Helen Brown Group

  • Home
  • Our Services
    Overview
    • A la carte research
    • Customized News Alerts
    • Data Insight
    • Dedicated Consulting
    • Research department audits and training
    • Wealth Screening Assistance
  • Resource Library
    • Learning Media Library
    • Wealth Lists
    • Prospect Research Links
    • Prospect Research for Fundraisers
  • About
    • What We Believe
    • Helen Brown
    • Meet the Team
    • HBG Privacy Policy
  • Blog
    • Archive
  • Contact

September 10, 2020 By Helen Brown Leave a Comment

Philanthropy is a broken puzzle. And we have to fix it.

It’s a useful exercise to think about our society as a puzzle where governments, and government-run operations, and businesses, and civic life, and religious organizations, and educational institutions and hospitals and charities and NGOs each, interdependently, make the picture of society whole.

We’re so busy trundling through each of our own parts, though, that we take the others…well, maybe not entirely for granted, but as if they’re permanent fixtures. I know that I’ve always assumed that things like restaurants and cute little shops and, you know, the post office would just always be there.

Now that COVID-19 has darkened our lives in uniquely individual ways like the fires have turned West Coast sunshine to midday night, it becomes harder for us to see each of those puzzle pieces that are farther afield. All of the everything going on in our own world obscures the picture on the box that reminds us what the integrity of the whole looks like.

We’re cut off, and it’s making us focus on our own piece and less on the whole.

As a fundraising intelligence professional, my work-life has been focused on identifying and bringing to life current and potential donors in a way that faithfully and ethically tells their story and motivates a fundraiser to begin (or continue) a relationship with that donor.

I’ve always deeply believed in the power of philanthropy and the good it does on both ends – making the world a better place and giving donors the opportunity to feel how amazing it is to do that.

And I still believe that, but if you read my article from a few weeks ago, you’ll remember that lately I’ve been concerned that prospect development has had a role to play in missing out on the next generation of donors. Not entirely, of course, and I know that our profession (and our company) is doing our part to help organizations find mid-level and future major donors quietly putting up their hands.

But still. I’m working harder than usual lately on trying to see beyond my piece.

And now that I’ve pulled the focus out a bit, I realize that there’s an even bigger picture which I’ve struggled against for over a year and tried to ignore because it’s too difficult to think about.

I know the nonprofit sector is by no means perfect. It’s hard to attract the level of talent and experience for jobs that for-profits can because nonprofit salaries are lower. Small nonprofits don’t have the bandwidth to compete with larger ones for much-needed funding. Large nonprofits are bureaucratic behemoths that have lost the ability to be nimble.

But large or small, every single nonprofit has to sing and dance for their supper. Every. single. day.

Every single day nonprofits are called on to Show Their Impact.

Be Donor-Centered.

Meet State Laws. Federal Laws. International Laws.

Every day they have to jump through ridiculous hoops to gain institutional funding that, in the end, may not even cover the cost of gaining, tracking and reporting the donation.

As a sector, we’re working really hard – really hard – with fewer people because of furloughing and permanent separations, to secure the next gift just to survive right now. And there’s just so much wealth out there.

It’s exhausting. It’s not just. And it’s not tenable.

In our time of greatest need, Chuck Collins, director of the Program on Inequality at the Institute for Policy Studies asks in his opinion piece for The Guardian, “Why aren’t the rich giving more?” Many of the philanthropists that fund nonprofits are richer than ever before – some are richer because of the pandemic. He reminds us that the wealth of members of The Giving Pledge has nearly doubled since February.

Collins writes:

 Many have stepped up to give during the pandemic. But their giving is not keeping pace with their exploding wealth.

This leads to the second problem: in all likelihood, most of what they give away won’t go to on-the-ground charities, but to private family foundations often controlled by wealthy heirs and their advisers. Instead of supporting charities on the frontlines of problem solving, these billions end up sitting in tax-advantaged intermediaries.”

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has just started a 5-part series specifically to discuss what’s next for the philanthropy sector, and I highly recommend it. I’ve long admired the work of Lucy Bernholz, director of the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and her article (part 3 of the series) is a barn-burner. In “Let’s Dismantle Toxic Tax Policies That Feed Big Philanthropy” Bernholz writes:

 In the United States today, a toxic tax code permeates our soil and prevents us from growing into a more equitable society. Our current tax laws starve our schools, hospitals, transit, and elder-care systems. They allow individuals to become trillionaires and corporations to pay nothing. They enable the amassing of philanthropic fortunes so large that people turn to them when government efforts fail.

