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Fundraising Talks
News and updates from the USM Office of
Advancement Research

Upcoming Events


Level Up Your Data Insights: Pivot Tables to BI Reports

When: August 24, 2022 at 12:00 pm

 

Save Time and Drive Results with a Foundation of Quality Data

When: August 30, 2022


Understanding Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Hedge Funds: A Prospect Research Perspective

When: October 25, 2022,

2:00 - 3:00 pm

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Looking for funding opportunities? We've identified a few funds that might be useful to you. Visit the links below to learn more about the requirements and deadlines for these opportunities. 


William T. Grant Foundation (Deadline: September 14, 2022)


Ausherman Family Foundation (Deadline: Rolling Basis) 


Jerome and Grace Murray Foundation

(Deadline: September 15, 2022)


The Campbell Foundation (Deadline: August 31, 2022)

Contact Us

Director of Advancement Research
301.445.2709

Office Clerk
301.445.1950
Letter from the Director

It’s hard to believe that we are approaching another academic year. Higher education institutions are welcoming students, faculty, and staff back to campus. August is also national “Make-A-Will” month, which is an opportunity for fundraisers to discuss estate and planned gifts with prospective donors. Recently, news articles indicate that several colleges and universities are reporting a strong fundraising year, however, economic factors such as inflation and decreased enrollment can bring challenges to the future of philanthropic landscape. 


An article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy provides information on an emerging trend in higher ed where institutions are reaching out to former students to bring them back to campus to finish their college education. According to the article, “the number of people who began college but left without a credential grew to 39 million in 2020, up nearly nine percent in two years.” The National Student Clearinghouse’s Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report outlines data from across the US on students who did not earn a credential. Our hope is that university officials will utilize different outreach efforts to re-engage and bring back students who might have dropped out. This will increase student enrollment and develop a pipeline of constituents who can help with future fundraising.


As we mentioned earlier, inflation impacts charitable giving. High inflation can have a negative impact on charitable giving as inflation decreases the purchasing power of individuals, and therefore, may lead to a fewer number of charitable gifts. According to an article by givingusa.org, we can use these strategies to mitigate the potential decline in giving by donors:


  • Focus on the Baby Boomer generation who are expected to be the wealthiest generation in the US, by encouraging them to give through assets such as appreciated stock.
  • Share impact reports with current donors and highlight how inflation is negatively impacting those that are in need.
  • Have relevant conversations to understand donor’s giving interests, needs and goals, and align them with those of your institutions’ to allow donors’ to make the greatest impact.
  • Educate donors on the all the types of gifts that can be received, including: real estate, DAFs, and bequests, and allow them to make the gift that provides the most tax benefits.
  • Offer blended gift strategies to further create strong affinity to your organization.
  • Educate donors about the benefits of life-income gifts.
  • Implement strong stewardship practices that will enable fundraisers to engage in meaningful conversations with the donors.


Nonprofit organizations are vulnerable to inflation, but they can continue to mold strategies to maintain stable philanthropic momentum. We hope the information mentioned in this newsletter will allow you to create strategies that withstand instabilities in fundraising. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with questions, comments or any assistance with fundraising research!


Best Regards,

Sapna and USM Advancement Research Team

Did you know?

The University System of Maryland Foundation has access to a library of recorded webinars from the Annual Giving Network (AGN) that you may watch at any time from your computer. While we cannot currently gather in person for professional development events, this work from home period provides a great opportunity for you to learn on your own time! Please click here to see what webinars are available from AGN.
 
If you are interested, please email Linda Bowman (lbowman@usmd.edu) and she will help you access these webinars for free. Please do not try to access these webinars on your own, as you will be charged a fee.

Please also note that the Foundation only has access to free AGN webinars, not workshops. Workshops are available at a marginally discounted rate.

How Advancement Leaders Can Engage More Women Donors

According to GG+A, women donors are ready and willing to do more to create positive social change, but existing systems used to identify and engage donors were not made with women in mind. Women often have different philanthropic priorities and respond to different messaging than men. As such, it's important that your institution knows where women give, why they give, and how fundraisers can most effectively engage them. In this article, GG+A takes a close look into engaging women donors, rethinking donor evaluation systems that often favor men, understanding women's motivation to give, and creating an effective communication strategy. 

Understanding the Psychology of Why Donors Give to Nonprofits

Understanding the multitude of reasons why someone may give to your institution is vital to transforming your institution's fundraising process. The Millennial Impact Project studied why donors across different generations gave. They found that donors first give because they want to belong - whether it means belonging a cause or among their peers - and often before they even fully understand the mission of the nonprofit. How can you replicate the work of the Millennial Impact Project at your own institution? Nonprofit Tech for Good suggests scheduling regular check-ins with board members and donors and conducting online surveys and asking why your supporters give. 

Colleges Report Strong Fundraising Year

As noted in the Letter from the Director, several sources indicate that colleges and universities reported a strong fundraising year in FY22. According to Inside Higher Ed, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech are just a few of the many universities that reported fundraising years that surpassed prior years' records. "Penn State reported commitments of more than $437 million, up from the previous high of $381.2 million; the University of Oklahoma counted $317 million in gifts and pledges, surpassing last year’s record high of $237 million; and Virginia Tech hauled in $268.5 million, up from last year’s record of $200.3 million." The article from Inside Higher Ed also delves into why this may have happened in 2022 and what to expect in the future. 


Another article from Forbes corroborates the information found in the Inside Higher Ed article, and breaks down their findings by public research universities, comprehensive universities, HBCUs, and private colleges. 

The Economy is Changing–And So is Philanthropy

As we know, inflation is threatening American finances as well as American's generosity. Fortune asked Americans why, how, and to whom they donated their time and money over the past year and found a number of trends from their research. First, they found that the support a nonprofit receives depends on the age of their donors. 49 percent of those 44 and younger volunteered last year, while only 31 percent of those older than 44 volunteered. Those 45 and older instead made financial contributions. Next, men were more likely to community development, disaster relief, and the military. Women were more likely to support animal welfare groups and religious causes. Human services-focused charities did better with those over 45 and younger Americans gave more to educational charities. 

Four Steps to Build a Planned Giving Legacy Society

NonProfitPRO outlines four steps to build a legacy society, which was originally presented by Gregory M. Wilson, CAP, CFRE and director of client services, and Colleen Bowman, marketing director, Planned Giving Marketing, at the Bridge Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The steps are as follows:


  • Build a planned giving strategy
  • Create a legacy society
  • Develop a marketing plan for your giving society
  • Commence outreach about your legacy society


Read more here.