Working in the national office of an organization with charitable gift annuity (CGA) donors and annuitants throughout the country, I befriended donors who didn’t have gift planners located in their geographic areas. My desk was basically a call center. And calls about gift annuities came regularly, enough that the organization maintained around 5,000 contracts and …Read More
Virtually every fundraising professional with whom I have been in contact recently would agree that it is not business—or philanthropy—as usual. Since the emergence of a “flu-like” virus in China late last year developed into the COVID-19 coronavirus and a global pandemic, our personal and professional lives have been disrupted in ways that most of …Read More
By Professor Christopher Woehrle, Chair & Professor of Tax & Estate Planning Department, College for Financial Planning, Centennial, Colorado Among the over 100 provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act are two directly related to charitable giving. The first is an above-the-line deduction against gross income in the amount of $300 for …Read More
By Jon Tidd I was going to discuss the differences between men and women as donors in this week’s blog. Coronavirus intervened. Today, few if any charity gift planners are going to meet face-to-face with prospective donors. But that’s not the problem. The problem is, as history shows, that in times of great uncertainty, prospective …Read More
By Aviva Shiff Boedecker, Sharpe Group Senior Consultant A big question on the minds of development officers during this Pandemic Pause is whether to go ahead with scheduled planned giving mailings. Their concerns fall into two categories: Would the mailing be in good taste? Is it safe; can germs be transmitted on paper? I will …Read More
In times like these, we can all benefit by following the advice of Mr. Rogers. When he was scared, his mother would tell him to “look for the helpers.” We too, can look for the helpers—our nonprofits, volunteers and donors—as examples of how we can also be of service. The one thing we know is …Read More
As a Sharpe Group editor, one of the privileges of my job is interviewing our clients’ donors in order to write stories about their giving. I don’t usually speak in absolutes, but in this instance I will: EVERY donor I’ve ever interviewed—and there are hundreds—has a wonderful story to tell; you’ve just got to listen. …Read More
Sharpe Group has experienced a lot over the past 50+ years in consulting with many of the leading nonprofits on donor stewardship and planned giving. This week brings unprecedented uncertainty to the world, the markets and ultimately to the important missions that our clients devote their careers to passionately serving. With this in mind, we …Read More
“Over the last seven sessions, the Dow has lost 2,271 points, or 20.1%. Since hitting an all-time high of 14,164.53 one year ago today, the Dow has lost 39.4%.” “‘We are in a free fall right now and fundamentals have been thrown out the window,’ said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors.” …Read More
The Coronavirus or COVID-19 is spreading around the world at an alarming pace. With the uncertainty of its progression, anxiety amongst all is a huge factor. Social distancing has become a popular mechanism to help limit exposure between all of us. It is important to maintain a close relationship with your donors during these uncertain …Read More