For decades, these policies have concentrated financial benefits on the white ruling class while extracting wealth from low-income Black and brown people. The pandemic is the “big reveal” of the truly shared nature of these systemic inequities.”

As someone who deeply cares about our sector and who is steeped every day in understanding wealth, it’s been increasingly difficult for me during these past 6 months not to get angry and frustrated while learning about any non- (or weakly-)philanthropic individual’s increasing billions – knowing that it would require almost no sacrifice for them to significantly create lasting change for the world. Or even one piece of it. Especially when so many others are doing so much.

Nonprofits shouldn’t have to sing for their suppers. They should be funded to fill the gaps in society, and there should be fewer gaps to fill every year as we work toward a healthy republic, not more and more.

Our professional association boards and leading practitioners should take seriously what the philanthropy scholars, experts, and writers are saying now; consider the many solutions they’re offering; and join with members of congress who care about fixing this broken system. This sector is vital to making our society one that makes sure everyone – not just the wealthy – thrive. We’ve got to make it work.

Filed Under: Non-profit trends Tagged With: Anand Giridharadas, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Chuck Collins, Lucy Bernholz, Phil Buchanan

June 6, 2019 By Helen Brown Leave a Comment

How the wealthy say ‘I do’ to philanthropy

Since June is the most popular month for the pledging of troths, it got me to thinking about The Giving Pledge, which is an organization of billionaires who pledge to give away 50% of their fortunes while they’re still alive.

I realized that I hadn’t really heard much about the Giving Pledge when it resurfaced in the news recently with MacKenzie Bezos’s sign-up. That could be because interest in the club seems to have waned a bit in the decade since Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet splashed out the announcement at its founding. 122 people signed on in the first four years, but only 68 have committed in the five years that have followed. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Non-profit trends, Researching Individuals Tagged With: Bridgespan Group, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Founders Pledge, Giving Pledge, high net worth individuals, HNWI, Pledge 1%, UHNWI, ultra high net worth individuals

June 14, 2018 By Helen Brown 1 Comment

The forest for the trees

Last week I talked about the admirable foresight that transplanted American Lawrence Johnston had in planting a cedar tree in his English garden that he knew he would never see grow to its full glory. As I mentioned, I think of Johnston often when I am planning ahead for what’s to come here at HBG. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Campaign Success, Non-profit trends, Research Department Success, Strategic planning Tagged With: Chronicle of Philanthropy, prospect research

August 17, 2017 By Helen Brown 4 Comments

Who do you stand with?

Due diligence research is a key part of prospect research in the UK and Europe. All of the prospect researchers at nonprofits that I know there – and not just the ones who work at human-rights or cause-related orgs, but researchers at universities, membership, animal rights, arts organizations, consultants – every kind of organization – they all include due diligence as part of their work. It’s just as important as finding wealth indicators or career history or interest in their organization’s cause.

They’re considering these questions: Do we want our organization to be associated with this person? Or this company? Or this trust/foundation? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fundraising Ethics, International prospect research, News, Strategic planning Tagged With: Chronicle of Philanthropy, David Callahan, due diligence, ethics, Inside Philanthropy, prospect research

January 28, 2016 By Helen Brown 1 Comment

Cracking the 2% nut

Is there a link between income inequality and philanthropic giving stagnation?

Chris Carnie, chair of the UK prospect research firm, Factary, thinks there might be. In his recent blog post, Chris writes about middle donors, the lifeblood of every nonprofit:

Carnie pull-out quote 160128It’s an interesting point.

Over here in the United States, the middle class is shrinking to its smallest cohort since 1971. According to the Pew Research Center, that statistic actually carries a small amount of good news in that there has been a greater shift of families moving up economically than down. The down side is that there is less wealth to go around for the 80% left in the middle, lower-middle, and lowest income tiers.

And just like the UK, charitable giving in the United States is also static; here it’s been around 2% of gross domestic product since record-counting began in the 1970s. Is that stagnation related solely to economic factors? Or is there more?

In an opinion piece on the Chronicle of Philanthropy (CoP) website this week, Kevin Murphy, immediate past chair of the board of directors of the Council on Foundations suggests that the problem with stagnation of giving in our sector is simply not reaching high enough. He argues that the philanthropic sector needs to band together in support of a common goal:

“Instead of focusing on narrow tax incentives, it’s time for charities and foundations to set national goals for increasing the amount that Americans give to nonprofit organizations.

