Fundraising Outlook Depends on Vaccines, Stimulus, Equity, and Other Variables

Plus, community foundations are banding together to fight structural racism, and optimism should still be fuel for philanthropy but it must be the right kind (opinion) ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [logo] [Read this newsletter on the web](. EXPERTS WEIGH IN [Fundraising Outlook Depends on Vaccines, Stimulus, Equity, and Other Variables]( By Eden Stiffman [image] How quickly the economy recovers will be important, but there are steps nonprofits can take on their own, like doubling down on retention. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION [Community Foundations Band Together to Fight Structural Racism]( By Alex Daniels Nine regional grant makers are working together on strategies to combat structural racism in the hope of generating nationwide progress and attracting philanthropic support from wealthy donors and private foundations. OPINION [Optimism Has Long Been Fuel for Philanthropy. It Still Should Be, if It’s the Right Kind]( By Benjamin Soskis [image] As the Biden administration takes off and vaccinations begin to slow the deadly Covid virus, this could be the moment to wed a conviction that things will get better with a chastened self-examination from those who have already been doing well. Paid for and Created by CCS Fundraising [CCS Survey Shows Improved Fundraising Trends and Evolved Donor Engagement Tactics]( Gain insights into fundraising outcomes, impacts, and evolving donor engagement tactics via CCS Fundraising’s newly released third-edition report, Fundraising Impact of COVID-19, highlighting results that indicate improved virtual solicitations. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere People are digging deeper and are finding novel ways to give during the pandemic, according to some indicators. Fidelity Charitable said its clients had given nearly $1 billion more through December 15 than they did throughout 2019, even before the typical year-end surge of contributions. The Younger family of Northern Calif., for example, made their usual annual donations by March 31 instead of December 31 and then tacked on another $500,000 for groups helping the neediest during the pandemic. Eric Lefkofsky and Liz Kramer Lefkofsky used part of their Groupon fortune to help an effort that gets young people more involved in philanthropy, while a garage in Virginia rewarded customers doing kindnesses for others, and a South Carolina trumpet player found ways online to help his fellow musicians make up some of their lost income. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) Vaccinating the homeless against the coronavirus is an urgent but extremely complex task for local governments. Some cities and towns are making people without homes a priority population because they cannot isolate, usually have ailments that make them more likely to be hit hard by Covid, and lack basic health care or, sometimes, hygiene. But given that they are itinerate and can have chaotic schedules, health officials are trying to figure out how to reach them not just once but twice for the two-shot process. The task is made even more complicated by many minority homeless people's distrust of the medical profession and by the need to promptly use a vaccine dose once it comes out of a deep freeze. ([Washington Post]( Opinion: Donor-disclosure requirements for nonprofits chill free speech by scaring away some would-be contributors, and the Supreme Court should strike down the California law that gives that information to the attorney general, says Jennifer Braceras, director of Independent Women’s Law Center and a former member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Having their names attached to some groups can lead people to fear for their jobs, or sometimes even their safety. Even laws like California's, where the information is not made public, offer little reassurance of confidentiality in an age of hacking and doxing and little confidence that a donor list will not become an "enemies list" in the hands of an abusive politician. If it's oversight officials want, they already have subpoena power to get donor information. ([USA Today]( More News - Budweiser Is Forgoing This Year’s Super Bowl Ad — and Putting the Money Toward Covid Aid ([Esquire]( - State-Tied Nonprofit Used in Mich.'s Covid Fight Used to Avoid Oversight, Critics Say ([Chicago Tribune]( - Traditionally Private R.K. Mellon Foundation Invites Public to Help Decide How to Spend $1 Billion - ([Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]( - Veteran Activists Campaign for Biden’s Immigration Reform ([Associated Press]( - Volunteer Programs That Employees Can Get Excited About ([Harvard Business Review]( Subscribe to the Chronicle The Chronicle of Philanthropy is dedicated to helping nonprofits care for their clients and staff, manage financial setbacks, and stay connected with donors. Please consider subscribing, so that we may continue to provide essential news, resources, and analysis to the nonprofit world. [Subscribe Today]( Editor's Picks RESEARCH [Nonprofits Lost 50,000 Jobs in December]( By Michael Theis Nonprofits shed an estimated 50,760 jobs in December, a “striking reversal” of what had been months of slow-but-steady job growth among nonprofits, according to a new report from Johns Hopkins University. As a result, nonprofits employed nearly 930,000 fewer workers in December than they did in… FUNDRAISING [Fundraising Campaigns Move Forward Despite Pandemic Disruption]( By Emily Haynes [image] The pandemic has led to changes in campaign timelines, fundraising priorities, and of course, how fundraisers ask for the major gifts that are critical to helping nonprofits of all kinds — aid groups, arts organizations, and others — reach ambitious goals. Experts believe some of these changes may stick around in the years to come. OPINION: BIDEN AGENDA [We Need to Fix Problematic Charitable Giving Laws. The Biden Administration Can Help.]( By Roger Colinvaux [image] It’s time to overhaul tax laws that favor wealthy white donors, encourage delayed giving, and fail to prevent nonprofit fraud and abuse. OPINION [Charity Navigator’s New “Impact Score” Tells Us Little About a Nonprofit’s True Value]( By Liz Dozier and Lisa Pilar Cowan [image] Attempts to quantify success based primarily on return on financial investment, ignore the complexities of nonprofits’ work and their impact on the communities they serve. OPINION [To Advance Racial Equity, Foundation Boards Need to Take an Active Role]( By James Canales and Barbara Hostetter [image] A philanthropist and chief executive explain how they transformed a family philanthropy’s governance system so it helped accelerate a commitment to fighting racism. Job announcement Director of Development Performing Arts Org at Oakland Symphony. [Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( Paid for and Created by Independent Sector [A new take on KPIs and goal setting]( Redefining success can help organizations demonstrate value and serve as goodwill ambassadors for their mission. Now is the time to look at goals in a new light, and focus on what is in your sphere of influence. Smart Ways to Land DAF Gifts in 2021 [Join Our Webinar]( — The pandemic and recession have prompted a surge in giving through donor-advised funds as wealthy individuals respond to the crises. Because these accounts are reserved for charitable giving, they can remain a steady source of contributions, even when the economy takes a hit. But it can be tricky to identify and build ties with those who hold DAFs, so how can your nonprofit tap into this form of giving? Join us on January 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn how some nonprofits are connecting with DAF account holders. You’ll get tips for getting on their radar, encouraging these donations in all of your communications, and inspiring larger gifts over time. Plus, you’ll learn how to connect with wealth advisers, community foundations, and organizations that sponsor the funds. [Register today](. Job Opportunities [President]( New Jersey Community Capital [Director of Development Performing Arts Org]( Oakland Symphony [Search the Chronicle's jobs database]( to view the latest jobs in philanthropy. What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( // [It was OK]( // [Loved it](. [logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2021 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037