By Chris Woehrle Section 110190 of the House-passed H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Act”),1 has the potential to upend the financing of public education by providing a tax credit. Specifically, individuals would be entitled to a credit representing the greater of (1) $5,000 or (2) 10% of adjusted gross income (AGI). For…
Charitable Dollars & Sense: The Dawn of Nationwide School Choice?
SHARE VIA: 
Why I—of All People—Am Hosting a Planned Giving Podcast
By Grant Miller I don’t listen to podcasts much. Not because I don’t like them, and not because I don’t think there are endless fascinating things out there worth learning. (Don’t worry, my wife keeps me up to date on all the true crime podcasts at the dinner table.) I just don’t make the time….
Charitable Dollars & Sense: The Real Value of Art
By Chris Woehrle Restrictions placed by a donor in a gift agreement that limit the amount a willing buyer would pay a willing seller must be considered when determining the amount of the charitable deduction. Rev. Rul. 85-89 offers the example of a donor giving a large plot of land to an agricultural college for…
Planned Giving to the Rescue
By Barlow T. Mann Throughout history, fundraisers have struggled to raise gifts in challenging and uncertain times, particularly in times of economic recession (see Sharpe Insights article, “The Sky Is Falling … Again! The Economics of Giving”). For those who recall the iconic hard rock band “Spinal Tap,” it is as though the amplifier has…
3 Things to Include in Your Planned Giving Newsletter
By Ashley McHugh While the times have certainly changed, the approach has stayed the same. Having created content since I began at Sharpe Group in the late ’90s, there are some items I always include in a printed or digital planned giving newsletter: Keep it real with stories Including donor stories can accomplish several things: they honor…
The Big Engine That Could—How Philanthropy Drives Success
At a recent Environmental Roundtable meeting of CFOs, chief development officers and chief people officers, I was privileged to moderate an important discussion on the current granting environment. The group consisted of large and mid-sized nonprofits along with Lee Klumpp, national assurance director—Nonprofit and Education Practice, BDO USA LLP, who offered his expertise. Not surprisingly, one…
Women and Charitable Giving
The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University’s Lily School of Philanthropy has released a new report analyzing how women’s charitable giving has changed over the past two decades. The report concluded that women’s donor participation declined during the pandemic, but their average gifts increased, which could have lasting implications for charitable giving should this trend…
Three Truths and One Lie: Up-to-Date Data and Your ROI
Truth #1: Postage costs have increased every year. Who could have predicted a roll of Forever stamps would be equivalent to a Warren Buffet-type investment? Truth #2: Older donors with the capacity and desire to learn about a planned gift, such as a QCD or noncash gift, a charitable gift annuity or a bequest, are…
What’s Good for Charities Is Good for Donors—Health Benefits of Giving
According to several studies, it appears the adage “’tis better to give than to receive” is a scientific fact. Here’s to your health In 2013, Emma Seppälä, PhD and Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), published the article “The Compassionate Mind,” where she reported that for people who are ill, showing…
Dividing > Multiplying: The Benefits of Segmenting Your Audience
An important relationship skill is the ability to see people as individuals rather than stereotyping them according to certain traits. This is also a valuable skill for fundraisers when working with individual donors. As a general marketing tactic, however, this can be impossible. It’s knowing general traits (i.e., the demographic makeup of your donor database)…