Best practices, strategies, and tips for fundraising.
Volunteers, especially in smaller nonprofit organizations, are an invaluable resource. Many of these small organizations are often run entirely by volunteers. According to Independent Sector, as of April 2018, “The updated value of a volunteer hour is the equivalent of $24.69, and 63 million Americans volunteered about 8 billion hours of their time, talent and […]
The newest report from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Encouraging Giving to Women’s & Girls’ Causes: The Role of Social Norms, explores the intersection of social norms, gender, and charitable giving. This study analyzes how current giving behavior of others, future outlooks on giving, and gender affect donor behavior. The key findings that emerged from the […]
BWF is excited to share and celebrate the University of Sydney’s Inspired campaign reaching the $1 billion milestone, the first institution in Australia to do so. We are proud of our partnership and the efforts of the University and its leadership and staff. Congratulations!
It is with great sadness and profound respect that we announce the passing of our founder, and philanthropy colleague, Frank Bentz, on Monday, December 31, 2018. Frank Bentz led the development programs at Western Michigan University, Franklin College and the University of Minnesota before helping found Bentz Whaley Flessner in 1983. The firm grew from […]
Healthcare fundraising presents unique challenges, particularly relating to the prospect pipeline. Unlike educational institutions with naturally engaged alumni populations, most healthcare organizations and foundations have only a kernel of highly engaged and well-known prospects, donors, volunteers, and patrons. Outside of that kernel, however, the universe of constituents expands rapidly. In every healthcare community, there is […]
As 2019 begins, we can look back on 2018 and explore important trends that have shaped philanthropy and consider how they will affect the year ahead. The world of giving has been shaped by at least five trends: 1. Volatile markets impact giving. December 2017 was a record giving month for many nonprofits in the […]
We often talk about how today’s major gift donor is more sophisticated than ever, and thus more demanding. This is a good thing, because it makes those of us who are professional fundraisers more accountable and responsive to the needs of the donor. For example, a prospective donor, when approached with an idea that would […]
Every annual fund needs new donors and more dollars to grow and succeed (and meet increased expectations and budget goals). While that’s nothing new, what about trying a different and exciting way to acquire leadership annual fund donors? Hosting an acquisition event can be easy, fun, and low-budget. To have a successful event, you will […]
The past 10 years have seen an incredible advancement in analytics to support fundraising and engagement. Organizations of every mission and scale have created greater insight into who may give and how. Most analytics strategies, however, are constituent-focused and nearly entirely attentive to a single moment or outcome. This makes sense—it is a strong position […]
The WPI Council is a group of volunteer leaders committed to advancing the vision and mission of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Council members serve as ambassadors to external stakeholders, elevate the Women’s Philanthropy Institute profile, and strengthen the institute’s global impact. Bruce Flessner is proud to serve on this committee that recognizes in order to […]
Prospect research professionals spend much of their time uncovering or confirming a prospect’s wealth, but what happens when research finds something concerning or that could negatively impact a prospect’s philanthropic capacity? Are researchers tracking or notifying fundraisers of prospects’ layoffs, divorces, or even criminal charges? The BWF Insight Research team has completed thousands of capacity […]
Board members are “mission critical” especially in the life of small nonprofit organizations. By paying close attention and understanding important characteristics of volunteer leadership, the organization will be positioned for long-term success. Two truly distinctive differences for the small shop board are the composition of the board and the role it plays. Board composition: Assembling […]
With a storied history including a top-20 national ranking in all-time victories, a top-10 national ranking in both all-time winning percentage and 20-win seasons, and ranking third in regular season conference titles behind perennial NCAA men’s basketball powers Kansas and Kentucky, Western Kentucky University is no stranger to post-season play. So perhaps it is expected […]
Thank you for your interest in BWF’s 2018 Fundraising Analytics Survey Results Please fill out the information below to start the download.
How has the athletic seating deduction rule worked before this year? Historically donors have not been able to deduct donations for athletic seats because they receive a benefit in return for the donation. Many colleges and universities adhered to the 80/20 principle, which only applied to athletic seating and treats 80% of the seat price […]
