Nonprofits Aim to End 2024 on a High Note Following Strong GivingTuesday

As 2024 draws to a close, nonprofits across the country are hoping to end the year on a high note following a robust GivingTuesday. Despite ongoing concerns about the strength of the U.S. economy, donors gave $3.6 billion this GivingTuesday — a 16 percent increase from 2023.

Many nonprofits are wondering if that GivingTuesday success will carry over to the rest of their year-end. The Chronicle spoke to a sampling of nonprofits of varying sizes and causes about the results of their GivingTuesday campaigns and how their overall year-end fundraising efforts are performing so far. Many reported they were on track to meet or even exceed their annual goals.

Father Joe’s Villages in San Diego has seen an increase in both major gifts and planned giving this year, says the chief philanthropy officer, Jennifer June. “Things are terrific,” she says. “We have already exceeded our goal for 2024. Everything now is icing on the cake.”

The nonprofit, which is the largest provider of homeless services in San Diego, has exceeded its fundraising goal by $5 million and expects that number to grow as more end-of-year gifts pour in. Donations made in the last quarter of the year typically account for over 40 percent of Father Joe’s overall fundraising.

June credits a united messaging campaign, increased visibility from media hits, and ongoing efforts to boost planned giving for a successful fundraising year. “A lot of these donors have been with Father Joe’s for decades,” she says. “They’re now thinking about their estate plans.”

Next year, the nonprofit will celebrate its 75th anniversary and open a new 45-bed, $1.5 million detox center for unhoused individuals struggling with substance abuse.

Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a sold-out celebration in May. The nonprofit’s anniversary has featured prominently in its appeals throughout the year, including custom donor letters from board members.

The center serves more than 7,500 local domestic violence survivors annually with therapy, counseling, emergency housing, legal advice, and more. This year’s closing campaign features the story of Maryellen, one of the center’s first clients in 1976 who credits its services for saving her life as a 16-year-old mother of two fleeing her abusive husband.

“We’re seeing a fairly significant return from lapsed donors,” said Kristin Brown, chief development officer. “We’re seeing donors who are giving gifts who haven’t done so since 2020.”

This year’s GivingTuesday brought in $84,000 for the center compared with last year’s $72,000. The average gift also rose to $245 from last year’s $195. End-of-year giving accounts for over half of the center’s individual giving goal.

DigDeep, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to running water, is on track to meet its goal of raising $2 million by January 1. The organization’s holiday campaign kicked off following a successful GivingTuesday that brought in half a million dollars.

“This year’s campaign is focused on the idea that water is a promise like America is,” said founder George McGraw. “The promise is that no matter where you’re born or live, you’ll have what you need to thrive.”

Father Joe’s Villages

More than 2 million Americans do not have running water, the group says. The problem disproportionately affects Native Americans, who are 19 times more likely to lack access to a tap than white Americans. One of DigDeep’s projects focuses on the Navajo Nation, which includes areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and where more than a third of households lack access to running water.

McGraw says DigDeep is a grassroots, digital-first organization, but adds it has incorporated more old-school fundraising strategies, such as postal mail, as it’s learned that its donor base skews older and female.

For this year’s GivingTuesday, the United Way of New York City used donor data to send targeted appeals focusing on program areas of most interest to specific individuals. The chapter provides a wide array of services for low-income New Yorkers aimed at reducing food insecurity, combating youth violence, and addressing health inequity.

Melissa Browne, chief development officer, said that while the nonprofit is still in the midst of processing gifts received since GivingTuesday, the targeted appeals look to have made a positive difference. So far, more than $102,000 was pledged for the year-end appeal. At the same time last year, the nonprofit had raised around $13,000 for its end-of-year campaign. Browne notes that they also typically receive some of their largest gifts in the form of checks and stocks during the final weeks of the year.

Corporate gifts accounted for more than 70 percent of the group’s private funding during the last fiscal year. Strategies such as the targeted appeals are part of a concerted effort by the chapter to diversify its donor base.

“That was the bread and butter for United Way for 80 years,” Browne said of United Way’s history as a charity built around workplace campaigns. “In the last few years, we have really targeted our individual donors.”

Corporate gifts also make up roughly 70 percent of overall fundraising at Emergency Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit that partners with hundreds of companies worldwide to respond to natural disasters.

“This was a very big year for us,” said Lori Rogers, vice president of corporate operations. Donations have nearly doubled this year over 2023, driven in large part by giving related to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which dealt a serious blow to the Southeast United States in October.

In November alone, the nonprofit awarded $20 million in emergency funds and grants. Donations to the organization are driven largely by disasters and not necessarily planned fundraising campaigns. Rogers notes that the nonprofit has seen a dip in corporate funding, which she believes is tied to the economy and may limit how much help the nonprofit can award in the future. Individual giving accounts for roughly 30 percent of fundraising.

For several nonprofits, matches have played a critical role in boosting year-end fundraising efforts and driving donor engagement. The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers was part of a recent $500,000 match campaign by Pivotal, an organization founded by Melinda French Gates.

“We’re thrilled she chose us,” said Paurvi Bhatt, president and chief impact officer. Bhatt said the announcement has helped increase engagement with the nonprofit, which focuses on raising awareness of caregivers. This GivingTuesday was the largest day of giving in the institute’s history.

The Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center serves the community in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. It operates a café run by local youth and a wellness center that provides affordable community-based care.

For the center, the end of the year serves as a reminder to give back to the community and go beyond thinking of fundraising strictly from a monetary sense, said partnership director Ruti Xochipalitzin Zipakcihuatzin Mejia.

Indigenous Roots was one of 6,556 groups that participated in “Give to the Max,” an annual fundraiser for Minnesota nonprofits that collectively raised $37.1 million this year. The efforts align with the nonprofit’s reliance on word-of-mouth and one-on-one engagement with the community.

“We saw a lot of community members come in and give those donations and support and also share flyers, share impact,” said Mejia. “Fundraising for us, it’s been one of those efforts where we really rely on the community to be the kind of people that help us spread the word and create that circular economy.”