For as long as records have been kept, charitable giving has remained stuck at about 2 percent of the gross domestic product. There may be a lot of reasons that we’ve never grown that number, but one surely is that we’ve never set a bigger national goal.

As we open a year of presidential elections — and much deliberation about the state of the country — it’s the right time for nonprofits to decide we will work together to increase charitable giving to at least 3 percent of our gross domestic product in the next three years.”

But who would fund and organize (and run?) that amorphous campaign? And would it work?

History shows that the answer is no.

Suzanne Perry in the CoP article “The Stubborn 2% Giving Rate” writes:

“[E]ven in the best of times, organized efforts to get people to give more have sputtered.

Independent Sector, a coalition of charities and foundations, led a sustained campaign in the late 1980s and early 1990s to get everyone to increase their donations. Known as Give Five, it placed magazine, radio, and television ads urging Americans to donate 5 percent of their gross incomes to charity—up from the average of about 2 percent that its surveys showed individuals were giving then.

The effort attracted millions of dollars in foundation money and spawned dozens of local efforts around the country. The Advertising Council adopted the campaign, soliciting free services from ad agencies. It had a logo (a circle with a small 5-percent wedge highlighted) and slogans like “Give Five: What You Get Back Is Immeasurable.”

But it didn’t work.

“There were a few blips where it went up a little bit, but there was never any real measurable, strong increase,” says John Thomas, who was vice president for communications at Independent Sector at the time. One problem, he suspects: Giving is a “very personal thing,” and some people didn’t like being told how much they should give.”

So what’s the answer?

Jay Love, CEO of Bloomerang and chair of the AFP Ethics Committee argues that there are five pragmatic, fixable factors blocking the growth of charitable giving.

  • Hesitancy to invest in infrastructure
  • Blind adherence to legacy fundraising tactics
  • Lack of proper testing of fundraising methods
  • Lack of proper training
  • Poor donor retention

On that last point, Love says:

“[A]s long as the average nonprofit organization has an overall donor retention rate below 50%, the 2% of GDP barrier will not budge.

Just think what an overall rise in the donor retention rate of merely 10-15% would do for overall dollars raised, if all other factors remained constant. We could see the dollars raised percentage of the GDP growing to 3 or 4% over time!”

Naturally, I think prospect development has a large part to play.

There are more than 1.6 million nonprofit organizations in the US and the sector has been growing exponentially (according to the Urban Institute, the number of nonprofits in the United States grew 25 percent between 2001 and 2011).

With all of that growth, there are fewer than 5,000 prospect development professionals in our industry.  (I’m counting APRA, AASP and RiF’s membership numbers and guesstimating the number of professionals who aren’t current members). Even if you take away half of the 1.6m number to accommodate for associations and grant-giving organizations, that’s one prospect development professional for every 160 nonprofits.

No wonder we can’t get any traction!

When you consider the huge impact that prospect development has brought to organizations that have invested in it, Jay Love’s arguments 1 through 4 clearly apply. Prospect development is only one piece of the professional fundraising toolkit, but it’s as important as every other necessary cog in the machine.

In fact, I believe that it’s one of the critical pieces that will help the nonprofit industry move forward, because we can help answer those pragmatic needs.

Reading these articles and opinions, it’s clear there are multiple reasons why we’re losing ground on middle donors. But to paraphrase Chris Carnie, there is an increasing number of wealthy people out there, and a lot more people in the world who need their help.

We need to borrow fundraising tactics, like prospect development, from others that are working, be courageous, and forge new paths for others to follow. Maybe if we do, 2016 will be the year we crack the 2% nut.

Filed Under: Campaign Success, Non-profit trends, Strategic planning Tagged With: Chris Carnie, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Jay Love, Kevin Murphy, Pew Research Center, Suzanne Perry

March 5, 2015 By Helen Brown Leave a Comment

Billions of Possibilities

This month, I’m delighted that HBG Senior Researcher Elizabeth Roma shares her insights on Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWI) and their potential to affect transformational change in the world through philanthropy. Elizabeth and Kenny Tavares have been studying the infrastructure and impact of HNW Family Offices, and she will present a session on the topic in June at the Mid-Atlantic Researchers Conference in Baltimore.  I hope you’ll be able to join her there!

Rockefeller

Do you want to hear something that will blow your mind?

