Resources
Fundraising Risk: What to Consider Before Starting a Donor Relationship
Donor funds power many nonprofit organizations, but accepting donations always involves risk. From offending a donor due to recognition missteps to backlash from insiders and observers due to perceptions about donor intent, risks come in many forms. One thing that most fundraising risks have in common is that they can be anticipated and better understood. … Continued
Give Thanks & Fill Your Piggy Bank: Risk-Savvy Year-End Fundraising Appeals
By Erin Gloeckner Once again, it’s time to start dreaming of turkey, taters, and cranberry sauce. Soon Thanksgiving will be upon us, which also means it is time for year-end fundraising appeals–an opportunity to give thanks to donors and share a cornucopia of information about your nonprofit’s impact and plans for next year. We all … Continued
Reporting Success: What’s the Risk?
Savvy donors want to know more than how much of their dollars went to programs” versus “overhead” or “fundraising” expense: they want to know what progress your nonprofit is making to advance its ambitious mission. Failing to track and demonstrate impact puts your mission and sustainability at risk. Success in today’s nonprofit world is more than … Continued
Donors, Not Danger: Managing Fundraising Risk
Do you remember the days when raising money was fun? In today’s age of complex regulations, finicky social-media savvy donors, and unprecedented costs for old-fashioned direct mail and telemarketing, fundraising may be “fundamental” to mission fulfillment, but it’s far from fun and games. This webinar will explore some of the most common risks in nonprofit … Continued
Managing Fundraising Risks
Raising money for your organization is a noble affair, right? Are their potholes along the path to riches? You bet! Watch Webinar to refresh yourself about regulatory requirements that govern registration, solicitation language, and disclosure in various states as well as fundraising on the Internet, and learn more about specific challenges that emerge when nonprofits … Continued
Tis the Season for Nonprofit Fundraising Risk: Part 1
December 9, 2015 By Erin Gloeckner Twas the month before the new calendar year, Not a creature was stirring, not even a reindeer. The development officers hung their stockings with care, In hopes that new funding would soon be there. You may recognize the inspiration for the poem above (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ or … Continued
Tis the Season for Nonprofit Fundraising Risk: Part 2
December 9, 2015 By Emily Stumhofer The holiday season abounds with fundraisers for charitable organizations and many people are happy to give, perhaps more than they would in other seasons. However, the flip side of the charitable coin is that a pledge to donate in the future can sometimes wind up being a costly risk, … Continued
The Taxman Cometh
By the Nonprofit Risk Management Center Team What’s on the agenda for the IRS this year? Lois Lerner, the Director of Exempt Organizations, Internal Revenue Service, addressed a gathering of lawyers and accountants in Washington, D.C. last week to share how the IRS views the impact of the economy on the charitable sector and how … Continued
People Who Need People: Are you feeling lucky?
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Nonprofit management experts often direct “nonprofits” to take specific steps to improve their governance, internal operations, strategic planning and fundraising activities. But as we well know, the “nonprofit” itself is incapable of “doing” anything—it’s the people behind the desks, on the other end of the phone, and seated around the board … Continued
Top 3 Fundraising Risks
By Erin Gloeckner Without fundraising, nonprofits would not exist. Ironically, fundraising itself can jeopardize our missions if we seek funds improperly or thoughtlessly. In the paragraphs below we explore three familiar fundraising risks. Failure to anticipate donor trends: Donors’ wants and expectations change over time. Today’s donors generally expect a quick acknowledgement of their support … Continued
Top 10 Fundraising Risks for Nonprofits
By Melanie Lockwood Herman The words “fundraising” and “risk management” are rarely used in the same sentence. One reason the topic of “fundraising risk” is infrequently discussed by nonprofit decision-makers may be because responsibility for “fundraising” is often assigned to the development team, while “risk management” is led by the finance department or client services … Continued
Don’t Be Ensnared by the Risks of Fundraising
New Book Sheds Light on Fundraising and Collaboration Risks The Nonprofit Risk Management Center has published a new text on the emerging topic of fundraising risks: No Strings Attached: Untangling the Risks of Fundraising & Collaboration. An excerpt from Chapter 4: Individual Donors: Roping ‘Em In appears below. To order a copy of this new … Continued
Charitable Registration: Resolve to Comply
By Don Kramer Charities soliciting charitable contributions to further their mission can be tripped up significantly if they don’t pay attention to the requirements for charitable solicitation registration. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia require charities, unless exempt or excluded, to register before asking residents of their jurisdictions for contributions. The requirement applies not … Continued