Nonprofit Adviser

Getty Images

Everyday donors are giving less. Are grant makers complicit in that trend? The Gates Foundation‘s deputy director of philanthropic partnerships, Andrew Dunckelman, says: Yes, they are.

That’s because many foundations focus on awarding programmatic support rather than general operating support. The upshot: Essential operating functions, like mass-fundraising and donor-stewardship programs, are often underfunded.

Dunckelman argues that foundations are uniquely poised to turn around this dynamic. He shares some steps they can take in his piece for the Chronicle, Five Ways Grant Makers Can Encourage Everyday Giving.

One step grant makers can take is to back mass-fundraising campaigns like GivingTuesday. “Campaigns like these can effectively prompt both current and potential donors to give more while fostering new giving norms,” Dunckelman writes.

Foundations can also make grants in support of development operations, which can strengthen a nonprofit’s fundraising prowess and ensure more donations in the future.

“The onus is on funders like us to listen to the organizations we’re trying to help and make sure we’re being great partners in this pursuit,” Dunckelman writes.

For more ideas on how grant makers can jump-start everyday giving, read Dunckelman’s full article. To dig deeper into ways to bring small-dollar donors into the fold, read our July cover story, Everyday Donors Want to Give. Here’s How to Find Them.

Have a wonderful week,

Emily Haynes
Senior Editor, Nonprofit Intelligence

To attract general operating support, consider treating program officers like prospective donors. Try inviting them for a site visit or to catch up over coffee to build a bond, and keep them updated on accomplishments and areas of need through phone calls and emails if they are interested in your work. Frank conversations with foundation staff can help nonprofits tailor applications to a foundation’s needs and interests. Jack Lorenz, director of development and communications at the Alliance for Housing and Healing in Los Angeles, suggests asking a program officer what to include in an application. “The more information that you can provide to your program officer, the easier their job is to sell the grant to their board,” he says. For more tips on attracting general operating support, read 5 Ways to Make the Case for General-Operating Support.

Your Chronicle subscription includes free access to GrantStation’s database of grant opportunities.

Cultural Heritage: Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices, a program of the Council on Library and Information Resources, supports the digitization of rare and unique materials held by collecting organizations in the U.S. and Canada. For the 2024-2025 cycle, up to $4,000,000 in grants will be provided for projects digitizing materials in a variety of formats that enrich the public’s understanding of the histories of underrepresented communities. Grants range from $50,000 to $300,000; initial applications due October 30.

Poverty: The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations in the United States that are led by low-income individuals as they work to break the cycle of poverty and improve their communities. The Community Development Grant Program supports organizations led by people living in poverty that work to address the root causes of poverty by nurturing solidarity between the poor and non-poor and facilitating the participation of people living in poverty in decisions that perpetuate poverty in their lives. Grants range from $25,000 to $75,000; initial applications due November 1.