Nonprofit News

Alumni engagement is a perennial concern among higher education advancement professionals—and for good reason: a strong program can not only sustain your institution's annual fund over the long term, it can also help build your major donor pipeline and provide your school with some of its most effective volunteers.

Although institutions of every stripe would stand to benefit from engaging their alumni more effectively, the challenges of building support among alumni are of particular relevance to small and mid-size liberal arts colleges. These institutions’ strengths and weaknesses present them with a unique set of opportunities and challenges.

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Transitioning from the for-profit sphere to the nonprofit sector is a common occurrence for today’s corporate executives. In response to this growing trend, the Campbell & Company Executive Search team launched an initiative to explore the relationship dynamics between formerly corporate CEOs and their CDOs.

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With the country at nearly full employment, hiring managers are feeling the pinch of a tight workforce. Traditionally, higher employment signals accelerated turnover and more spirited bidding for top talent.

Even in less competitive talent environments, nonprofits have faced significant challenges in hiring experienced fundraisers for more than a decade. As philanthropic revenues become more important to the success of all organizations, higher education institutions have set ambitious goals for comprehensive campaigns that require large teams of effective fundraisers.

For nonprofit organizations, the decision to embark on a comprehensive campaign can be one of the most significant they will ever make. The magnitude of a campaign raises important questions, such as “who will lead the campaign?” or “are we using our database wisely?”

A campaign also calls forth well-founded worries, such as the perception that the annual fund will suffer. Since the most common early donors to a campaign are those who already make annual gifts, Campbell & Company decided to explore the conventional wisdom that campaigns cannibalize annual giving.

Scarce resources for Alaska’s nonprofits. A booming retirement age population in Idaho. A shaky economy in Montana following a year of dramatic growth. Oregonians embracing donor-advised funds. Tech professionals flocking to Washington.

The five states that make up the Northwest each face distinct philanthropic challenges and opportunities. While several major studies are published on U.S. giving each year, regional data is traditionally less accessible. To address this gap and help Northwest nonprofits adapt to the philanthropic landscape in which they operate, we created “Unique Northwest: Distinct Giving Trends and Strategies for Five Distinct States.”

Economic and cultural globalization has made American philanthropy an undeniably international affair. Nowhere is this more visible than in academic institutions, where the continued exponential  growth of international student enrollment from countries like China, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, and many others has changed educational culture and the fundraising environment that supports it.