A decade ago, fundraisers could count on economic prosperity and the accompanying “Wealth Effect” to have a positive impact on charitable giving. This phenomenon led to record giving levels in 2006 and 2007, as both real estate and stock markets reached record highs. U.S. household net worth hit $66.5 trillion in 2007 but fell 15 …Read More

Last month we examined charitable giving strategies for donors who are nervous about the current stock market valuations and concerned that the bull market may be overdue for a correction. But what about donors who believe that economic growth and business/consumer-friendly tax reform will continue to drive the stock market to new heights? You may …Read More

One of the bedrock principles in gift planning is stewardship. At a recent gift planning conference in New York, the opening speaker, who has been a friend of Sharpe Group for many years, remarked that he’d recently been reminded of something he learned at a Sharpe seminar early in his career. He had never forgotten …Read More

Several newly released reports provide information on the state of charitable giving in America. Two widely followed reports, Giving USA 2017: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2016 and 2016 Voluntary Support of Education, both reported record levels of charitable giving last year. A closer look reveals a few surprises. Giving USA Results …Read More