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David King says it really is just a bank account.“I think what often gets lost in the DAF strategy discussion is that a ...
06/03/2026

David King says it really is just a bank account.
“I think what often gets lost in the DAF strategy discussion is that a DAF is really just a bank account an individual can use to make a gift. The process of working with the donor does not change because they have a DAF. Rather, they choose to send a check from their checking account, IRA, transfer stock, or send from a DAF. That is just the mechanics of completing a transaction. DAF giving is individual giving—PERIOD.”

There is no doubt that the use of donor-advised funds (DAFs) is growing at a rate that is outpacing other avenues of giving. According to data from the DAF Research Collaborative (DAFRC), total assets in DAFs reached $327.87 billion during fiscal year 2024, a 27.9% increase from the previous year. P...

Jaci Thiede applauds LISTENING.“Great work by Brooklyn Org to engage and listen to their community and build partnership...
06/02/2026

Jaci Thiede applauds LISTENING.
“Great work by Brooklyn Org to engage and listen to their community and build partnerships. It’ll be more challenging to apply much of what worked for Brooklyn Org to nonprofits with very narrow missions. But what I love that they did (and are continuing) is the listening tours. There is tremendous value in listening to your current and prospective donors and volunteers. A listening tour can sound daunting, but if you take time to develop one strategically, it can really deepen the relationships you have with your donors and volunteers and strengthen their connection to your organization. All fundraisers are taught that listening is a huge part of our job. Why not do more of it?”

How Brooklyn Org doubled its donor-advised funds by treating community members as partners, not just prospects.

David King points out an important omission.“I think an important data point was missed here: the tax advantage of givin...
06/01/2026

David King points out an important omission.
“I think an important data point was missed here: the tax advantage of giving more in 2025 applied only to those in the highest tax bracket. If you were not in the top income tier, it was actually better to delay the gift to 2026. So fundraisers need to focus on their high-income DAF owners, not all DAF owners.”

A wave of money is sitting in donor-advised funds. These fundraising leaders share how to get it flowing.

Jaci Thiede says to keep this close and share. “Just last week, I met with a client to discuss when their campaign could...
05/22/2026

Jaci Thiede says to keep this close and share. “Just last week, I met with a client to discuss when their campaign could or should go public. I covered much of what’s in this article. If I had seen it before the meeting, I would have forwarded it to campaign leadership. It’s a very good overview of how to think about the quiet and public phases. Keep this one handy and ready to send to campaign chairs, board members, and CEOs and Presidents!”

Don't let board pressure rush your capital campaign's quiet phase. Learn what the data, leadership gifts, and feasibility study should tell you before going public.

“David King says nothing new here. “This has been a characteristic of the last 2 generations: their money follows their ...
05/21/2026

“David King says nothing new here. “This has been a characteristic of the last 2 generations: their money follows their time.”

Young adults donate money, volunteer, and advocate for nonprofits. Here's how to build meaningful relationships with them.

Jaci Thiede says one more thing…”What I’d add to this advice is ensuring the Board is very clear about the fundraising e...
05/20/2026

Jaci Thiede says one more thing…”What I’d add to this advice is ensuring the Board is very clear about the fundraising expectations for the interim leader and the new CEO. Transitions can slow fundraising productivity. The Board needs to be upfront about how much time the new CEO is expected to spend on fundraising. While you are looking for the new CEO, keep your organization’s mission front and center and continue to remind donors about the impact their gifts will have on delivering your mission. That will give your new CEO a good running start once they begin!”

Before posting the job, nonprofit boards should assess org stage, consider an interim leader, and weigh search firm options. Here's how.

David King puts money down on donors’ happiness with the dispersal of their money. “If donors had known that these inves...
05/19/2026

David King puts money down on donors’ happiness with the dispersal of their money. “If donors had known that these investment banks were going to make themselves the judges of which organizations were worthy of gifts, I'll bet most would not have started DAFs to begin with.”

Decisions by Fidelity, Vanguard, and DAFgiving360 to block donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center elicit pushback.

David King and teaching giving behavior.“We have been encouraging our higher education clients for years to move away fr...
05/13/2026

David King and teaching giving behavior.
“We have been encouraging our higher education clients for years to move away from “Senior Class Gifts” and adopt a “Student Giving” approach, seeking to identify something specific each year that the entire student body can support and make happen. This is often dismissed as too much work for the relatively small amount of money, but it should be viewed as an investment in the future. Giving is a learned behavior, and as this study suggests, younger people are eager to support causes they believe in.”

Gen Z gives more often than other adults, using digital sharing, advocacy, and community fundraising to drive charitable participation.

David King boils it down to training gaps.“It seems like forever ago, but this was magnified during the 2008-2010 Great ...
05/11/2026

David King boils it down to training gaps.
“It seems like forever ago, but this was magnified during the 2008-2010 Great Recession. We saw organizational leaders completely paralyzed when faced with huge decisions that had to be made quickly if the organization was to survive. It exposed, to me anyway, several gaps in management and leadership training across the spectrum of nonprofits.”

Candid insights | Organizational changes at nonprofits demand decisions without a clear roadmap. The CEO of National Arts Strategies shares what she learned navigating her own organization's structural change—and what frameworks are missing.

Jaci Thiede shares a valuable cultivation lesson. “Who doesn’t want an unrestricted grant? The steps outlined here don’t...
05/07/2026

Jaci Thiede shares a valuable cultivation lesson. “Who doesn’t want an unrestricted grant? The steps outlined here don’t stray far from traditional major gift cultivation, but a reminder of what foundations are looking for and their processes/timelines is always good...”

Winning general operating support starts long before the proposal. Four experts explain how to build the reputation foundations look for.

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