Sharpe Insights Articles

A significant plurality, if not majority, have remained skeptical of the longer-term future of cryptocurrency. A recently released executive order from the White House should end that. The Treasury, Commerce, State and Justice departments will be studying the elements of the cryptocurrency market with the goal of preparing a recommendation for the United States government’s …Read More

If you knew there was a platform that would give you immediate access to 99% of your target audience, would you use it? Studies show that in 2021 over 80% of all American adults considered mobile messaging their preferred method of communication, and more than 3.8 billion people worldwide have access to a smartphone. Because …Read More

Everyone is wondering—rightly so—what the future holds for fundraising in general and large major gifts and bequests specifically. We can all agree the last two years of pandemic lockdown have upset the normal techniques and practices used in traditional planned giving: identifying prospects and building relationships with their high-net-worth donors. The most critical issue nonprofits …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 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