The Chronicle of Philanthropy | Ideas & Advice

Fastest-Growing Athletic Fundraisers Focus on Loyal Donors

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Charities learn that creating meaningful ways for athletes to connect with a cause and enlisting retailers to boost giving can increase revenue.

Raising Money From Gay Couples: Advice From the Experts

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Establish an anti-bias policy for your organization and think hard about how to deal with tax deductions for couples whose marriages aren't recognized by the federal tax code.

Same-Sex Couples Get New Attention From Fundraisers

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

As more states legalize gay marriage, nonprofits see a source of new money — but some donors say they have been put off by a lack of sensitivity by some charities.

Temp Fundraisers Can Ease the Strain of High Turnover

Sun, 05 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Seasoned veterans often can keep donors involved and help chief executives troubleshoot staff problems before a new chief development officer is appointed.

Charities Deal With a Stream of Challenges From Angry Donors

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Lawsuits raise thorny questions about a benefactor's demands and a nonprofit's responsibility to adhere to them.

Donor-Advised-Fund Tool Sends Gifts Directly to Charities

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:30:00 EDT

The widget, which goes on a charity's donation page, has been in the pilot phase for months but is now available to qualifying charities.

Raising Money From the Crowd: What Works Best

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Now that Kickstarter and other mass-appeal sites have been around for a while, charities are mastering what works best to attract large sums.

Outside Reviews Help Charities Reach More Donors

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

As the economy improves, more groups are hiring consultants to help them learn new approaches and figure out what competitors are doing better.

Relieving Fundraisers of Hated Task Brings in More Gifts, Faster

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Virginia Mason Hospital's fundraising arm found a way to relieve fundraisers of their most hated task and then improved efficiencies.

Bombarding Donors With Appeals Backfires, Author Says

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

The pressure to keep making pitches does more than lose supporters. It's the key reason one-third of fundraisers leave their jobs.

Charities Get Chance to Test Fundraising Ideas in Scholarly Experiment

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

The University of Chicago is offering prize money to nonprofits with the best ideas for researchers to examine.

A Sweeping Plan to Curb Fundraiser Turnover

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EDT

After five years of research with more than 12,000 nonprofit executives, trustees, and donors, Penelope Burk says fundraisers and nonprofits need to change how they work.

Wait, Wait ... Let’s Raise Money

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EDT

The host of the NPR game show "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me" explains in a video how to tell powerful stories to connect with donors.

Peer Pressure Makes Donors Give More Than Planned

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EDT

GlobalGiving enlisted behavioral economists to figure out how to encourage people to give more and found that the best technique was to show that lots of other people were also increasing their contributions.

Midcourse Reviews Can Improve Capital Drives

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EDT

Nonprofits often raise more money than they expected when they take a full-scale review of what's working and what's not in an ambitious campaign.

Nonprofits and Marketers Plan Protest of Watchdog Group

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:12:00 EDT

The Direct Marketing Association is fighting Charity Navigator's decision to downgrade groups it says use a longstanding accounting practice to hide high fundraising costs.

How to Build Ties to Young Donors and Volunteers

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:28:00 EDT

Watch a recording of a Google+ hangout with charity experts who have attracted people in their 20s to good causes.

How to Attract and Keep Monthly Donors

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Nonprofits should be sure donors who give in regular installments get special attention and tailor appeals to each person's giving history.

Monthly Giving Can Add Up to Robust and Steady Revenue for Charities

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EDT

While getting donors to give in regular installment is popular in Canada and Europe, it is only slowly catching on in the United States.

University Contest Brings in $7-Million, Mostly in a Day

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EDT

Columbia University challenged its 16 schools to see which one could produce the most for the institution's annual fund.

Ask an Expert: A Private School’s Annual-Fund Appeal Angers Parents

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:29:00 EST

The parents are withdrawing their child from the school over a fundraising effort that put a spotlight on children whose parents had given and those who had not.

An Artful Way to Show What Gifts Achieve

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST

Emory University's campus is dotted with playful exhibits showing exactly what donors paid for in a $1.7-billion campaign, including endowed professorships and scholarships.

How Fundraising Material Can Be Counted as a Program Cost

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:50:00 EST

Charities may classify some of the costs of fundraising activities as program expenses, a practice known as joint-cost allocation. But the activity must meet certain criteria.

Rules for Reporting Fundraising Costs

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST

Examples of costs that could be attributed to programs and management as well as fundraising, and more.

A Multimillion-Dollar Donor Urges Fundraisers: Just Ask

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST

Delores Barr Weaver, who gave $50-million last year to a Florida community foundation, says she would have given much more earlier in her life if a charity official had made a pitch.

How Fundraisers Can Navigate Donors’ Growing Demands

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST

To make themselves stand out, nonprofits are helping the wealthy teach their children about generosity and recruiting entrepreneurs to their boards.