News and Resources
The Hospital CEO's Influence on Philanthropy
What are the top 3 attributes a healthcare CEO brings to philanthropic success for his/her hospital? Our experience with a large number of healthcare clients suggests these CEO attributes can make the most significant difference in how donors and prospects perceive...
Carole Arwidson to lead BWF Strategic Communications Consulting
For immediate publication MINNEAPOLIS, July 19, 2019—Josh Birkholz, President and CEO of the global fundraising consultancy Bentz Whaley Flessner (BWF), and Mark Marshall, President of the Philanthropic Counsel division, are excited to announce the addition of Carole...
BWF PinPoints: Transparency in Analytics
For anyone who stays current with industry news, the principle of transparency has received a lot of attention lately. From Ray Dalio’s philosophy of “radical transparency”, which he discusses in his book, Principles, to Stanford University's recent research into...
If You’re Not Communicating Strategically, You’re Just Making Noise
Recently I came across two quotes online that caught my attention: “The goal is to provide inspiring information that moves people to action.” --Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva “Without strategy, content is just stuff, and the world has enough stuff.”...
BWF PinPoints: Transparency in Prospect Development
For anyone who stays current with industry news, the principle of transparency has received a lot of attention lately. From Ray Dalio’s philosophy of “radical transparency”, which he discusses in his book, Principles, to Stanford’s recent research into “Fairness,...
BWF Client Advisory: Giving USA 2019—The Numbers and the Story Behind Them
For many fundraisers, the release of the Giving USA report is met with the same level of excitement as the Super Bowl. Months of buildup, anticipation, and drama culminate in one defining moment that brings to life the best of what our field has to offer. Of course,...
Principal Gifts: Why Malcolm Gladwell is Only Half Right
Over the past few years, the rising influence of high-net worth philanthropy has led to considerable debate. In the decade since the 2009 recession, giving has grown at unprecedented levels. During this time period, charities with business models aligned with high...
Wendy Jaccard Joins BWF Philanthropy Services Team
MINNEAPOLIS, June 21, 2019—Josh Birkholz, President and CEO of the global fundraising consultancy Bentz Whaley Flessner (BWF), and Katrina Klaproth, President of Philanthropy Services, are excited to announce the addition of senior associate Wendy Jaccard to its team...
Successful Campaign Kickoff Events
Campaign kickoff events are as wide ranging as the organizations that they represent.
BWF Client Advisory: Grateful Patient Fundraising and Concierge Services
Healthcare organizations are recognizing concierge services as an essential component of grateful patient fundraising.
BWF's 2019 Healthcare Survey Results Released
Our 2019 Healthcare Survey, What the Affluent Think About Giving to Healthcare is designed to keep you informed of trends and attitudes regarding healthcare giving. We hope this information provides insight and assists you in evaluating and fine-tuning your programs...
Stewarding Donors with Dementia
Dementia currently affects more than 5.5 million people in the U.S., and this number is expected to double to approximately 16 million people in 30 years. This intersection between a growing population and donor demographic greatly emphasizes why all nonprofit...
BWF Client Advisory: Year-End Goal-Setting Done Right
Fiscal year-end is right around the corner for many of us. This is often a busy time, and year-end planning & goal-setting for the coming year is on everyone’s to-do lists. Regardless of whether the goal you’re setting is financial or based on activities, or whether it applies to your whole organization or only a small team, here are some practical techniques that can help make your goal-setting more proactive, efficient, and accurate.
“Ain’t Misbehaving”: Understanding Behavioral Economics to Strengthen Fundraising Potential
Behavioral economics provides a framework to understanding philanthropic behavior. March's BWF Live Fundraising show, hosted by Alex Oftelie, provided a summary of how to more accurately understand your constituents motivation, and how it becomes expressed through...
Women Give 2019: Generosity Links Women Across Race and Ethnicity
Women Give is an annual report from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University. This year’s study, Women Give 2019: Gender and Giving Across Communities of Color, examines the intersection of race, gender and giving, and asks how we can attend to this intersection in order to better serve our communities and shared futures. Read more for BWF’s recommendations on how to apply the report’s insights to your organization.