Donor How-To’s

The practice of philanthropy can be complicated. This series of briefs offers clear and concise discussions of such issues as anonymous giving, making pledges, naming rights, gift agreements, working with consultants, and many other topics. These briefs are designed to equip emerging donors with the knowledge they need to avoid mistakes and maximize their impact.

Capital Projects

Many donors like capital projects, such as helping fund a new building. But these investments also have downsides that donors need to consider.

Community Foundations

Community foundations play an important role in the world of philanthropy and can help donors navigate the challenges of giving effectively.

Donor Collaboratives

In its most basic form, a donor collaborative is any group of funders working together to increase their impact. Here’s how they work.

Donor-Advised Funds

There are many benefits to using donor-advised funds, which is why they’ve become so popular. But there are some drawbacks, too.

Due Diligence

Smart donors take some time to look into the charities they may want to fund — checking out a group’s leadership, other funders, finances, and more.

Establishing a Foundation

Should you set up a private foundation? Here are the pros and cons, along with what’s involved.

Family Foundations

Family foundations can create a path to multi-generational giving. But these foundations take work and family dynamics can be complicated.

General Oper. vs Project

Should your donations to nonprofits come with restrictions? That’s an important question for donors to think carefully about.

Gift Agreements

If you’re making large donations, it’s important to know about charitable gift agreements — what they are and how they’re structured.

Giving Anonymously

Not every donor wants to be acknowledged and there are a number of ways to stay out of the limelight — even when making major donations.

Grant Applications

Done right, grant applications can be a way for donors to cast a wider net and identify more organizations they may want to support.

Grant Reports

While it can be reasonable for foundations to know how their funds were used, asking for grant reports should be done carefully.

Intermediaries

Funding intermediaries help donors give with greater confidence, especially in areas where it’s hard to identify strong nonprofits.

Joining Funder Groups

There’s a lot to know about what’s happening in philanthropy and how to give effectively. Funder groups help you get plugged in.

Making Charitable Pledges

Pledges are common for major capital campaigns or long-term donors giving multi-year support.

Naming Rights

Naming opportunities can exist at various levels, for donors interested in such recognition, and the structure of these arrangements can vary.

Philanthropic Consultants

To be an effective philanthropist requires research, technical know-how, and a solid theory of change. Philanthropic consultants can help.

Retracting a Gift Pledge

Yes, donors can back out of a pledge if they have a good reason. But it can be complicated to do so and there are a number of thorny issues that may come up.