In 2010 there were 388 billionaires whose combined wealth was equal to the combined wealth of the poorest 50% of the world’s population.

Amazing, right? But that’s nothing.

In 2014 there were 80 people whose combined wealth equaled that of the poorest 50%. According to a report from Oxfam, the wealth of those 80 people has doubled since 2009. If these trends continue, Oxfam predicts that the richest 1% will have more wealth than the remaining 99% by 2016 (yes, that’s next year).

Things are changing, and not necessarily for the better (at least not for those of us in the 99%). But does this have to be all bad news? [Read more…]

Filed Under: International prospect research, News, Non-profit trends, Prospect identification Tagged With: APRA, Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, Brookings Institution, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Darrell West, Elizabeth Roma, Giving Pledge, high net worth individuals, Kenny Tavares, MARC, Mid Atlantic Researchers Conference, Oxfam study, prospect research, UHNWI, ultra high net worth individuals

January 9, 2014 By Helen Brown Leave a Comment

Three things every nonprofit should do in January

DSCF9907

1.  Take care of your gold. Chances are that your nonprofit received a larger-than-normal number of gifts last month, and many of them came from new donors. The money that came in will help you do your important work, but the gold I’m talking about is the information that came with each gift. You’ve just started a relationship with someone new that you hope will last a lifetime, right? Here are a few things that your organization should pay attention to:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Campaign Success, Strategic planning Tagged With: Amy Sample Ward, Chronicle of Philanthropy, prospect research

May 24, 2011 By Helen Brown Leave a Comment

What’s in store for philanthropy?

Because most of us spend our time in the trenches researching, cultivating, asking, stewarding and reporting, it’s nice to spend an afternoon with someone who surveys the landscape from higher terrain and focuses in on objects and trends that we need to know about.

Last week Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, spoke at a Women in Development of Greater Boston (WID) event.  Palmer gave her picks for the “Top Ten Trends in Philanthropy” and predicted what we’re going to see more of in the months ahead.

Some things that captured my attention and imagination were:

The changing relationship between government and nonprofits regarding taxation…

With the recent strain on the economy coupled with consumers’ growing concern over the efficacy of nonprofit organizations, it was just a matter of time before government officials started debating a larger fee structure for PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) programs (or changing tax codes to include nonprofits).  In Boston, where over half of the land is owned either by nonprofits or the government, PILOT payments are an important source of a struggling city’s tax revenue.  There’s a good overview of the discussion here at the Inside Higher Ed site, and Palmer predicted more developments to come on this issue in the months ahead.

… and government investment in programs via social impact bonds.

A recent import from the UK is the creation of social impact bonds (brief article here from the NYT).  Social impact bonds work like this:  Private investors give the seed funding for a nonprofit organization/venture.  If the nonprofit meets its stated goals, the investors get paid back with interest by the government at the end of a designated period.  It’s venture funding with a social benefit twist, and it’ll be interesting to see if the program ideas being floated in New York City and Massachusetts get picked up.  If you’re interested, there’s more information about social impact funds in a white paper written by Harvard economist Jeffrey Liebman.

The impact of technology in fundraising

From robot fundraisers on the streets like Don-8er and DONA to the use of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for interacting with our constituencies, there’s going to be a continuing explosion of new tools to engage and motivate donors, from small to large.  Think that online giving isn’t going to work for large donors?  Stacy Palmer told us that last year there were at least nine gifts of $100,000 made online, and that some high net worth donors she’s spoken with said that the only barrier they find to donating online like that is that most organizations’ websites aren’t equipped to accept large donations!  Even if you don’t think it’ll ever happen, doesn’t it make sense to act like it could?

Some of Palmer’s other top trends included:

  • the consolidation/merging together of nonprofits to avoid closure or to gain access to collaborative funding
  • the rise of giving by women and how the change in demographics is transforming our society
  • the importance of continuing education, staff retention and morale for nonprofit success.

What trends in philanthropy do you see?  What do you think is in store for us?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Campaign Success, Effective searching, News, Non-profit trends, Research Department Success, Strategic planning Tagged With: Chronicle of Philanthropy, Don-8er, DONA, fundraising trends, Inside Higher Ed, Jeffrey Liebman, online giving, social impact bonds, Stacy Palmer, Women in Development

May 8, 2011 By Helen Brown 6 Comments

Introducing the best non-profit blogs in the world

Blogs and social media are critical communication tools for non-profits. In fact, according to research by the University of Massachusetts, a higher percentage of non-profits have active blogs than any other category. And it makes sense:  blogs are a cost-effective way to tell stories and build a consistent emotional connection with constituents.  But how are they doing? Which are the best in the world?

