Fundraising Talks
News and updates from the USM Office of
Advancement Research
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Looking for funding opportunities? We've identified a few funds that might be useful to you. Visit the links below to learn more about the requirements and deadlines for these opportunities. 
 
Deadline: January 15
 
Deadline: February 4
 
Deadline: January 13
 
No formal deadline
Contact Us

Director of Advancement Research
301.445.2709

Prospect Researcher
301.445.1952

Office Clerk
301.445.1950
Letter from the Director
Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year! Hope all of you had a wonderful winter break. 2021 is finally here and we are all wondering what’s in store for us this new year. As much as we would like to let go of much of 2020, we should hold on to the lessons learned from the past year which led to innovation, adaptation, and resilience in many areas including fundraising in higher education.

Candid.org’s recent blog post on top fundraising trends to capitalize on in 2021 tells us that unlike previous years, it might be hard to predict what to expect in non-profit fundraising in 2021. Nevertheless, there are a few trends that we can expect to see in the coming year. The blog post mentions that virtual events will continue to happen. Virtual events eliminate geographic limitations and engage new attendees, speakers, and sponsors. They may cost less and provide better stewardship and engagement opportunities for attendees, fundraisers, and donors. Recurring donors will continue to give in 2021, most likely using online platforms. Recurring donors are considered the most loyal donors to institutions and they tend to give more over time. In 2021, non-profit and for-profit partnerships will continue to grow stronger and there will be more meaningful collaborations between non-profit and for-profit sectors. Finally, we learned to be nimble in 2020, and in 2021, organizations need to have alternative fundraising strategies to adapt to any situation that may happen in the future. Institutions should be able to quickly and effectively respond to the demands of change. 

A recent publication by Grantmakers for Education - "The Big Vision for the Next Stage of Education Philanthropy," provides some great insights on issues and priority areas for funders in education. Five themes that are identified as central to education by Grantmakers include:

  • Pre-K-12 Educational Improvement,
  • Racial Justice in Education,
  • Civic Education and Students,
  • Postsecondary and Workforce Success
  • and Philanthropy in an Inequitable System. 

Among these five themes, racial justice in education is top on the priorities list. I hope we can use this report to identify key areas of need at our institutions to create better strategies and proposals. 

The new year brings us the opportunity to reflect on the past and look forward to new goals and accomplishments. I wish you all a successful and prosperous 2021. As always, please feel free to reach out us with questions, comments or any assistance with prospect research!

Best Regards,
Sapna and USM Advancement Research Team
Did you know?

The University System of Maryland Foundation has access to a library of recorded webinars from the Annual Giving Network (AGN) that you may watch at any time from your computer. While we cannot currently gather in person for professional development events, this work from home period provides a great opportunity for you to learn on your own time! Please click here to see what webinars are available from AGN.
 
If you are interested, please email Linda Bowman (lbowman@usmd.edu) and she will help you access these webinars for free. Please do not try to access these webinars on your own, as you will be charged a fee.

Please also note that the Foundation only has access to free AGN webinars, not workshops. Workshops are available at a marginally discounted rate.
Is prospect research teachable to anyone, or are there specific qualities that are required to master it? How can you manage a fundraiser who is asking a lot of research staff's time? These are questions that are common among prospect research offices and in this article, Marisa Spittal from Yale University's Office of Development discusses these questions as well as how their office is training junior researchers using a methodology based in megacognition. Spittal shares her thoughts on the need for training advancement staff in research and what training looked like in 2020.
Prior to COVID's arrival, Forbes writer Timothy McClimon identified the following trends that would drive corporate social responsibility (CSR) work in 2020: searching for the truth, achieving carbon neutrality, standing with employees, pursuing purpose over passion, and looking for the next big thing. In 2021, McClimon believes these trends still stand in addition to the following: diversity, equity, and inclusion; the rise of global giving; virtual volunteering; supporting small businesses as a philanthropic priority; and the United National sustainable development goals. Read more here.
Research has found that despite the pandemic, charitable giving was up in 2020. A report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project shows that charitable giving grew by 7.6 percent in the first nine months of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. A key takeaway from the findings is that nonprofits should continue to fundraise through trying times. There is a sense of optimism among donors with the COVID-19 vaccine's distribution and the article predicts that giving will increase if Americans feel more confident about their financial situations as we move forward.
In December 2019, Montgomery College received a $1 million gift from the Kimmy Duong Foundation to establish a scholarship endowment for students with financial need. The College named the Rockville Student Services Center the "Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Student Services Center" and planned to recognize the naming with a dedication ceremony in 2020. COVID-19 forced the college to shift their plans and instead of an in-person ceremony, they recorded a video and followed the presentation with a live, virtual party. These virtual events and innovative engagement approaches can serve as a model for other institutions, as virtual events and stewardship are likely to stick around even when the pandemic subsides. Click here to read more about Montgomery College's approach and to watch the dedication video.
The Giving Institute published a report, Fundraising Through a Pandemic, that examines where nonprofits are finding success and how they are planning for the future. The number one challenge cited by participants in the survey was the impact COVID-19 had on fundraising. Other top challenges included donor engagement, year-over-year fundraising growth, donor fatigue, and recurring giving. The report found that 62 percent of nonprofits converted to virtual fundraising events and that the majority of those that converted to virtual believed that their events were successful. The participants cited mobile optimization and creative donation options as the most important aspects when engaging a virtual audience. Looking to the future, 78 percent of nonprofits are planning to host one or more events next year and 45 percent are optimistic that the event may be in-person. Read more here.