Building Relationships With Major Donors

Want to raise money from foundations? It's not just about persistence—it's about speaking their language. When I first started seeking foundation support for Mongabay, I faced a wall of silence. No responses. When I was lucky, I got a "No thanks." At the time, I thought I was taking the right approach. I targeted foundations aligned with our work in journalism and conservation. But I quickly learned that good alignment isn't enough. The way I framed our work needed to change. Program officers aren't just looking to support great causes; they want to achieve impact. Once I shifted my outreach to focus on how Mongabay could help them achieve their goals, my success rate increased—though there are still far more non-responses and nos than yeses. Here are a few lessons I've learned: 1/ Focus on their objectives, not yours. ↳ Foundations are often trying to solve complex challenges. Instead of leading with what Mongabay does, I began emphasizing how our work supports their mission. 2/ Be concise and clear. ↳ Program officers are busy. Long-winded pitches didn’t get me far. Clear, succinct messaging worked better. 3/ Cold outreach is tough. ↳ The reality? Most cold messages go unanswered. Whenever possible, I leaned on introductions where I could get them. 4/ Relationships matter. ↳ In philanthropy, as in life, trust is built over time. Regular updates, even when not tied to an ask, help maintain connections. 5/ Measure impact. ↳ Reporting back on how foundation support has translated into tangible results has been key to securing renewals. Even now, I don't have all—or even most—of the answers. But over the years, I've seen Mongabay's foundation support grow from zero to several million dollars annually. This increased support has allowed us to expand from a team of two to about 120, dramatically scaling our impact. It's clear proof that refining your approach can lead to meaningful results. For those navigating the fundraising landscape, remember: Foundations aren’t just writing checks; they’re investing in outcomes. Speak to that, and you’re on the right path.

I studied 118 nonprofit donation forms. Here's what I found. 1. Add a big, obvious, donation button to your home page right now. It takes 5 seconds on your website builder. A quarter of the nonprofits I looked at hide their donate button behind a dropdown, or have no clear CTA (call to action) on their homepage. Those nonprofits were 51% more likely to have a budget deficit. 2. Ugly websites beat beautiful ones. The average donor is: - old (~avg. US donor age is 64) AND - distracted (89% of donation page visitors leave before donating) Relentlessly prioritize ease of use over aesthetics with: - high contrast colors and large, simple fonts - redundancy (Smile Train has 3 donation buttons on their home page) - visibility (Obama Foundation's website even shows you a donation form before the main website) 3. Use the grandma test. Grab your grandma (or mom...if she's a grandma). Have her try and donate to your nonprofit. Stand beside her and watch. If she asks for help before she finds the donate button, you have work to do. 4. Add an impact unit to donation amounts One study showed that the gap between bad donation pages (8-11% conversion) and well-optimized ones (22%) is closed mostly by two things: form simplicity and tangible-impact framing (e.g. $50 = 10 meals) 5. Cut your donation form down to 4 fields. Most nonprofit donation forms ask for 8-12 fields. One study found that reducing form fields from 11 to 4 led to a 120% increase in conversions. The only fields donors actually need: name, email, amount, payment. Everything else is friction. Open your form, count the fields, and delete every one that isn't essential. Address, phone number, "how did you hear about us" -- cut all of it. You can ask in a follow-up email. 6) Default to monthly recurring, not one-time. Ethically pre-selecting monthly giving on your donation page can increase conversions of monthly donations by up to 35%. For some reason, almost nobody talks about donation page mechanics in nonprofit world. I haven't posted in a while... is this research/content helpful to keep posting?

When I speak with people, especially in the Family Office world, the first thought on my mind is how I can help them. Sometimes that means introducing one Family Office to another, connecting people who share values, or sharing knowledge without expecting anything in return. These contributions compound over time and return in powerful ways. In this community, relationships come before transactions. The first questions are about trust, integrity, and whether values align. Once that foundation is in place, everything else follows. Offering value without expectation changes the dynamic. A thoughtful introduction, a timely perspective, or even the willingness to listen builds trust faster than a pitch ever could. Over time, these gestures create reputations that open doors and deepen partnerships. The principle is simple. The more you give, the more you get. Generosity builds momentum, signals authenticity, and encourages others to share opportunities and build together. This matters even more as the next generation steps forward. They care deeply about values, impact, and the character of the people they work with. Aligning with that mindset requires consistency, honesty, and the willingness to give first. By focusing on what you can contribute, you strengthen relationships and create opportunities that last. In the Family Office world, giving builds trust, and trust remains the currency that matters most.

