CATEGORY

Fundraising Regulation

Boost Your Nonprofit’s Year End Giving

As the pandemic continues to dominate the daily dialogue, giving trends have kept apace with the rise in awareness surrounding public health issues. Likewise, racial justice and politics have taken their share of the stage and giving to both causes has increased from previous years. But can we expect giving to be reduced in other sectors as a result? Not necessarily, say survey respondents. Still, it’s helpful to examine your nonprofit’s mission vis-a-vis pandemic relief and other salient issues; strive to ensure that your messaging effectively ties in your mission to those issues that are top of mind for donors.

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December 14, 2020 No Comments

Fundraising in the New Normal

If your annual gala, donor breakfast, or poker night benefit is responsible for more than 30% of your annual operating costs, it may be time to overhaul your organization’s fundraising plan. COVID-19 has taught us many lessons, one of which is that the unexpected can and does happen. Limitations on in-person gatherings have shuttered many key fundraising events heavily relied on by nonprofits. In the aftermath, some are now struggling to keep their doors open.

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September 8, 2020 No Comments
Endowment Restrictions
Fundraising Regulation

What You Need to Know About Endowment Restrictions

How you can use a gift is generally controlled by donor restrictions written into a gift instrument; the instrument can be as simple as an email or a memo line in a check.  If there is no restricting language in the gift instrument, the terms of the solicitation (i.e. whatever the charity advertises as the purpose of their solicitation) will govern what you can or cannot do. As to the length of the restriction, any donor restrictions that use the word endowment are considered to create a fund of permanent duration unless other language in the gift instrument limits the duration of the fund.

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August 10, 2020 No Comments

Four Keys to a Successful Online Giving Campaign

The popularity of online fundraising was already on the rise before COVID; Blackbaud reports that online fundraising has grown 17% in the U.S. since 2016. Now COVID lockdowns have shattered fundraising expectations for nonprofits who rely heavily on special events, admissions, and fees for service to fill out their budgets. As a result, nonprofits are being challenged to quickly and effectively pivot fundraising efforts to the online space. Here are some of our best tips for success. 

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July 27, 2020 No Comments
make a difference by giving
Fundraising Regulation

Black Lives Matter; Make a Difference By Giving

AdHoc said it best: For everyone that is feeling outraged by the multiple lives that have been lost at the hands of the police, we’d encourage you to channel that anger into action. For some, that action looks like self-education and awareness, or protesting, or speaking out amongst their friends and community. Another consideration may be giving to one of several organizations working diligently in the fight against systemic racism and violence. 

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June 8, 2020 No Comments

Can Non-Profits Use Donor Restricted Program Funds to Pay Overhead?

In non-profit finance and accounting, restricted contributions are those given by donors in which the donor intends the funds to be used for specific programs or purposes. As in all matters regarding donations, the stated intent of the donor rules when it comes to the purposes for which donation revenue can be allocated. If the donor allocates funds for program B, and states verbally or in writing that such funds cannot be used for administrative costs (back office, IT support, human resources, insurance, operations, etc.) to support such programming, than they cannot be used for that purpose. However, if no such explicit statement is made by the donor, non-profits can use a reasonable amount of the restricted funds received to pay for administrative costs allocable to the program designated by the donor.

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September 2, 2019 No Comments
Nonprofit Endowments
Fundraising Regulation

Non-Profit Endowments Clarified

The establishment and maintenance of a nonprofit endowment fund can be a very important factor in ensuring the sustainability of a non-profit corporation. There is a

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June 24, 2019 No Comments
Fundraising - When to Seek Permission
Fundraising Regulation

Registering to Fundraise in Each State

A charity generally is required to register with their state in order to solicit charitable contributions if state law requires. Currently, there are 39 states and the District of Columbia that have such requirements.

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March 18, 2019 No Comments
Fundraising Regulation

Can Non-Profits Earn Business Revenue?

With the market volatility of the last six months, funding sources and non-profits alike may be uneasy given memories of the 2008 recession. Although predicting future macro-economic forces may be impossible, it is always a good idea for 501(c)(3) non-profit corporations to seek to diversify revenue streams to prepare for shifts in funding.

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March 4, 2019 No Comments

How to Keep your Non-Profit Compliant in All 50 States

Most states require you to register your organization if you solicit donations from their residents. Many states also require registration if your organization collects substantial or ongoing donations from their residents, even if you aren’t specifically targeting donors in that state. Download our comprehensive list of each state’s requirements.

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