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September 10, 2024

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From the desk of:

Sandnra Kidd ¦ Senior Partner

It’s All About the ABCs

I am having some home renovation projects done this month. Because none are major, I am managing the projects myself, juggling the scheduling and sequencing of the plumber, the painters, the basement fix-it people, the tree service…you get the idea.

Serving as my own general contractor for these various projects reminds me of the importance of A) solid planning, B) good communication, C) proactive collaboration–and then D) flexibility when A, B, and C hit a snag. As you plan your fall 2024 stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation calendar, you will want to keep your ABCs in mind.

A)  Solid Planning. Does your planning consist of taking last year’s 2023 calendar and replacing “2023” with “2024”? If so, you may want to reconsider. While I am a firm believer that consistency is a good practice for annual fundraising, fall 2024 is different. This is election season—and Americans, including your donors, are getting bombarded with messaging. This fall, you want your annual giving solicitations to stand out in the crowd. You also may need to be more persistent in follow-up on your asks, using personal two-way conversations with donors whenever possible.

B)  Good Communication. External communications with your prospects, donors, alumni, patrons, and friends will be most effective when they are clear, concise, personal, and pertinent. One tip: Count the number of times you say “I” or “we”—versus “you”—when crafting fundraising letters, emails, and texts (if you use text solicitations, please don’t send one to me!). Your appeals should focus on your prospects’ motivations, why they support your cause, and what they need to know to make an informed philanthropic decision.

C)  Proactive Collaboration. Internally, a planning meeting with key staff in marketing, communications, fundraising, constituent relations, and volunteer management will help ensure that everyone is in sync for the coming months. Using your office and database management tools—common calendar, priority lists, dashboards—will help keep your internal team on schedule. And please be sure to report results out to everyone on the team, senior management, Board members, and fundraising volunteers.

D)  Flexibility. You can rest assured that something this fall, next spring, next week, will not go according to plan. When that happens, hit the pivot button! Good luck!

(As for me, I am back to waiting on the plumber, who promised to come no later than 6 pm today….)

A Snapshot of State Independent Schools

We’ve got new data in from some Independent School State Associations. Let’s see what the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools participating schools report raising in philanthropic funds for data entry year 2023-2024. 

School Count   41
 

Advancement Median Funds Received for ’23 $770,830
Median Number of Donors 486
  

Median Percent Participation by
Constituency & Hard Credit Funds Received		 
Median % Participation by Parents/Guardians of Current Students 64.0%  $273,183
Median % Participation by Alumni/ae 4.3%  $16,670
Median % Participation by Grandparents of Current Students 13.2%  $41,477
Median % Participation by Parents & Grandparents of Alumni/ae 5.7%  $120,243
Median % Participation by Employees 89.2%  $20,767

 


Trustees		 
Median Number of Trustees 15
Median Hard Credit Funds Received by Trustees $43,400
Median Soft Credit Funds Received by Trustees $34,934
  

Funds Received by Purpose (’23)		 
Median Funds Received for Current Operations: Unrestricted $383,643
Median Funds Received for Current Operations: Restricted  $113,000
Median Funds Received for Endowment $50,000
Median Funds Received for Other Capital Purposes $170,219
Median Funds Received for Irrevocable Deferred Gifts at Face Value           $2,669,230


Data from NAIS Facts at a Glance.
 

Don’t Ignore Women in Your Fundraising

Is your nonprofit holding on to decades-old fundraising strategies that primarily target men — specifically older white men. Did you know that those strategies could result in the loss of billions of dollars in donations as women are becoming wealthier and more engaged in philanthropy?

With U.S. women expected to inherit up to $30 trillion over the next decade, according to the Bank of America Institute, many more could join the ranks of Mackenzie Scott and Melinda Scott Gates. Already, women are changing the philanthropy world by spearheading more group funding approaches. Funding collectives, largely led and dominated by women, donated more than $3.1 billion from 2017 to 2023, data shows.

Does your organization need to do a better job of appealing to these women? The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy has published recommendations for how nonprofits can include women donors in their fundraising plans. Check them out.

Haas Folder and Designer Honored

folder honorCongratulations to our friend, Ira Jackson, president of Perfect Image, who is the recipient of the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Award from the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia. Recognized throughout Georgia’s print industry as the highest honor conferred to an individual, the award honors Jackson’s long-term, major contributions to the state’s print and graphic arts industry and to his community.

Jackson designed The Legacy of Beatrice Hirsch Haas which won Best Presentation Folder at the event. The folder was created in collaboration with the Association of Fundraising Professionals to recognize the life and legacy of Be Haas, our firm’s founding partner. Each future recipient of AFP’s Be Haas Award will receive a personalized booklet. Many of Be’s friends and colleagues participated in the creation of the booklet. Again, many thanks and congratulations to Ira for bringing it to life. 

We Know Independent Schools
For more than 35 years, Alexander Haas has been a fixture in the nonprofit community. We are honored to have worked with so many remarkable independent schools, both secular and non-secular, across the country that help mold today’s adolescents into tomorrow’s leaders. Take a look at our list of independent school clients, past and present.

A Fresh Approach to Fundraising
Our services aren’t cookie cutter. We don’t operate with a boilerplate, merely changing names and locations. We craft each and every service we provide to match your organization’s unique needs, wants and abilities. We work hard and expect you to do the same. Together we can help you transform your institution, your fundraising, and the community you serve.

Whether your need is in Capital Campaign, Annual Fund Campaign, Major Gifts, Leadership Annual Giving, Planned Giving or all of the above, we take a fresh approach to nonprofit fundraising.