There’s a long-standing belief that Gen Z cares loudly but gives sparingly. Our new report dispels that myth. GoFundMe partnered with GivingTuesday on new research that shows Gen Z is participating in generosity more often and in more ways than other adults. About 71% reported some form of giving in the past week; more than any other group of adults. What stands out is how connected their giving is. Helping a person, supporting a community effort, and giving to a nonprofit are not separate decisions. They build on one another. In fact, 91% of Gen Z users of community fundraising platforms like GoFundMe also give to registered nonprofits—16 percentage points higher than their peers who don't use these platforms. Sharing plays a big role in that. It’s what helps one act of generosity grow beyond a single moment and connect across people and causes. These findings reinforce that Gen Z is not a future donor segment. They are already reshaping giving today: socially, publicly, and online. That creates a clear call to action for nonprofits: build for the ways Gen Z already engages by making it easier to share causes, rally communities, fundraise, and give in digital spaces. The nonprofits that embrace these behaviors now will be the ones that turn Gen Z participation into long-term support and growth. You can read more in the report below. https://lnkd.in/guEEuWwj

🕊️I regularly catch this tax-savings opportunity clients miss. Ever hear of donating highly appreciated investments into a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)?! If you're already giving donations to charities each year, why not save additional capital gains taxes on your donations? DAFs provide a more tax-savvy way to give. Lemme break it all down... 1. Open a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Account Select a provider like Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, or a community foundation. Fund Your Account: You’ll receive account details for funding. No minimum contributions are required with some providers, but check for their specific policies. 2. Contribute Highly Appreciated Stock Obtain Transfer Instructions: The DAF provider will give you specific transfer instructions for in-kind securities (stock, mutual funds, etfs). Complete the appropriate paperwork to transfer the investments over. Confirm the Gift Value: The DAF provider will value your donation based on the average of the high and low prices of the stock on the day the transfer is completed. Receive Acknowledgment: Your DAF provider will send you a confirmation of the donation for tax purposes. 3. Allocate Funds to Charities Log In to Your DAF Account: Access your account online or contact the DAF provider. Research Charities: Ensure the organizations you wish to support are IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Recommend a Grant: Specify the charity, the amount, and the timing of the grant. Many DAF providers allow you to include special instructions or dedicate the grant. Track the Impact: DAF providers will handle the distribution and often provide updates when the charity receives the grant. 4. Keep Records for Tax Filing Save the acknowledgment of your stock contribution from the DAF provider for your taxes. You’ll only need this one receipt, as donations to charities from the DAF don’t require separate deductions (you claimed the deduction when funding the DAF). This process not only simplifies charitable giving but also helps maximize the tax benefits, especially when dealing with appreciated assets and reducing capital gains taxation on low-basis stock! Here’s why this strategy is a win-win: ✨ Maximize Your Impact: You can avoid paying capital gains taxes on appreciated assets (stocks, mutual funds or ETFs that have grown), which means more of your money goes directly to the charities you love. ✨ Get an Immediate Tax Deduction: You’ll receive a deduction for the full fair market value of the stock in the year you donate. ✨ Distribute Thoughtfully Over Time: With a DAF, you can take your time to decide which organizations to support and when. Giving Tuesday, yesterday, was a beautiful reminder of the power of generosity, and thoughtful planning can amplify that power. I'd love to hear about causes you care about (I'll list one of mine in the comments) 🌍✨

Here's how I would raise $5,000 a month, every month, if I were a small charity: No galas. No grants. No huge donor base required. Just a simple, repeatable system that actually works. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 50 donors at $25/month = $1,250 in predictable revenue. That's your foundation. Name it something meaningful. Make joining feel like belonging to something bigger. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸. Yes, every week. Not a newsletter—an ask tied to a specific need or a story that connects them to your organization. Most small nonprofits under-ask and under communicate by a mile. Your donors WANT to help. Let them. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟱𝟬 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. A simple "thank you" or quick impact update. No ask. Just connection. These texts take 30 minutes and keep your best supporters feeling seen. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿. A 3-day push with a clear goal and deadline. "Help us raise $2,000 by Friday to fund summer camp scholarships." Urgency + specificity = action. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆. Within 48 hours of their first gift. The conversion rate will surprise you. This isn't complicated. It's consistent. The charities hitting their goals month after month aren't doing anything fancy. They're just showing up in the inbox, telling great stories, and making it easy to give. What would you add to this list?

