Nonprofitability May 2017
Newsbits
Donors say messaging affects their giving
Seventy-two percent of respondents in software provider Abila’s Donor Loyalty Survey say their decision to give is affected by an organization’s messaging. In February 2016, Abila surveyed 1,136 U.S. donors of all ages who had made at least one donation during the previous 12 months.
Seventy-five percent of respondents said they prefer a “short, self-contained email” with no links, while 73% prefer a short (two to three paragraphs) letter or online article. Sixty percent prefer short (under two minutes) YouTube videos.
About 71% of respondents feel more engaged when they receive personalized content. But personalization gone wrong — for example, with misspelled names or irrelevant information — can alienate donors.
GuideStar introduces program metrics to profiles
GuideStar has launched a new tier of Nonprofit Profiles called GuideStar Platinum. The no-charge Platinum tier allows nonprofits to report their progress against their missions using metrics they select. GuideStar has collected about 700 suggested metrics, but nonprofits may opt to share the metric(s) they already track and that matter the most to them. For example, a homeless shelter could report the number of people no longer living in substandard housing as a result of its efforts.
According to GuideStar, more than 500 nonprofits signed up within 48 hours of the first announcement of Platinum in April 2016.
FASB to release final reporting changes for nonprofits
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released a scaled-back set of changes to the financial reporting for nonprofits in the third quarter of 2016, with more far-reaching changes planned for an unknown future date. Changes made so far this year include the areas of net asset classification, asset liquidity and presentation of expenses.
The FASB has made some significant amendments to its April 2015 proposed Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2015-230, Not-for-Profit Entities (Topic 958) and Health Care Entities (Topic 954): Presentation of Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Entities. For example, nonprofits won’t be required to present operating cash flows using the direct method but can continue to apply either the direct or the indirect method. The final ASU will first apply to financial statements for calendar 2018 and fiscal 2019 year ends.
What do successful fundraisers have in common?
A report commissioned by the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund explores how 16 nonprofits are achieving fundraising success. The report found striking commonalities in the respondents’ mindsets about fundraising from individual donors. Notably, all of the organizations distribute fundraising responsibilities across board members, staff and volunteers and regard fundraising as core to the organization’s identity.
© 2017
This material is generic in nature. Before relying on the material in any important matter, users should note date of publication and carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness, and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.
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