Data Shows How to Raise More by Engaging Better With Donors

Plus, suing government and business is a potent way to curb climate change. Why are donors so afraid of it? ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now follow The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. FUNDRAISING DATA [Data and Advice on How to Better Engage With Donors and Raise More Money]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( How donors changed during the pandemic and how email can help nonprofits interact with donors to raise more money, according to new reports. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [Suing Government and Business Is a Potent Way to Curb Climate Change. Why Are Donors So Afraid of It?]( By Bruce Reznik [STORY IMAGE]( Lawsuits are not as risky or costly as many grant makers believe — and are one of the best strategies for achieving lasting effects on a wide range of environmental issues. Webinars [Thursday: How to Identify and Prioritize Key Donors and Prospects]( [STORY IMAGE]( Savvy fundraisers know it’s essential to figure out which donors and potential supporters are likely to give most generously — and prioritize them. But at many nonprofit organizations, this process involves a lot of guesswork and missed opportunities. So we’ve assembled an expert in donor research, along with a successful chief development officer, to show you how to gather data to help you invest limited resources wisely. Join us live on Thursday, April 20, at 2 p.m. Eastern. [Register Now.]( [Optimize Your Data and Segment Donors]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us on Tuesday, May 11, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute session to learn simple steps you can take right away to enhance your donor records and customize your outreach to give supporters information and appeals that resonate. We’ll share real-world examples of personalized messages that make the most of donor data to improve fundraising results. Can’t make the live event? Watch on demand. [Register by May 4 for the early-bird rate.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | The James Irvine Foundation [Empowerment and Employment for Survivors of Human Trafficking]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online As climate-related catastrophes strike more frequently, nonprofits are trying to tackle the persistent racial disparities of disaster recovery. People of color are more likely to live in places affected by climate change, in circumstances that make them particularly vulnerable. In a recent example, one predominantly Black neighborhood in Mississippi, far from the nearest tornado shelter, had little information or internet access, little or no insurance, and substandard housing when it was hit by a deadly tornado. Nonprofits are using data to find such places and send relief there faster, as federal agencies ease the eligibility rules for disaster aid, which has gone disproportionately to better-off white communities in the past. But activists say disaster planning and relief must have a local focus, and one nonprofit is helping set up “Community Resilience Hubs and local-led facilities to support neighbors, coordinate communication, and provide emergency management training.” ([CNN]( Dartmouth College and a charitable foundation are locked in a legal battle before the New Hampshire Supreme Court over the fate of a multimillion-dollar bequest from two decades ago. Robert T. Keeler, who died in 2002, left a percentage of his estate to Dartmouth for the maintenance of its golf course. A few years later, the college agreed to send any surplus to a children’s charity established in Keeler’s name. When Dartmouth eliminated the course in 2020, the foundation asked for the return of $3.8 million remaining from the gift. Dartmouth refused, with the backing of the state attorney general’s office. A lower court ruled that Dartmouth can use the money for “golf-related purposes” such as the study and design of golf practice areas or administrative and equipment costs of the school varsity golf teams.” The foundation argues that Dartmouth did not close the course for financial reasons, which would have given it flexibility with the bequest, but rather to “to extract more value from the course by erecting housing and academic buildings on the course.” A Dartmouth lawyer has noted that the agreement between the college and estate does not identify the foundation as a beneficiary. ([New Hampshire Bulletin]( More News - Complaints of Child Abuse, Sexual Assault Plague Youth Psychiatric Facility ([Las Vegas Review-Journal]( - Donor Privacy or Secrecy? Nonprofit Disclosure Bill Nears Law in Ind. ([Indiana Capital Chronicle]( - House Where King Planned Ala. Marches Moving to Mich. ([Associated Press]( - National Endowment for the Humanities Announces $35.6 Million in Grants ([New York Times]( - A High-Tech Heist at the British Museum ([New Yorker]( Opinion - The Richest Get Even Richer: Will Harvard Ever Have Enough, Now With a New $300 Million Gift From Billionaire Kenneth Griffin? ([New York Daily News]( - Leave N.Y.’s Yeshivas Alone: Hasidic Jews Don’t Need the Times’s Input on How to Educate Their Kids. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Editor's Picks CONFERENCE [Nonprofits Talk A.I., Personalization, and Privacy at Technology Conference]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( At the first in-person gathering since 2019, nonprofits showed great interest in emerging technologies but said their top priority was more basic: getting their systems to talk to each other. BIG BETS [Foster-Care Veteran Gets $47.5 Million From Audacious Project to Redesign Child-Welfare System]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Sixto Cancel argues that people who have experienced the child-welfare system are the ones to make it better. Now some of America’s biggest philanthropists are betting that he’s right. OPINION [As Technology Use Explodes in Classrooms, Philanthropy Must Help Ensure All Students Benefit]( By John Overdeck [STORY IMAGE]( More evidence is needed to gauge whether these tech tools help students succeed. That will require greater donor support for new innovations and large-scale research. SURVEY [Americans Know Little About Charities — and Very Few Think Nonprofits Can Solve Problems, Poll Finds]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( The first comprehensive study to measure public attitudes on foundations and nonprofits shows Americans have little knowledge of the difference organizations make in their lives. Just a third say they make a lot of difference to society. RAMADAN GIVING [Muslim Donors Embrace New Technology, Giving Methods During Ramadan]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( More are using donor-advised funds and other progressive methods to share during the holy month. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Next Webinar]( — Savvy fundraisers know it’s essential to figure out which donors and potential supporters are likely to give most generously — and then decide whom to cultivate first. But at many nonprofit organizations, this process involves a lot of guesswork and missed opportunities for gifts. That’s why we've assembled an expert in donor research, along with a successful chief development officer, to show you how to gather the data you need to wisely invest your limited staff time and fundraising budget. Join us live on Thursday, April 20, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute session (or watch on demand) to get practical guidance on creating a road map for identifying and building stronger ties with those donors who have the greatest potential to support your work. You'll get tips on mining your database to reveal promising donor behaviors and traits, tools you can use to find solid prospects, and ways to deepen relationships with your leading supporters. [Register today.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Senior Executive Director of Advancement, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (HYBRID)]( University of Utah Health [Director of Development]( Brooklyn Children's Museum [Associate Director, Corporate Relations]( Center for a New American Security [Executive Director]( National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws [Search other jobs.]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037