So I embarked on an ambitious project in partnership with Mark W. Schaefer, a well known blogger at {grow} and author of The Tao of Twitter. Mark really knows social media and blogs — in fact he teaches a course on the subject at Rutgers University.

Together we examined more than 250 blogs from some of the largest and most important charities in the world (and I mean that literally – we didn’t just look at blogs in the US). We looked for the blogs that were engaging an audience, offering superb content and aligning with the organization’s strategies. Last year, when Mark compiled a list of The Best Company Blogs in the World he noted that it was a depressing experience.  He found that most company blogs aren’t that great and I’m sad to say that we struggled similarly to find non-profits communicating and interacting with their constituencies.  In fact, we found a lot of  dreck.

But we did find some truly inspiring blogs out there.  Here, in no particular order, are the best non-profit blogs in the world:

Feeding America

This is simply one of the best blogs you will find anywhere, profit or non-profit.  It has it all:

  • Superior content
  • Non-intrusive yet effective calls to action
  • Good use of multi-media such as photography and video
  • Superb use of story-telling to align with objectives
  • Attractive and functional design
  • Convenient social sharing
  • Features that involve key stakeholders

This blog is a role model for any organization.

The Salvation Army

This is a wonderful, interesting blog.  Of course it serves as the place to go in the event of a disaster, but it is also an entertaining read.  As a good example, read this post about the historical role of The Salvation Army in the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.  Another post features a “fashionista” getting her clothes from a Salvation Army Thrift Shop. Not only is this type of post great story-telling, it connects readers with the history and rock-solid foundation of the organization in an entertaining way that cuts through the noise.

While a good-looking and well-organized blog, inexplicably, it seems to stand alone from the primary Salvation Army site. There is no easy way to connect directly to the organization or donate money right from the blog, which is a missed opportunity.

Holland Bloorview Childrens Rehabilitation Hospital

Mark said that this blog brought tears to his eyes.  (He acts all tough on the outside, but I suspect a moosh lies within).  Okay, I admit to some mistiness myself – but in a good way.  I’m guessing that it will probably have the same effect on you.

Bloom is about parenting special needs kids.  It isn’t fancy.  In fact it’s just on Blogger.  But what it lacks in sophistication it more than makes up in courage and heart. Writer Louise Kinross has something unique and personal going on here. She has nurtured an active, loyal community and with good reason … this is blogging at its best.

Operation Blessing

Check out this gutsy, effective blog.  With My Own Eyes is a firsthand, photo-journalism account offering users the opportunity to see some of the most devastated, disaster-ravaged and previously inaccessible places in the world, as well as a look at Operation Blessing’s efforts to help people that live there.

This multimedia site features video footage, photos and the personal diary entries of some of the team leaders from more than 25 countries including China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and the U.S.  Each blog post provides concrete ideas on how to connect and help.

World Vision

This effort just began in 2011 so we’ll have to check in later to see if they can sustain what is starting out to be an excellent blog.  World Vision works with impoverished children and their families throughout the world and is also effectively using eyewitness accounts to connect to constituents.

Some of the hallmarks of this journal are fantastic, colorful articles that pull you in to the organization and its mission. This blog seems to have jumped out of the starter’s gate quickly — some of its daily posts are already getting more than 1,000 ‘shares’. While the design of the blog is quite busy, check out the beautiful and effective design of the main  website while you’re visiting.

Broad Institute

Simply put, The Broad Institute is creating methods, tools and massive data sets and makes them available to the general scientific community to rapidly accelerate biomedical advancement.

The charming thing about their blog — Broad Minded — is that it frames complicated subjects in accessible terms. I’m partial to science literature any way so this blog was a delight. I mean how can you miss with a blog post titled “Lifestyles of the Fungal and Famous” or another that explains unraveling mysteries of DNA as a Julia Child recipe?

This is a lively, straight-forward blog that is very well-aligned with the mission of the organization.

Refugees International

Refugees International advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises. This blog achieves story-telling excellence through extraordinary writing, compelling videos and dramatic photography. If you want an example, check out this video on how refugees struggle to find an education. The almost daily blog is unafraid of confronting difficult political issues and take a stand as it boldly raises awareness for its cause. A smart, superb blog.

