Major Gift Donors: What They Can Do Now
If you're a sophisticated philanthropist, or if you're working with one, you might be curious about a playbook-for-giving that maximizes impact right now. I'll make it simple for you: don't wait, and give directly to the nonprofit organizations you believe in.
We should all give to what we love, especially if you've already invested in these organizations in the past. The work that nonprofits have done for years from the support you've directed their way will only continue if your investments do. If you've already been a part of their fabric, they will hope and expect that you will continue to be, and it's the best way to ensure that the offerings we use or love or respect will maintain when the crisis begins to subside. It's not just about continuing to give to what we know or love, though; there's a greater responsibility to ask hard questions about their plans and budgets, and get to know them better. Major gift donors can be a nonprofit organization's biggest asset. Sophisticated, successful women and men offer perspectives and advice that are tremendously beneficial to forcing nonprofits to function like businesses. Especially during a time that unrestricted support is of utmost importance and ensures freedom & flexibility where it is needed most, there's an onus on philanthropists to understand how those dollars are being spent and why they're being spent that way. When you're communicating with organizations that you love, don't overlook the importance of truly knowing how your gift is spent.
Major gift donors should not wait until the last day of the year to make gifts. Planning for the next fiscal year feels nearly impossible for many nonprofits, and to have a better awareness and understanding of anticipated support could mean a transformative difference for the organization. Have you thought about giving more from different vehicles but hadn't yet pulled the trigger on it? Now would be the time. Donor-advised funds, family foundations, gifts of stock — taking these assets into serious consideration when you think about your gift can maximize the impact you can have quickly.
I'll end this guide by encouraging nonprofit and development leaders to be direct when it comes to asking for public support. Communicate the ways in which you'd like to recognize donors and leverage their gift for more. Explain how inspiring they could be to others and that philanthropy & gratitude are contagious. Donors: let us celebrate you! It will only help us both.