Sam Davidson

If you are a philanthropic consultant or donor advisor, please take a few minutes to complete this benchmark survey! 2024 Philanthropy Benchmark Survey - Insights on the role of Consultants & Advisors in Advancing Giving

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The benefits of conducting feasibility studies run well beyond establishing the viability of your capital campaign. They have a special way of generating interest and excitement and of capturing important data. You never know what they will produce, but when correctly run, they almost always open unexpected doors. #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

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Identifying Roadblocks to Donor Participation: A Team of Fundraising Experts Weigh In A group of leading fundraising experts recently shared insights from their collaborative survey on roadblocks preventing higher donor participation rates. Ashley Budd, Director of Advancement Marketing at Cornell University, and Cameron Hall, Executive Director of Annual Giving and Lead Generation at University of South Carolina, discussed key findings and actionable solutions with Louis Diez. Budget constraints and lack of skilled staff were cited as top roadblocks, though there was surprising agreement that sufficient leadership buy-in exists. The experts emphasized that budgets are often not optimized, with too much spent on mass direct mail appeals and not enough on targeted digital strategies and stewardship. Hall noted that development shops need more focus on data-driven strategies and segmentation to effectively reach the right donors through preferred channels. The field lacks enough experienced professionals and provides inadequate training. Budd suggested “sharing what’s working” through knowledge sharing in the community, as higher education tends to avoid risk-taking due to complex organizational systems. Training programs should expand beyond major gifts to cover digital marketing, analytics, and annual giving. Mentoring students in campus calling programs can help build a pipeline of new talent. A lack of balance between solicitation and engagement was another key finding. Bud shared that her team dedicated two months solely to education and awareness, pausing solicitations. Despite meeting initial resistance, giving day revenue still increased. Bud noted that while direct attribution is difficult, taking “baby steps” through A/B testing different communication strategies can help build the case for more substantive changes. Finally, the experts recommended learning from for-profit companies. Hall suggested analyzing customer/donor journeys to determine key touchpoints, then developing content and calls-to-action to match their interests. Bud pointed out that major streaming companies primarily communicate through email updates and content, only soliciting subscription upgrades once a year based on renewal dates. Nonprofits would benefit from a similar model with a greater focus on education and stewardship tailored to donors’ demonstrated interests. Overall, the panel discussion provided actionable insights and recommendations to help nonprofits identify and overcome roadblocks hindering their donor participation rates. Knowledge sharing, training, innovation, and cross-sector learning are all key to success.

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Do all capital campaigns need a fundraising consultant? Read on to learn about different types of fundraising counsel and how they can benefit your organization! #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

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Panic alert: Often, nonprofit board members are reminded it’s their job to raise money for their organizations… But they don’t know how to start. Don’t know how to tell the story. Don’t know how to be compelling. When David Langiulli and train boards, we meet board members where they are (sometimes hiding under a pillow) … and guide them. We use values and many other potent tools from the coaching world. We help them raise money. How do we help them raise money? One place we start is with values. Here are three of my personal values: 1.      Be Present 2.      Accept what is 3.      Act with courage Those are words and concepts that I feel aligned with. That I try to live by. And that I used as a front line fundraiser. Aligning with our values helps guide us toward what matters. Knowing our values helps guide us towards what feels magical and delightful. Articulating our values can help us walk away from situations where what we care about is being stepped on. And values work is a way to become a potent fundraiser: When we connect our values to the cause we want to raise money for, we shine. Are you a board member who needs help feeling resonant with donors? On a board in need of some training? Reach out to learn more. #fundraising #nonprofit #nonprofitboard #philanthropy #coachingculture

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🔍 Looking to elevate your nonprofit's development strategy without the full-time commitment? Or have a critical leadership gap that’s slowing you down? A dear friend is looking to leverage their expertise as Fractional Chief Development Officer! They offer: ✅ Strategic fundraising guidance ✅ Major gift cultivation and stewardship ✅ Grant writing and management ✅ Comprehensive donor relations ✅ Enhanced board engagement and training If your organization and team could benefit from these services, send me a note and I’ll connect you! ⭐️ #Nonprofit #Fundraising #Development #Leadership #FractionalCDO #NonprofitGrowth #StrategicFundraising

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It's time to REDESIGN systems of power and governance in philanthropy. Do you know any extraordinary board members, trustees, or HNWIs who have an inkling that this is true? 🤔 Philanthropy's status quo is an ill fitting governance system that wasn't designed for social change--it doesn't work well for anyone involved or the outcomes we seek. We need systems that work for the complexity and humanity of the world. The good news is, we can create them. Together. We've designed a highly supported experience to do just that! We're working with the brilliant teams at Intrinsic Labs and Radical Optimist Collective. Click through to see the profile of potential participants we're looking for to take part in Metamorphic Legacy, a bespoke leadership experience to redesign governance. Share this post/the 1 pager with 🦄 trustee unicorns 🦄 you know and reshape philanthropy with us! #philanthropy #leadership #governance #redesign #boardmembers #trustees #HNWIs #creativity #boards #grantmaking #innovation #crappyfundingpractices https://lnkd.in/dXz4zR8X One pager: https://lnkd.in/dR-hGN-T

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In the face of declining donor retention and giving, building a culture of philanthropy is more important than ever. Check out this compelling article from Emily Gonzales on the how and why of building a culture of philanthropy at your organization.

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Educating Bosses and Boards About Setting Fundraising Goals First of all, its a huge issue - one that we all need to keep flagging as a major cause of: Donor attrition Staff turnover Donor fatigue Staff discouragement The erosion of our greater philanthropic potential So where's the best place to begin? Within your own data. I know from long and direct experience that there is no better way to change clients' outlook than to show them their own data. Particularly helpful are the histories of their previous major gifts including: How many years of giving preceded that donor's largest gift? How long it took from the time donors were approached with the idea for the major gift to the time they committed? These analyses invariably reveal that there is a long incubation period in development of loyal, generous donors. They also reveal a long gestation period in the birthing of major gifts, from the time an idea is introduced to the time the commitment is made. The average is two years but major gifts are like mammals - the larger the gift, the longer the gestation period. In addition, powerful trends can be seen in your annual giving including: A loss of donor volume A growing dependence on fewer donors giving increasingly more Large "annual gifts" secured in ways that are much more like major gift processes That dialogue and community building produce better results then one-way appeals If you are a young organization or don't have access to such data, request it from a colleague in a like organization or from those who contribute regularly to the field. It's in my books, articles and posts as well as those of my colleagues. If we are to better educate our bosses and boards, we need to start with ourselves. Second, we have to get over this notion that anything we suggest in the name of more informed goal setting is: Complaining Not being positive Unprofessional Just flip that around to see how ludicrous this sounds. "Well, I'm proud to say I maintained my cheerful, can do disposition in the face of steady donor loss and accelerating staff attrition." That's "professional"? Times to address goal setting include: When applying jobs When presented with KPIs During a performance review In requesting professional development or staff training In all these instances you can contrast current practice with more data-driven approaches. You can make it clear that you are positive about the mission and keen on advancing it but want to focus your efforts in ways that will produce the more significant, sustainable successes. Finally, we can't lose sight of a basic truth. You don't increase fundraising success by tasking fundraisers to get more money but by giving them evidence of how investment in your organization leads to higher service levels. Donors don't give because they're asked but because they are given compelling opportunities to make differences in ways they find personally meaningful and satisfying.

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OC Nonprofits- check it out for some tips!

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