MEMRI

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) explores the region’s media (both print and television), websites, religious sermons and school books. This blog stands out in a special way because essentially, the blog IS the organization.

This respected non-profit scans the Middle East for important news and trends and provides timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Pashtu, Dari, Hindi, and Turkish media in separate blogs. Other sections provide original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East. This series of blogs is the centerpiece of this important effort. Pretty cool.

American Red Cross

This blog provides consistently good content mixed with compelling multi-media.  It has several nice features like a list of all local Red Cross Chapter blogs, weekly round-ups of disaster relief efforts around the world, and connections to many disaster-response related resources.  It also has all-around helpful and targeted information to support the needs of its constituents. I don’t know why this blog is detached from the main Red Cross website – again, it’s a missed opportunity. Also, it is strange that the blog gets no comments when it is such a vital community-focused organization. And in the “maybe we’re picky” category — it seems like they could have come up with a better title for their showcase than “Blog.” : )

 

BONUS CONTENT!

If you’re interested in non-profit best practices, here is a list of some favorite blogs ABOUT charities and fund-raising (again, in no particular order):

Stanford Social Innovation Review Blog

The SSIR is part of the Stanford University Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS).  Highlighting thought leaders, practitioners and innovative funders and “striking a balance between the pragmatic and the intellectual,” this blog keeps you up-to-date on the issues at the forefront of the third sector.  Contributors include Sean Stannard-Stockton, Amy Sample Ward and Peter Sims.

Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Blogs

The Chronicle of Philanthropy site plays host to a number of blogs including those on prospecting, candid conversations about nonprofit boards, international philanthropy and social media for nonprofits.  Contributors include staff writers as well as experts and thought leaders on their given topic.

Queer Ideas; a bloody good fundraising blog

Sometimes irreverent, usually cutting-edge, always intelligent and interesting, this blog is written by Mark Phillips, founder and CEO of bluefrog, a fundraising consulting firm in the UK.  His observations and links to helpful research and resources make this a good one to expand your mind.

A Fine Blog

Written by the co-author (with Beth Kanter) of The Networked Nonprofit, Allison Fine’s blog is a combination of acute observation and commentary on articles, videos, campaigns and collateral on fundraising, networking and social media.  An extra bonus on her site is links to Allison’s monthly podcast interviews for the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Beth’s Blog

Written by Allison Fine’s co-author Beth Kanter, Beth’s blog is seen by many (us included) as the go-to blog for nonprofit fitness checks, great ideas, subtle nudges toward excellence and good advice on social media, networking and organizational management you’d do well to take.   Beth’s writing style is accessible and friendly, yet the blog is packed with resources, links to scholarly studies and other references that you need to know about.

Philanthropy 2173; The Business of Giving

Authored by Lucy Bernholz, founder and president of Blueprint Research & Design, Inc., Bernholz is to nonprofits what Rachel Maddow is to liberal politics – intelligent and incisive yet accessible, wonky, and (respectfully) pulling no punches.  The blog approaches nonprofits and their arena as a third business sector, and Bernholz isn’t sitting behind a desk; very often she’s interviewing some game-changing sector leader and sharing their conversations and her insights.

So there you have it! The best non-profit blogs you’ll find anywhere. Of course there are some good ones out there that we missed.  Do you have a favorite? Tell us – we’d love to hear about it!  What blogging ideas did you pick up from this list of great blogs?

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: Allison Fine, American Red Cross, Amy Sample Ward, best nonprofit blogs, Beth Kanter, blogs, Broad Institute, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Feeding America, Holland Bloorview Childrens Rehabilitation Hospital, Lucy Bernholz, Mark Phillips, Mark Schaefer, MEMRI, Middle East Media Research Institute, Operation Blessing, Peter Sims, Queer Ideas, Refugees International, Salvation Army, Sean Stannard-Stockton, SSIR, Stanford University Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Tao of Twitter, World Vision

  • Get the Intelligent Edge

    Our weekly update provides insight and commentary on breaking philanthropy news and the latest innovations in fundraising intelligence.

  • HBG Privacy Policy

    By sharing your information you give us permission to send you our newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.

New Articles

  • Identity and Blackness in Prospect Development
  • Honoring Black History Month
  • Giving Priorities for America’s Top Philanthropists in 2020
  • Opportunity of a lifetime
  • Can your prospects be found at a luxury private community?

