developing the activities calendar for alumni engagement, team members should actively review gift officer pipelines to understand which prospects could be invited to serve as volunteer leaders, thus deepening their engagement with the school. Gift officers should advocate within alumni engagement team meetings for opportunities for their prospects and ensure activities align with the overall philanthropic goal for that year.

A picture of an Alumni Engagement team member and gift officer going over a calendar of alumni engagement activities to get alumni to donate.

As the team assesses each gift officer’s portfolio, it is essential to highlight the status of each prospect and dive deeper into how to move them along the moves management cycle. When reviewing the advancement pipeline, ensure all team members understand the importance of serving the school’s donor pipeline and how each activity moves alumni closer to that end goal. Alumni engagement team members must understand that their activities, which at the surface focus on engagement and stewardship, deepen their engagement and provide opportunities for future financial investment.

When we look at our prospects in relation to their moves management status, I coach my team to understand that we play a role in every stage—with a particular emphasis on discovery, cultivation, and stewardship.

Heidi Bruce, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations & Strategic Engagement, Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD
A profile picture of Heidi Bruce.

As events near, alumni engagement and gift officer teams should strategically plot the tactical steps of identifying volunteers, recruiting attendees, having event conversations, and following up. This partnership allows for a comprehensive approach to event engagement and provides gift officers the support they need.

get alumni to donate by Creating operational systems for internal alignment

In many cases, alumni engagement and gift officer teams are aligned in strategy but fall short on results because the operational structures are not established to serve their partnership. Advancement leadership should ensure the following operations items are established:

Establish a synchronized platform for both alumni engagement and gift officers

When teams operate out of several databases or user interfaces, information continues to be lost, and an unintentional divide is created. Operating out of one streamlined system allows for teams to communicate seamlessly, pull reports with meaningful datapoints, and develop aligned strategies with accountability metrics.

A picture a member of an Alumni Engagement Team pointing to information on their desktop computer as a Gift Officer observes their synchronized platform to get alumni to donate.

Institute bi-weekly prospect review meetings with alumni engagement and gift officer teams

When reviewing prospects, identifying volunteers, or establishing strategy, all members of the team should feel involved in this work. Alumni engagement team members can inform gift officers of donor historical context and involvement, notable updates, and nuanced information. Gift officers should engage alumni engagement team members in initial meetings, briefing or visioning sessions with donors, and, where appropriate, gift request meetings.

Include alumni engagement and gift officer leaders in institutional leadership prospect briefing

Just as alumni engagement and gift officer teams should collaborate to develop strategies for prospective projects, it is important that both present plans to institutional leadership for how to get alumni to donate. This will provide the president or head of school with a high-level perspective on alumni and create a comprehensive view of alumni involvement and how best to request their financial support.

A picture of members of the Alumni Engagement and Gift Officers teams briefing the Head of School on prospects and how they will get alumni to donate.

strong alumni engagement Is essential for Getting Alumni to Donate

Engaging your alumni is essential to the development of a robust donor pipeline and to ensure the sustainability of your institution. Strengthening the partnership between alumni engagement and gift officers will ensure a comprehensive approach to alumni engagement, resulting in more meaningful relationships and deeper, lasting support.

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Higher Education Spotlight

February 2025

This Higher Education Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 53 survey respondents from that sector.

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CCS Philanthropy Pulse: Primary and Secondary Education Spotlight

February 2025

This Primary and Secondary Education Sector Spotlight is adapted from CCS’s 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report to provide an in-depth look at the data provided by 94 survey respondents from that sector.

In an era where personalization and efficiency are paramount, artificial intelligence (AI) in fundraising opens novel avenues for your organization to enhance its outreach and engagement strategies.

At the heart of this revolution lies the potential of Custom Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs), a cutting-edge no-code AI feature allowing users to create customized chatbots. This unlocks incredible potential for nonprofits, including tailoring donor communications, proposal writing, and processes to unprecedented specificity, efficiency, and relevance. However, “with great power comes great responsibility.” The landscape of AI tools, like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini, is rapidly evolving and reshaping the sector’s ethical boundaries and operational norms. Knowing how to adapt and evolve with these changes is equally as important as understanding what AI can do for you.

What is Generative AI?

At its core, AI is the digital simulation of human intelligence programmed to think and learn—a digital brain that can process information, make decisions, and even predict outcomes based on data.