Stop chasing Boomer dollars. Your fundraising strategy is stuck in 1997 and younger donors can tell. Here's where this gets messy. Nonprofits still host $250/plate galas. Send generic emails to everyone. Ask for $10K from people still paying off student loans. Then complain millennials don't give. They do. Just not like that. When I worked with K9s.Org, we tried something different. We created a Young Professionals Council. Not a token junior board... an actual advisory group with real influence over programs and strategy. These people didn't have wealth yet. But they had networks we couldn't access. Fresh perspectives that challenged our assumptions. Time and energy to put in. Social media reach that blew ours away. We gave them ownership. They gave us growth. What works with donors under 40: Peer-to-peer fundraising works because social proof beats your brand every time. Make it simple for them to fundraise through their own networks. Show them exactly where the money goes. Dashboards, real-time updates, photos from the field. Vague impact statements don't cut it anymore. Monthly giving over big one-time asks. $50/month is manageable. That's $600/year of recurring revenue you can count on. Let them volunteer, advise, and co-create before you ask for money. They want to be part of the work, not just watching from the sidelines. If your donation page requires mailing a check or takes forever to load... you've lost them already. The biggest mistake I see? Treating young donors like they're just "future major donors" instead of partners right now. You're not building a relationship, you're waiting for them to turn into someone else. That doesn't work. When they do have money to give... they'll remember the organizations that valued what they brought to the table today. Not the ones who put them on hold for a decade. You don't get to wait for them to age into your system. Build something they want to be part of now. What's your experience engaging younger donors? Drop a comment. #YoungDonors #NonprofitFundraising #MillennialPhilanthropy #PeerToPeerFundraising #DonorEngagement

Here's what surprised me about digging into Grammy winners' philanthropy: the youngest artists don't treat giving as something separate from their work. It's just part of who they are from the start. After posting about Bad Bunny and Kendrick, I kept researching how younger artists approach giving. They're not waiting to "make it big" before they start. They're building it into their careers from day one. Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for "Wildflower." By 23, she'd channeled $11.5M through her tour giving program via REVERB. She didn't build a foundation or hire staff. She partnered with an existing nonprofit that handles everything. Her job? Show up and advocate. The infrastructure takes care of the rest. Olivia Dean won Best New Artist. She's using PLUS1, which adds $1 per ticket and distributes it to causes. It's automatic. As her career grows, so does the impact. No added complexity. Why this approach? Younger artists came of age during climate crisis and social movements. For them, giving isn't what you do after success. It's part of how you define success. This is embedded giving: building philanthropy into how you already operate, not adding it on top. What makes it work: They treat giving like any other business function. Integrate it. Automate it. Let it scale. They use infrastructure that already exists instead of building their own. It grows automatically with their success. Younger donors want the same thing. Embedded options. Monthly recurring gifts. Payroll deduction. Not "will you give?" but "can I automate this?" Sound familiar? I know what you might be thinking: "We don't have the capacity/budget/authority to change our systems." I get it. Not every org can overhaul their tech stack right now. But here's what I do know: most platforms already have monthly giving built in. The barrier often isn't the technology. It's whether donors can find it easily, and whether your team can guide them to it when they ask. Worth checking when you have a moment: - Is your monthly option visible on your donation page, or buried three clicks deep? - When donors ask about recurring giving, can your team find the link quickly? - Do you have a standard response for "can I make this automatic?" First-time retention for younger donors sits around 15-20%. Meeting them where they are gives you a better shot at keeping them. This is where fundraising ops becomes retention strategy. Using what you already have more effectively. Setting it up to match how donors actually want to give. Not through overhauls. Through better configuration and clearer processes. Young donors aren't asking for special treatment. They just want systems that match how they want to show up. I'm curious: what's working for you with younger donors? What have you tried?

Your Impact Report is Probably Boring (And It's Costing You Donors) One approach puts donors to sleep. The other opens wallets. Which are you choosing? Effective storytelling in impact reports is key. Here's how to do it: Start with a Hook: Before: "We provided 10,000 meals last year." After: "Maria turned our food bank into a stepping stone for her family's future.” Use the "Before and After" Technique: Before: "Our job training program had a 75% success rate." After: "John went from homeless to homeowner in 18 months. Here's how our program made it possible..." Incorporate Sensory Details: Before: "We built a new playground." After: "Where there was once an empty lot, kids now laugh and play. The bright red slides and yellow swings have brought new life to the neighborhood. Parents chat on nearby benches, watching their children make new friends and create lasting memories.” Showcase Donor Impact: Before: "Your donations helped us achieve our goals." After: "Because of supporters like you, Sarah received the life-saving surgery she needed. Here's a letter from her family..." Use Data Visualization: Before: "We increased literacy rates by 40%." After: [Include an infographic showing a child's journey from struggling reader to honor roll student, with key stats along the way] End with a Clear Call-to-Action: Before: "Please consider donating." After: "For just $50, you can provide a month of tutoring for a child like Tommy." How to implement this: ☑️Identify your most compelling success stories ☑️ Gather quotes and personal anecdotes from beneficiaries ☑️Collect before-and-after photos or data points ☑️ Craft your narratives using the techniques above ☑️ Test different versions with a small group of donors ☑️ Refine based on feedback and roll out your new, story-driven impact report