Keep Updated

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Get the Essential Handbook

Get Your Copy

Learn More

Categories

  • Campaign Success
  • Career development
  • Due Diligence
  • Effective searching
  • Fundraising Analytics
  • Fundraising Ethics
  • HBG Book Club
  • International prospect research
  • Most popular
  • News
  • Non-profit trends
  • Podcast
  • Prospect Development 101
  • Prospect identification
  • Ratings
  • Relationship management
  • Research Department Success
  • Researching Companies
  • Researching Individuals
  • Social Media
  • Strategic planning
  • Trust & Foundation Research
  • Uncategorized
  • Wealth screenings

ABOUT HBG

The Helen Brown Group was formed in 2002 with a goal to be different.

Allow me to explain my personal philosophy to you.

  • Learn More About HBG

Latest Intelligent Edge Articles

  • Identity and Blackness in Prospect Development
  • Honoring Black History Month
  • Giving Priorities for America’s Top Philanthropists in 2020
  • Opportunity of a lifetime
  • Can your prospects be found at a luxury private community?

Privacy Quick Links

  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Tools

Copyright © 2021 The Helen Brown Group LLC.

David’s career in prospect research began in 2009, as a graduate research assistant at the Shippensburg University Foundation. In 2011, He became a development researcher for the University of Virginia. In 2015, David became assistant director of prospect research at the University of Baltimore, serving for 3 years. Recently, he was the director of development for Trees Forever. David Joined the Helen Brown Group as a research assistant in January 2020. He earned a B.A. in Theater at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a M.A. in Applied History at Shippensburg University. David is a member of APRA and APRA Great Plains.

Kenny has worked in development since 1999 and has been involved in prospect research since 2002.

Prior to joining The Helen Brown Group, he was the director of donor and prospect research at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Kenny is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Tara first began her career in development in 2002 supporting the Major Gifts department at Simmons College, and ultimately went on to serve as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. Since that time, she has also worked as a Senior Research Analyst at MIT, as Associate Director of Prospect Management and Research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and as Director of Development Research at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP).

Tara originally joined the Helen Brown Group team in 2007 and served as a Research Associate and ShareTraining coordinator until 2008 – she rejoined the company as a Senior Researcher in 2013 and was promoted to her current role in 2018.

She has been an active volunteer with NEDRA for many years and served on the board of directors from 2010-2016. During her time on the NEDRA board, she served in many different roles, including terms as Vice President, Secretary, Chair of the Website and Technology Committee, Chair of the Volunteer Committee, and as Chair and Editor of NEDRA News. She is currently a member of the NEDRA Bootcamp faculty. In addition, Tara has also been involved as a volunteer with Apra, serving stints on the Membership Committee, Chapters Committee, and Bylaws Task Force.

Angie began her career in development in 1999 at Virginia Tech in Corporate and Foundation Relations and later in prospect research at the University of Connecticut Foundation.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, her experience includes grants management at the University of South Carolina, program evaluation for South Carolina Research Authority and human resources analysis for Nissan North America.

She returned to development in 2007 and worked in various prospect research positions at Vanderbilt University, including Associate Director. She was named Director for Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s research office in 2015, and joined The Helen Brown Group in 2016.

jdsahjhDJDJHJSH

Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

In March 2017, Kristina joined the Helen Brown Group as a Research Associate. Before joining HBG, she was the Research Manager at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and an Associate Manager of Prospect Research at City Harvest, a food rescue organization. Kristina started her non-profit career as a legal assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004.  She is a member of Apra and Apra Greater New York. She was Apra Greater New York’s Director of Programming from June 2014 to May 2016. Kristina graduated from The University of Chicago and the Bard Graduate Center.

Grace began her career in development in 2001 as Executive Assistant to the Chief Development Officer with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic medical center.

In 2003, she became a prospect researcher for the BWH principal and major gifts team and spent the next 11 years in various research positions with BWH, culminating as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. She has been affiliated with The Helen Brown Group since January 2014.

Heather began her career in 2002 as a prospect research coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and then moved to Carroll College in 2004.

In 2005, Heather began working on her own as a freelancer and eventually started her own consulting firm, Willis Research Services, in 2007. She joined The Helen Brown Group in 2012.

Heather is a member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement and the Montana Nonprofit Association.

Jennifer began her career in development at her alma mater, Wheaton College, where she was an administrative assistant for the major gifts department.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in March 2008. She earned a master’s degree in library science from the Southern Connecticut State University in May 2009. Jennifer is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Rick has been a member of the Helen Brown Group team since 2005. Prior to joining HBG, Rick was director of research at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Rick has worked in development since 1996, both in prospect research and major gifts fund raising. His experience includes the University of Vermont, Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Paul’s School.

