Sharpe Insights Articles

By Professor Christopher P. Woehrle, JD, LLM The final chapter of a donor’s story is told through their estate plan. The toll from the pandemic has certainly motivated many to contemplate their mortality and envision what their legacy could or should be. For some, charity is part of their legacy, and as Bob Sharpe Sr. …Read More

By Ashley McHugh I have a friend who likes to say, “I have all I need and most of what I want.” When I hear that, my first thought is “said every planned giving donor ever!” As it turns out, my friend is somewhere between a B1 and B2 on the Sharpe Gift Planning Matrix® …Read More

It was in the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, starring Paul Newman, that one of the most memorable—and quotable—movie lines was spoken: “What we’ve got here … is failure to communicate.” Just imagine what your reaction would be to hearing those words at an annual performance review or sitting across from a donor after an …Read More

by Kristin Croone, JD Most of you are probably familiar with the term “elevator pitch.” It may sound simple, but in the moment, it can be difficult to clearly communicate what you do without underselling yourself. It requires forethought and rehearsal to tell your organization’s story concisely and still make an impact. In one or …Read More

By Kristin Croone, JD For more than 30 years, fundraising professionals and other advisors have anxiously awaited the Great Wealth Transfer that promised an unprecedented philanthropic, economic and demographic shift as older generations passed their wealth to younger ones—and to their favorite charities. The most widely followed studies came from Cornell University and Boston College. …Read More

By Professor Christopher P. Woehrle, JD, LLM During the last two years, the United States has endured a world-wide pandemic, unprecedented tumult in the capital markets and a change in the Oval Office. Despite all the current noise about what the tax laws will or will not look like, there are evergreen concerns of potential …Read More

For the past six months, as Sharpe Group’s new president, I have been getting to know the incredibly talented Sharpe team and witnessing first-hand Sharpe’s long legacy of serving nonprofit missions by providing planned giving strategies and tools designed for success. Our mission is to embrace what Sharpe does best while looking toward the future …Read More

There is a lot of discussion in the not-for-profit community about how to integrate some of the emerging technologies into fundraising. A year ago, Sharpe Group began studying how machine learning could be used to help our clients raise large gifts. Since then, we have utilized AI on a client’s donor database to make their …Read More

Given the importance of year-end giving, several national events have been established to help nonprofits promote fundraising. These campaigns may help bring extra awareness to your fundraising programs. National Estate Planning Awareness Week: Oct. 18-24, 2021. This week offers an opportunity to partner with estate planners in your area to educate your donors about charitable …Read More

By Professor Christopher Woehrle, JD, LLM Critics of the estate tax describe it as “taxation without respiration.” The proposal from the Biden Administration to tax unrealized gains at death might be called “recognition of income without the realization event.” Furthermore, transfers to noncharitable donees during lifetime will generate income taxation to the donor. The amount …Read More