Reaping The Benefits Of Cause Marketing

Starbucks, Nike, Pepsi, Uber and scores of other major companies regularly use cause marketing to burnish their image and reach customers. The not-for-profit organizations that partner with these companies can reap multiple benefits, including financial support and raised awareness of their mission. Cause marketing can take many forms, so it’s important to find both the…

Nonprofit Fundraising: From Ad Hoc To Ongoing

When not-for-profits first start up, fundraising can be an ad hoc process, with intense campaigns followed by fallow periods. As organizations grow and acquire staff and support, they generally decide that fundraising needs to be ongoing. But it can be hard to maintain focus and momentum without a strategic fundraising plan. Here’s how to create…

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Cryptocurrency Donations: Will Your Nonprofit Accept Them?

Cryptocurrency has gone mainstream, and if you’ve been sitting on the fence about accepting donations in virtual currency, it’s time to make a decision. But before your not-for-profit says “yes” to a Bitcoin (or other cryptocurrency) gift, make sure you understand the issues involved — including the risks. Virtual currency = risk Cryptocurrency refers to…

Making The Decision To Hire New Nonprofit Staffers

Many Americans remain unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic — at least 9.8 million at the end of April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But that’s expected to change quickly as employers ramp up hiring activities. If your not-for-profit will soon need new staffers, you might want to start putting out feelers now….

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Ultra-Wealthy Donors: Elusive But Worth Your Nonprofit’s Efforts

High-net-worth individuals donated $5.8 billion during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic — generous giving by most standards. This is according to a recent report, “Philanthropy and COVID-19 in the first half of 2020,” from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and information service Candid. However, that $5.8 billion amount is deceptive, because nearly three-quarters of…

New Legislation Proposes to Help “Rescue” Nonprofits

No one needs to tell nonprofit organizations how tough the past year has been. According to the John Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, 7.7% of not-for-profit workers — nearly one million people — lost their jobs between February 2020 and January 2021. An even higher percentage of arts and education organizations lost jobs last…

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How Nonprofits Can Work With Social Media Influencers

With the competition for donation dollars fierce right now, many not-for-profits are turning to influencers — from Hollywood celebrities to politicians to blog stars — to raise awareness of their organizations and causes. But before your nonprofit solicits influencer support, there are a few things you should know. On the plus side If influencer marketing…

New Revenue Idea? Watch Out for the Commerciality Doctrine

If your not-for-profit has lost financial support during the pandemic, you may be looking for ways to raise new revenue. But if your proposed solution is a side business, be careful. Even when business ventures are related to a nonprofit’s exempt purpose, they can run afoul of the commerciality doctrine — and jeopardize an organization’s…

Nonprofit Endowments Require Knowledge And Resources

If the events of 2020 have taught not-for-profits anything, it’s that financial reserves are essential to long-term survival. An endowment is different from operating reserves and generally is designed to provide steady income to a nonprofit while its core investments grow untouched. But that steady income can be a financial safeguard in times of crisis….