Powerful philanthropy for the “average” person
IN the past, only the very wealthy could be engaged in meaningful philanthropy. Now, the “middle-market” philanthropist can allocate resources in special accounts and give careful thought to how he / she wants to save and spend for charity. They can do this with a giving vehicle called a Donor Advised Fund (DAF).
Next week, we will host a special web call to have a conversation on this powerful philanthropy tool. Here is a preview of the presentation – –
This is an open call – you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts, opinions, experiences and questions with the entire group.
Register at Eventbrite – http://tinyurl.com/otfff26
Early-bird registration is available, but there are a limited number of those tickets.
5 Donor Advised Fund Giving Tactics
Vanguard Charitable asks if you’re getting the most impact out of your charitable giving.
Source: www.forbes.com
DAFs are powerful philanthropic planning tools that are, in my opinion, under-utilized by middle market philanthropists and unexplored by nonprofit fundraisers. They are structured enough to encourage purposeful planning with immediate tax-favored benefits but flexible enough to allow for spontaneity. Ebeling’s post also points out a great way for philanthropists to collaborate with each other in a common cause to leverage their DAF / social investment. The result can be magnified impact.
Join us for a conversation on DAFs next week – sign up at Eventbrite: http://tinyurl.com/otfff26
Early-bird registration ends August 29, and there are only a limited number of those seats.
The Life Cycle of a Private Foundation
Excellent post for those who want to be in the “business of philanthropy”. For those who want to be purposeful but don’t want the headaches, a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a great alternative – it acts as a Philanthropy Account (similar to a Retirement Account / IRA). In other words a DAF helps you plan, save and spend for a specific purpose (charitable giving, in this case) with tax-favored benefits. Contact your advisor before engaging in any of these endeavors to determine what is best for your circumstances and goals.
The private foundation (PF) is a great tool for an individual or family that wants to be in the “business of philanthropy.” It provides a tax exempt shell within which to house assets to operate the business of philanthropy. It is a structure that survives the grantor and establishes the family as philanthropists for the ages.
It can also be a royal pain in the neck in terms of its care and feeding, with tedious initial and ongoing filings and returns, meetings and other documentation.
Today, we are going to outline the life cycle of a PF so that you can see a bit of what is involved and why I always say that PF’s are appropriate for those who want to be in the “business of philanthropy” rather than those who are looking to fund a charitable pocketbook. It is not meant to be exhaustive by any means. (Warning:…
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Donor Advised Funds – access a powerful tool for philanthropy
We had a meaningful conference call last night on Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and why they are a great way to tap the “middle market” donor / client. If you know of someone who is giving regularly to a nonprofit organization but wants to “do more”, a DAF is a powerful tool that leverages and magnifies philanthropy.
They serve as a Philanthropy Account – just like a retirement account, which allows you to plan, save and spend toward a specific purpose. (If you are an advisor or nonprofit fundraiser, contact me to discuss this analogy more in depth).
We will repeat this conference call in September – I invite you to join us (let me know when a good date and time would be). Watch for the announcement or contact me in the meantime.
Q&A with Theresa and Dave Gasper | Dayton, OH
Donor Next Door: Local entrepreneurs have hearts for community, giving.
Source: www.daytondailynews.com
This couple have extraordinary clarity, and their philanthropy is focused – thus their social investment makes an impact.
There are many, many business owners out there who would engage and partner with your nonprofit for the long-term. It is an untapped market for many planned giving programs.
Fundraisers and advisors: How can you assist those business owners in gaining the clarity necessary to make meaningful philanthropy decisions? How can you give them an experience of “making a difference”?
Contact me to discuss: unleashed.abundance@gmail.com
Planning on purpose, with purpose
Check out Dr. Gray Keller’s recent blog post on spontaneous giving.
Gray reminds us about the importance of being thoughtful and prepar
ed before an opportunity presents itself. There are many ways to do this, but I always recommend sitting down with a trusted advisor who understands a good deal about your values and beliefs first. Seek out someone who has insight into your assets (tangible and intangible). This person should, above all, be able to detach his / her own agenda from the conversation and truly listen to you and what you desire for yourself, your family and your community.
The process of purposeful planning forces us into a place of greater clarity. When we figure out how to connect our assets with something higher, we gain feelings of success, significance and satisfaction.
The big step is making sure that our loved ones know and understand the “why” behind the “what” in our lifetime and legacy giving. The sharing process serves as a gateway to conversations that build and sustain wonderfully fulfilling relationships.
So – gain clarity for yourself and make a plan. Even if you don’t know exactly what cause may be coming down the pike, you’ll be ready to respond with purpose when the time comes. If you know ahead of time that you have a philanthropy account at the ready for causes that connect with your true values, you don’t have to live with regrets later on.
Your message has been sent
Top 10 Major Donor Fundraising Trends for 2014-2015
Top 10 Major Donor Fundraising Trends for 2014-2015.
This is a fantastic list – complete with action items.
Contact me for ways you can capitalize on these philanthropy trends (and more).
unleashed.abundance@gmail.com
Understanding and Upgrading Habitual Donors
Fantastic blog post on communicating with philanthropists and “investors” so you discuss what THEY want to.
Three fourths of all donors give by habit, some with the rhythm and regularity of piano teacher’s metronome. Tick, tock, tick, tock — same time, same amount, same method, same organizations.
Other equally habitual donors manage their giving with a systematic approach that suggests their giving has simply been put on automatic pilot. Some begin with a small gift and methodically increase it over time. Others start out with a large gift that diminishes each year by a predetermined percentage.
People who have been giving for many years develop their own systems, guidelines, or formulas. Many of those habits are rooted in some good or bad previous giving experience. For corporations and grant-making organizations that receive numerous requests, habits can be defense mechanisms established to avoid being overwhelmed with the large task of evaluating and selecting recipients. Habits and systems are easier than investigation and deliberation.
Those mechanics simplify their…
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How Your Organization Should Follow Up with Donors, According to Donors
By Allison Gauss We all know donor retention is important to the long-term health of a nonprofit. Software Advice, a company that helps all kinds of organizations find the right nonprofit softwa
Source: www.stayclassy.org
Too often, nonprofits highlight DONOR stories, especially planned givers. These pieces focus a lot on how a donor made a gift, and can be very short on impact. This survey highlights what donors really want to know about your organization and how the dedication of their contribution will make a difference.
Get them interested and create a desire to join your cause. Tell them a story, and back it up with real data.
Story telling is a key skill that all nonprofit communicators need to learn.
“This survey, conducted by software evaluation and research company Software Advice, highlights what donors really want to know about your organization and how the dedication of their contribution will make a difference.”
Grants From Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable Up Sharply – Philanthropy Today – Blogs – The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Source: philanthropy.com
Ok, nonprofit fundraisers – are you paying attention to this? People are using giving vehicles, especially DAFs – and they are using them more as time goes on. What will your response be? DAFs contain a lot of potential contributions to your organization – but do you know how to find out who has them and how they plan to use them? It’s not something you can easily dig up from public database sources
Advisors – are you helping clients with DAFs PLAN their philanthropy on purpose, with purpose?
See on Scoop.it – philanthropy
Unleashed Abundance 