Generative AI platforms play a crucial role for nonprofits by creating text, images, and ideas from large data sets. ChatGPT, for example, excels in understanding and interacting in human language, making it invaluable for creating personalized communications. The landscape of generative AI is dynamic and other platforms like Copilot and Gemini are gaining relevance as well. Viewing ChatGPT as the initial benchmark rather than the ultimate solution acknowledges the rapidly evolving nature of the field.

What are Custom GPTs?

The latest advancement to ChatGPT and Copilot suites for nonprofits is Custom Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs). These tailored, no-code user-created versions of ChatGPT carry out specific tasks or purposes aligning with an organization’s specific needs. Among other applications, Custom GPT models can be trained to match your nonprofit’s voice, values, and fundraising goals. It can act as an efficient assistant who understands your organization and provides insights and creativity to support your mission.

Custom GPTs allow fundraisers to automate and personalize donor communications and create compelling fundraising campaigns. They can also handle repetitive tasks, freeing your team to focus on the more strategic and creative aspects of fundraising—they enhance, rather than replace, human effort.

Custom GPTs are a Transformative Fundraising Tool

Imagine moving out on your own and receiving a toolbox as a housewarming gift. Inside, you find various tools: screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers, and some unfamiliar tools. Initially, you might only use those you recognize, like the screwdriver and hammer. However, you learn about the other tools over time and discover their unique purposes, realizing the toolbox’s full potential.

In the context of nonprofits, ChatGPT and other generative AI models are like this toolbox. Many organizations already use basic AI tools (e.g., the screwdriver and hammer) for tasks like writing an email or a thank you note. But just like the unused tools, there is untapped potential in the less familiar tools hidden in AI technologies. Custom GPT models may seem complex at first, but hold immense potential for those who take the time to understand and utilize them.

For example, a standard AI tool might help you draft a generic thank-you letter to donors. In contrast, a Custom GPT can be trained to write personalized messages tailored to each donor’s interests and history with your organization. This shift moves from generic, one-size-fits-all solutions to bespoke communication strategies that significantly enhance donor engagement and fundraising effectiveness.

The key message is that AI’s potential is vast and largely untapped. Just as you wouldn’t use a hammer for every household task, it’s essential to understand the various AI tools available and strategically apply them to maximize impact.

4 Benefits of using Custom GPTs for fundraising

In our experience, the main benefits of Custom GPTs for nonprofits include the following.

1. you can Tailor them to Your Brand Voice

One of Custom GPTs standout benefits is their ability to adapt to and replicate your organization’s specific brand voice. This ensures that all communication—whether donor outreach, campaign materials, or social media content—consistently reflects your organization’s values and tone. For example, if your nonprofit has a compassionate and empathetic voice, you can train a Custom GPT to mirror this style so that your messaging resonates deeply and authentically with your audience.

2. they can Enhance your Fundraising Strategies

Custom GPTs can revolutionize how you conceptualize and execute campaigns. They can assist you in drafting personalized proposals, creating dynamic content for different donor segments, and suggesting ideas based on data trends. This customization makes your campaigns more engaging and likely to succeed.

3. They can Streamline your Operations

We cannot overstate the way Custom GPTs enable efficiency. They can streamline routine tasks like donor communication and report generation, freeing up valuable time. Your team will be able to focus on more strategic and creative projects to help your nonprofit grow.

4. they are Scalable and Adaptable

As your nonprofit grows and evolves, so can your suite of Custom GPTs. They are designed to learn and adapt, ensuring they remain an asset regardless of your organization’s needs changing over time. This adaptability is crucial in the nonprofit sector, where shifts in donor interests and giving trends are common based on the season and year-over-year.

an illustrative example of leveraging Custom GPTs

Imagine a scenario at a large university where the development team plans to approach a donor interested in supporting a specific program and associated research lab. The team utilizes a Custom GPT trained with the university’s customized endowment language and giving opportunities. The AI helps draft a proposal aligning with the donor’s interests, incorporating the latest research initiatives and potential impacts of their contribution. It also suggests a tailored ask level based on the donor’s previous giving history, wealth capacity rating, and engagement, resulting in a highly personalized and compelling proposal, significantly increasing the likelihood of a successful endowment.

In these fundraising applications, Custom GPTs enhance human creativity and strategic thinking, acting as a force multiplier and enabling teams to achieve more with less in a way deeply aligned with their organization’s mission and values.

