by Ben Goldberg When I considered my plans six months ago for the summer of 2011, I knew that I wanted to experience something new, to expand my knowledge of the nonprofit sector, and to develop core capabilities for my professional future. I had worked as a volunteer in nonprofits before, so I thought I knew how community organizations operated. Working for The EHL Consulting Group, the firm run by frequent eJewish Philanthropy contributors Robert Evans and Avrum Lapin that has broadly served the (primarily Jewish) nonprofit community for more than 20 years, I gained new and invaluable perspectives, hand-on experience, and exposure not accessible elsewhere. They invited me to share some reflections on what I learned from this experience and to offer some insights into where things stand from the … Continue Reading
Passion in the Recipe for a Successful Fundraising Campaign
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin As we continue our yearlong review of our 11 essential fundraising tips for 2011, we focus on one of the most important points: aiming for success. A blending of traditional and contemporary approaches can make most fundraising campaigns successful but there is no denying that passion is one of the most important components of any successful campaign. Since charitable giving is a passionate act, our recipe consists of two very important elements that make passion possible: emotion and clarity. One involves an abstract idea: the desire to make a donor, volunteer and stakeholder feel something that pulls at the heartstrings and doesn’t let go. The other involves concrete details, planning and strategy to make sure that the final product has the right taste … Continue Reading
Technology Revisited and Recharged
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Our most recent posting addressed some of our insights into the use - or not - of emerging technologies that enhance the image of Jewish organizations and ultimately impact fundraising efforts. We received many follow-up questions, comments and stories about how specific organizations were transitioning into new technologies so we felt compelled to provide a few more thoughts on utilizing both new and old technologies. Adjusting to new technologies seems somewhat traumatic to many Jewish executives as well as their leaders, judging on the lackluster use of proven and commonplace components of contemporary technology. Facebook and Twitter are household realities and every non-profit should be aggressively embracing these social media innovations as a daily … Continue Reading
Why are Jewish Nonprofits Afraid of the Power of Technology for Fundraising?
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Interactive cell phones now beget landlines and the printed newsletter is now being challenged by organizational internet sites with icons that read “Give Now.” Every new day brings advancements in the way organizations ask and people give. Donors are making scores of smaller gifts on cell phones and computer screens. It is the 21st century equivalent of envelopes being passed around High Holy Day services so we offer you this posting as part of our commitment to reintroducing 11 ideas for 2011, our outline of critical concepts each non-profit should be considering for this year. We do not wish to misstate our premise: technology is by no means a replacement for personal cultivation and in-person meetings with donors. Instead it is a vital tool to … Continue Reading
Conveying The “ROI” To Foundations
by Esther Wiesner Approximately 14% all of giving comes from foundations and the marketplace is increasingly competitive. As you consider going in that direction, here are a few critical points to consider approaching foundations. Over the past several years, foundations have begun to refer to a traditionally financial term - ROI - or Return on Investment. The adoption of this banking term signals two important shifts: the grant application process has become more competitive, and grant applicants need to be able to quantify their activities - and results - in increasingly clear and compelling ways. While initially an organization might adopt record keeping systems simply to satisfy a funder or foundation prospect, the results will reflect a rigorous tool for tracking progress over time, … Continue Reading
Jewish Organizations Helping to Rebuild Tornado-Stricken State
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin When natural disasters strike, American donors often respond quickly and generously. Relief after the Haitian earthquake in 2010 brought almost unprecedented outpourings of dollars and volunteers from across the globe, but especially from Americans. But what happened earlier this year when fierce weather hit parts of the Southeast and other sections of the United States? Knowing that donors’ response time to disasters is generally no more than three months duration, we looked to Jewish responses to the devastation faced by people in Alabama just two months ago. It seems that even more volunteer assistance may happen! While Jewish organizations immediately developed ways to funnel dollars to respond to communities hit by the disaster, we looked to the … Continue Reading
U.S. Giving Increased in 2010
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Charitable giving in the U.S. increased by almost four percent in 2010, a significant announcement that comes today from The Giving Institute and its research partner, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. The $290.89 billion annual total of giving for 2010 reflects actual support provided by individuals, foundations, and corporate sources. It is, in our estimation, a positive sign that non-profits in the U.S. may, hopefully be experiencing a critical turn around after two years of declines in donor dollars and uneven consumer confidence. The report reflects significant increases for international causes, prompted specifically by Haitian relief, which caused catastrophic damage to the island nation. The report also reflected the transfer of … Continue Reading
IRS Targets 1534 Jewish Nonprofits
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin There are approximately 1.6 million non-profit organizations across the United States, encompassing nearly every kind of charitable cause. Almost a quarter of these non-profits organizations (NPOs) are religious or faith-based institutions, including many Jewish houses of worship and other types of organizations. Recently, however, the U.S. federal government reduced the number of NPO’s by about 15% when it identified 275,000 501c3 organizations on their books that appeared to be no longer in compliance with IRS reporting regulations. The action, as might be imagined, sent shock waves across the non-profit community and has attracted headlines in various publications addressing issues in the philanthropic sector. Among the list of revoked NPO’s, there … Continue Reading
Who is Your (Jewish) Donor?
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin First and second impressions of people make an impact how we interface with each other and how relationships begin and flourish. Perhaps intuitive thoughts or opinions based on little or no facts make an impact as well. There’s room, indeed a need, for both. In marking the pathway for their organization’s philanthropic initiatives, non-profit leaders can little afford to rely only on unsubstantiated or intuitive guesses about the giving capacity and charitable intent and inclination of prospective contributors. For that reason, donor research has taken on much more importance as a fundamental part of the planning and implementation of fundraising at the top dollar levels. No assumptions! One of the keys to finding and developing successful … Continue Reading
Taxing the Tax-Exempt
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin The leaders of the 1.8 million non-profit organizations across the United States need to brace themselves for the next inevitable budgetary shock. Organizations ranging from public charities, private foundations, civic leagues, colleges and universities, hospitals, arts and cultural institutions, houses of worship and fraternal groups are being targeted as an income stream for cash strapped municipal governments. Although they each support different causes and missions, the massive number of U.S. non-profits have historically received special dispensation from being saddled with real estate taxes and other imposed fees for services such as police and fire protection. The federal government’s 501(C)(3) classification has yielded financial immunity in … Continue Reading
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