News and Resources
Client Advisory – Recent Data on Corporate Giving Inspires New Approaches in the Development Office
Understanding corporations’ motives for giving and what they are seeking in their relationship with your organization can pay dividends. Bentz Whaley Flessner presents three responses for your development program to take advantage of recent findings.
BWF Client Advisory – Philanthropy 400: Trends Among the Nation’s Largest Nonprofits
Read about trends among the nation’s top 400 nonprofits.
BWF_social’s 2014 Higher Education Giving Day Survey Results
Columbia’s Giving Days raised $6.8 million from 4,940 donors in 2012, $7.8 million from nearly 9,700 donors in 2013, and $11 million+ from 10,400 donors in 2014. The University of Sydney’s September 2014 “Pave the Way” Campaign raised $932,000 from more than 1,000 donors. Santa Clara University’s April 2014 “Power of One Day” raised $795,000 from almost […]
BWF Client Advisory – Thinking Critically About Hiring: Deciphering the Frontline Fundraiser Resume
Fundraising organizations are constantly hiring new talent, both to grow the size of their shops and to replace those fundraisers who have moved on. However, due to the talent shortage the industry faces and the variations among fundraising organizational structures, finding a pool of qualified candidates and identifying which individuals bring the skills, performance potential, and approach needed most by your team can be difficult. Read what yo should consider as you look towards your next hire.
Building a Planned Giving Expectancy Pipeline
In this October 2014 issue of Bentz Whaley Flessner’s Points of Practice, we present the steps to building a strong planned giving expectancy pipeline through segmentation of gifts, identification of prospective donor life expectancies and development of a schedule of gifts.
4 Components to Big Online Giving Days
Well, they did it again. Columbia University just wrapped up their third annual online giving day. And once again, it looks to be a record breaker, bringing in more than $11 million from more than 10,000 gifts. As we’ve written about in the past, successful online giving days like Columbia’s annual efforts are rarely a […]
BWF Client Advisory – After the Ice Melts: What’s Next for the Ice Bucket Challenge
One of the most remarkable philanthropic developments this year, the Ice Bucket Challenge, has generated $113.3 million through over 3 million donors since late July. As with most viral campaigns, the challenge is nearing its end, but a new challenge arises for the ALS Association—how to transform one-time donors into loyal, ongoing supporters. Bentz Whaley Flessner’s research has shown that during online ambassador campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge, 40 percent of donors are brand new or long-lapsed. To retain those donors and move them up the pipeline nonprofits need to take these 3 steps.
Client Advisory – Should "How America Gives" Change Your Strategy?
Originally published October 22, 2014 The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently released its annual “How America Gives” report, which outlines how U.S. philanthropy has changed from 2006 to 2012. Sourced from IRS data, the report highlights the continued impact of the...
Client Advisory – Every Donor Has a Story: Part II
BWF presents a glance at the healthcare sector’s $100 million+ donors since 2012.
HOW TO Manufacture Viral Fundraising Campaigns on Social Media
A few weeks back, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to record a podcast for Iris Creative. The subject? Using online ambassadors to bring about the viral spread of your organization’s message and fundraising asks. During the roughly 40-minute podcast we touch on a number of items, including: Why online ambassadors are so successful […]
Client Advisory – Every Donor Has a Story
Donations to higher education have increased almost 10% since 2012. Bolstering this increase were 12 gifts of $100 million and more, totaling $1.64 billion. The donors of these mega gifts are a mélange of characters including entrepreneurs, bankers, and developers. The only thing they all have in common is their extreme net worth. Inspired by this data, we’ve highlighted the $100 million+ donors to higher education.
Include “Trending Topics” in Your Facebook Posts for Bigger Audiences
A little while back, I blogged about the importance of meshing your social media content with pop culture and current events. As it turns out, that’s not just a communications strategy – it’s a technical approach to boosting your FNFO (Facebook Newsfeed optimization …patent pending on that acronym). Facebook now rewards posts with Newsfeed prominence … Continue reading →
Client Advisory – Effective Use of the Targeted Campaign
What size should your next campaign be? An alternative to a comprehensive campaign is a target campaign, which can help your institution fund an important or quickly emerging priority, help prepare for a larger campaign, or build the campaign base.
9 Steps to Your Smoothest December Yet
According to the results of a Bentz Whaley Flessner benchmarking survey, over 30 percent of gifts come in during the last few months of the year. While this significant increase is highly rewarding for institutions, the sheer volume causes complications for the hard-working operations teams in the back office who are responsible for entering and processing donors’ generous contributions. In this issue of Bentz Whaley Flessner’s Points of Practice, read how to prepare donors, fundraising staff members, and gift processing teams for the end-of-year rush.
Client Advisory – 4 Trends Impacting High-Net-Worth Donor Behavior and What It Means for Fundraising
Gaining a deeper understanding of donors who make mega gifts is increasingly important.This article discusses trends that may affect how high-net-worth individuals behave as donors and how these trends can impact the way donors should be stewarded.