Ethical considerations and Limitations of Custom GPTs

Ethical AI use in fundraising revolves around transparency and respect for donor privacy. Verifying that your organization conducts all AI-driven communications and analyses with the donor’s knowledge and consent is paramount—it’s how you maintain donor data integrity and confidentiality. AI is a tool for your organization to enhance human connection, not replace it. Custom GPTs personalize communications, but the human element’s authenticity and sincerity must remain at the forefront.

AI has a limited ability to Understand Human Nuance

While ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini can process and generate information based on data, they lack the innate human ability to fully understand complex emotional nuances and ethical considerations. This limitation is particularly evident in sensitive situations, such as communicating with a donor who recently experienced a personal loss or during crisis communications. In these cases, a human fundraiser’s nuanced understanding and empathy are irreplaceable and crucial for reviewing all AI-generated communications.

Artificial intelligence is Not a Standalone Solution

It’s also important to recognize that AI is a tool, not an end-state solution. Relying solely on AI for all fundraising aspects can lead to a lack of personal touch and potentially overlook unique opportunities only identifiable to humans. We recommend that you take a balanced approach, with AI complementing your human skills and intuition.

Regular Monitoring and Updating of ai systems is crucial

AI is rapidly evolving, as are its ethical considerations and best practices. Regularly updating and monitoring the AI systems for biases, inaccuracies, or ethical concerns is crucial to ensure the technology aligns with your organization’s values and current standards and continues to serve your mission effectively and ethically.

Generative AI Outputs require Editing

Another Custom GPT consideration is that you cannot rely on the output as-is. For example, ChatGPT has been known to write untrue or exceptionally biased statements. Similarly, the dangers of making a custom GPT include misuse, users getting access to proprietary data, and harm to an organization’s brand. Do not use any document or data that you do not want to become public in these custom GPTs.

there are data privacy CONCERNS around ai use

The fundraising opportunities offered by ChatGPT and other generative AI tools are not without any ethical and legal concerns. ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini are open-knowledge AI models, meaning all the information they gather comes from what is publicly available on the internet (although ChatGPT and Copilot lag a couple of months behind in their respective knowledge bases), as well as any data they collect from users. This can cause apprehension: how can we use AI models while ensuring data safety? How can we adhere to data and research policies so that we can be proud of the work we do through AI? How do we ensure that the work remains ours?

options to maintain Data Privacy with AI usage

Generative AI models use all the prompts, responses, and information fed into them as additional training material. This feature is a crucial part of machine learning, but providing a chatbot with confidential information may, unfortunately, also breach data privacy policies.

What are your options for maintaining data privacy?

  • Offer anonymous and nonspecific information: Opt to be more conscious of how precise you are in information sharing. Rather than providing all the necessary information, it can be helpful to curate slightly more general prompts. How can you find a balance between altering prompts to allow for individualization and avoiding giving away too much private information?

  • Pay for data privacy: Custom GPTs offer an additional settings option to turn off ChatGPT’s ability to learn from your data. This setting is locked behind a paywall but is currently the only way an individual account can ensure that confidential information is not leaked.

Regardless of your approach, it is important to confirm your AI engagement aligns with your institution’s risk and data protection policies.

There are also PLAGIARISM AND ETHICAL concerns around ai use

Another concern is regarding ownership. How can you feel that AI-produced work—even a rough draft—is still the result of your efforts? While generative AI chatbots appear capable of creating individualized content out of thin air, this is not entirely the case. Generative AI cannot generate anything nonexistent; it mimics reality but does not create novelty. Ultimately, we must curate accurate, well-developed prompts if we want ChatGPT or other models to create a useful draft document.

To address ethical concerns, fundraisers using AI chatbots must be extremely conscious of how they craft their initial prompts and follow-ups, as well as how they review, fact-check, and work from any of their responses. Take the steps to transform the AI model’s writing into your final deliverable, a process requiring time and effective planning.

While AI’s efficient, customizable generation is not without drawbacks, knowing what to be vigilant of is the best way to maximize what generative AI can do for you.

Custom GPTs are the Future of Fundraising

As we look to the future, one thing is clear: integrating AI in nonprofit fundraising is not an option but a necessity for those looking to stay relevant and effective in a rapidly changing world. Embracing AI with a thoughtful, strategic approach will enhance your fundraising efforts and assure that your organization continues to make a meaningful impact in the communities you serve.

However, the journey to effectively integrating AI into your fundraising strategy requires a deep understanding of the technology, a commitment to ethical practices, and a readiness to adapt to continually evolving tools. We encourage you to continue educating yourself with our growing library of AI resources and reach out to CCS Fundraising if you need a customized partnership.

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