From the Desk of

Shelly Manuel ¦ Associate Partner

Every four years, we have a Presidential election and the concern for charitable giving during an election year arises. “We need to time annual appeals with the election.” “Will this election impact our success with year-end donors?” Those sentiments are spoken throughout nonprofit development and leadership team meetings. However, giving during an election year tends to follow trends in philanthropy more than decrease due a Presidential election. Giving USA reports that charitable contributions in 2023 were down 2.4%, adjusted for inflation. Should data reflect a decline in 2024, it will more likely be attributed to recent trends than an election.

With the presidential election behind us, stick to fundraising strategies that we should always follow. Acknowledge the “elephant in the room.” Practice mindfulness around donor conversations but continue to build relationships and solicit support. You may need to look at additional segmenting of messages or spending more time making messaging personal. Explore using multi-channel communications to avoid donors “tuning you out” because of political saturation. Use your data to drive decision making. Use common sense.

Post election emotions can run high, and with this particular election, I would anticipate “big feelings” based on results. “Rage giving” can arise as the result of a major political shift in policy or from election results. Data shows that charities reflecting the losing candidate’s ideals rose 57.5% while support for the winning candidate’s principles only went up by 2.9%.

Remember, in nine out of the last ten elections, giving increased post-election. Stay true to your mission and reflect neutrality to constituents. Don’t stop fundraising. Use the information gained from building relationships to guide you.