Nonprofit Adviser

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In a new Chronicle column, communications consultant Andy Brommel explores the ways nonprofit professionals demonstrate an uneasiness about asking for money. If we can’t share the good news and invite friends to join us, Brommel asks, what does that say about our missions? Every nonprofit should have an air-tight case for support, he advises. “When staff have confidence in the value of their mission, they’ll be better equipped to make a stronger appeal for donations,” Brommel says.

Nonprofits should integrate fundraising into every staff member’s job, he advises. Trustees, in particular, should lead by example, he says. “If your board doesn’t believe you offer unique value and meaning to those who give — and doesn’t reflect that conviction through trustees’ own giving and fundraising — you can go only so far,” Brommel says. For more tips, check out “How to Get Past the Discomfort of Fundraising.”

Plus, new findings from the IUPUI Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy show that more than six in 10 married or cohabitating couples make charitable-giving decisions jointly. What’s more, when one partner makes giving decisions for the household, women are slightly more likely to do so — 15.3 percent — than men — 12.1 percent.

The study’s findings are significant for development professionals, says Jacqueline Ackerman, associate director of research at the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. “We know anecdotally that even in 2021, fundraisers are still making the assumption that the man in the household is the one in charge of giving decisions,” she says. “Fundraising can’t be one size fits all.” For more findings and analysis, read the full story. And for more advice, visit philanthropy.com.

Take care,
Emily Haynes
Staff Writer

Tip of the Week

To make the most of a virtual fundraising event, choose your streaming platform — and design — wisely. The streaming platform is the new hotel ballroom, experts say. You should choose your technology with as much care as you would a physical venue. Think about how attendees will view the online event, says Samantha Swaim, a fundraising event consultant. Now that smart TVs — which enable users to stream videos — are ubiquitous, she says, YouTube is an especially appealing platform for these gatherings. Get more advice in 7 Tips for Hosting Better Virtual Fundraising Events, and don’t forget you can find more than 1,150 how-to articles and tools online.

New Grant Opportunities

Your Chronicle subscription includes free access to GrantStation’s database of grant opportunities. Among the latest listings:

• Youth Sports. Nike’s N7 Fund provides grants for programs that create early positive experiences in sports and physical activity for Native American and Indigenous youths 18 or younger in the United States and Canada. The application deadline is April 16.
• Older adult safety. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Older Adult Home Modification Program supports programs that make safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs to meet the needs of low-income elderly homeowners. The goal of the program is to enable low-income elderly people to remain in their homes through low-cost, low-barrier, high-impact home modifications to reduce their risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility, and improve their functional abilities in their home. The application deadline is May 4.