Rick is past president of NEDRA and is a member of and frequent volunteer for APRA.

Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

Mandi has worked in prospect research and management since 2006. She began her development career as a research analyst in development research at City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles. From there, she became the manager of prospect development at Huntington Memorial Hospital, a community hospital in Pasadena, CA. Most recently, she was the associate director of prospect research and management at Occidental College, a private liberal arts college in LA.

Mandi has a BA degree in print journalism from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree of library and information science from UCLA.

She joined the Helen Brown Group in May 2019.

Kelly began her career in development in 2008 as an administrative assistant in Major Gifts at Wheaton College.

In 2010, she became a research analyst at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Division of Development & Jimmy Fund as part of the prospect identification team. Kelly joined The Helen Brown Group in 2013.

She is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Jayme began her career in development in 2008 at the Rutgers University Foundation, where she spent the next seven years, first in prospect management and then prospect research. She spent several years at Monmouth University as their senior prospect research analyst, working with the fundraising staff, university president, and top leadership. She has worked as both a volunteer and consultant for non-profits in the areas of research and writing.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Drew University and a master of communication and information sciences from Rutgers University. She is a member of APRA.

Jayme joined The Helen Brown Group in April 2019.

Julie has managed finances for The Helen Brown Group since its founding.

In her spare time, she is an editor for the PBS series Masterpiece at WGBH. Julie was nominated twice for an Emmy award for her work on the PBS show Zoom.

Heather began her career in development in 2001 as a prospect researcher for National Wildlife Federation (NWF). She was with NWF for more than thirteen years, including nearly five years as director of research and analytics. Heather is a former secretary of the board of directors of APRA-Metro DC.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2014.

David began his career in development at The Gunnery school in northwest Connecticut in 2011, where he worked in database management and prospect research. Subsequently, he joined the College of Saint Rose as a development research analyst before leading Albany Medical Center Foundation’s prospect research efforts as Associate Director of Prospect Research. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Siena College and is a member of APRA and CASE.

Michele began her career in development in 2012 when she joined the UC Berkeley corporate and foundation relations team as a development analyst. She spent a year and a half at Cal before returning to UC Davis as a prospect analyst. She was with the prospect management and relations team at UC Davis for almost three years prior to joining the research and relationship management team at George Washington University as a Senior Prospect Analyst in 2016.

Michele received her BA in creative writing from Florida State University and her MA in higher education leadership from CSU Sacramento. She currently resides in Northern Virginia, is a member of Apra International, and serves as the social media chair for Apra Metro DC. Michele joined The Helen Brown Group in July 2018.

Angie has worked in development since 2002, partnering with a wide range of nonprofit institutions. She began her professional career at Vanderbilt University in research and prospect development.

She has also worked with a number of community nonprofits in front-line fundraising, grant-writing, and event management. Angie holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a BS in Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a member of AFP Nashville and APRA MidSouth, where she has been active on the executive team.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2015.

Maureen has been a part of the non-profit world since 1991. She started out in annual giving at Harvard Law School and continued her career as director of annual/special gifts at UC Santa Cruz.

In 1999 she made the switch from front-line fundraising to serve as director of prospect research/management at Bentley University and in 2001 began her role as administrator for the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester. She became part of the HBG team in September of 2011.

Helen has been a development professional since 1987. Her previous experience includes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Albert Einstein Institution, Boston College, the Harvard School of Public Health and Northeastern University.

Currently she works with a variety of clients to establish, benchmark and re-align research departments; identify major gift prospects; and train researchers and other fundraisers through on-site and web-based training services.Helen is a former member of the board of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) and is past president of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA). In 2006 she received the NEDRA Ann Castle Award for service to the prospect research community.

Helen is Special Advisor on Fundraising to the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester and is a member of the board of directors of Factary Ltd. (Bristol, UK). She is a member of NEDRA, APRA, the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), Women In Development, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Researchers in Fundraising (UK).

Helen is a frequent speaker and has led seminars for a number of professional associations, including Action Planning, AFP, APRA, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), NEDRA, RIF, the Planned Giving Council of Central Massachusetts, the Georgia Center on Nonprofits, the International Fundraising Congress and Resource Alliance.

Helen is also co-author (with Jen Filla) of the book, Prospect Research for Fundraisers (Wiley & Sons, 2013).