Everyday Donor is Philanthropy’s Newest Hero
“After years in the shadows, the everyday donor is emerging as philanthropy’s newest hero, the driver of a more down-to-earth approach to charity,” begins Stephanie Strom’s story in this morning’s New York Times (via Philanthropy Journal).
The story suggests that high-profile charities have come to understand the importance of modest givers – as opposed to “mega-donors” – and that newly formed charities are focusing on smaller donations.
The article quotes the Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation (described by Ms. Strom as “famous for annual benefits where billionaires routinely hand over $20 million”) attesting to the importance of small gifts and the President/CEO of Independent Sector, who says many charities are “making an effort to diversify their funding bases and not depend on a few large funders, whether they be foundations or individuals.”
The experience of small and mid-size nonprofit organizations – which represent most nonprofits in the sector – is far removed from the rarified world of billionaires and mega-gifts. So a focus on modest gifting is nothing new.
Virtually every nonprofit, in my view, should have a major gifts program – or should be building the foundation from which to nurture and develop major gifts over time. Annual donors of small gifts – $10, $25, $100, $250 – are the basis for a healthy fund raising program – which can serve as the foundation for a major gifts program. Note, though, that for many organizations a major gift might be $2,500 or $1,000 or less.
Last month, in a post about Charity Navigator’s advice for giving wisely, I commented on the importance of annual giving, major gifts – and face to face fund raising. For most nonprofits, this is fundamental – neither overlooked, nor forgotten.
