Your favorite nonprofit still needs you!
Before I begin, I’d like to be transparent and let you the reader know that I have lead fundraising efforts for nonprofits for 12+ years. I love the world of nonprofit fundraising and value the impact of donors like you.
Now that you know this, you won’t be surprised that I am writing about nonprofits, and in particular, to share the idea with you that your favorite nonprofit still needs you. Remember them? They caught your attention several years ago. It might have been at an event you were invited to, a fundraising run, or simply from your other half or a close friend who had gotten involved and couldn’t stop talking about them. Regardless of how it happened, you made a decision that you wanted to support this nonprofit. You wanted to be a part of making the world a better place with them.
Fast forward to today. Life is busier than ever. There are many more issues you are involved with, and it seems to be an endless task keeping up with what you can do to make the world a better place. Then you remember them. That wonderful group you trusted with your hard-earned cash, knowing they were making an incredible impact. You remember the kind staff, the quick thank you letter, the social media post about some wonderful success, and so on. The letters asking for continued support arrive at your business and they end up in the trash. There’s just too much going on.
In December of 2017 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 became law. In short, what this meant for you who donate to non-profits was that unless you donated much more money, you would no longer be able to itemize your donations. A year and a half later we know that donors are giving less in one conservative estimate, the number was $54,000,000 less in 2018. Those who itemize their taxes for non-profit giving purposes have dropped from 30% of taxpayers to just 10%. Meanwhile, in reality, your favorite non-profit is busier than ever and their mission, most likely, has become even more important in making the world a better place.
This scenario can be an even bigger challenge for small nonprofits and for local, non-nationally supported, nonprofits. Many of them do not have a large marketing budget or even the financial capacity to hire a development/fundraising team. Small and large donations are the lifeblood of their organization and they rely on you, the donor. These organizations make up the majority of nonprofits working to make the world a better place, and their mission, work and impact is seen all over.
Know that your favorite nonprofit still needs you. In fact, we need you now more than ever before. Check them out online.
See what they are up to. Consider donating or volunteering. Together we will continue to make our world, a better place.