 Welcome everybody to another episode of the non-profit show. We're really excited because this is when everybody's buzzing about giving USA for many of you across this country. You will have had community events where this data is released and we have one of the experts in the field on to talk to us about this in the context of what we learned this year, what are some of the trends, what's going on, and film and chief marketing officer Blumerang. Welcome back, my friend. Hey, thank you, thank you. I'm thrilled to be here. Okay, so Anne, you did not like endure international travel to get to us, a snowstorm being snowed into your home with babies, right? You're here. None of that, no snow blower outside my window that was going on last time, you know, hopefully no lawnmower. Oh my gosh, I love it. Well, Anne is a trooper because she's always come to us perfectly on time and good to go. But yet if you get the back story, it's been a challenge sometime to get to us. Hey everybody, I'm Julia Patrick, CEO of the American Non-profit Academy. Jared Ransom, the non-profit nerd, has the day off today because it's her birthday. Happy birthday, Jared. I think Jared Ransom is actually in the woods somewhere hiking in Utah. If you ask me, that's not a great birthday, but for her, that's a great birthday gift. So be safe, Jared. We'll see you tomorrow. Hey, again, we have amazing partners, one of us, one who's with us today, and they include our partners with American Non-profit Academy, Blumerang, your part-time controller, non-profit thought leader, fundraising academy at National University, staffing boutique, non-profit nerd, and non-profit tech talk. The best news of the day is that we have a new app. It's super sexy. Thank you for the team at American Non-profit Academy that created it. We are, of course, on all of our streaming broadcast platforms and also podcast format. And we have more than 800 episodes in our archives, which blows my mind. And you can access them all. So we are with you in the pursuit of your mission, vision, and values as you grow your non-profit. And Philman, Chief Marketing Officer, Blumerang. Again, welcome back. Can you briefly, and I know Blumerang folks are super humble. They never want to champion themselves. You're so giving about your information and your time about the sector. But I'm going to force you to tell us and wave the flag of Blumerang and what it is that you all do. Thank you, Julia. Yeah, I talk about oxymoron. Of course, the marketer to give a pitch, but yes. One, I just want to say thank you to the non-profit show and to thank you to all your listeners out there to have the opportunity. It's a real privilege to be here and let's have a conversation, right? So at Blumerang, what we're really about is helping non-profits thrive. And we do that through a robust donor management solution and helping you not only bring on new, acquire new donors and foster those authentic donor relationships. But part of those relationships is also about the various ways in which we give. So Julia, I'll just share some exciting things, some exciting advancements. People not only give with their dollars, but they also give with their time. And so we've added also volunteer, very robust volunteer management solution that's fully integrated with the donor management platform that we have. So we're really excited about the power of understanding your volunteers and how they're giving with their time coupled with your donors and the crossover because it's more important than ever of how we foster relationships with people to help power our non-profits. So cool. Well, thank you. And I just want to say that one of the things that amazes me about Blumerang is that you are thought leaders and that you share your knowledge with folks that are not your customers. And most organizations, you know, do research and they come up with ideas and they push us forward, but only with their customers, right? And so this is a big thing that we see and that we're very appreciative of that you will share your knowledge. And one of those things that we want to get into today is giving USA. It's one of the longest reports and studies, you know, forever going on. What back into when the late 40s? 50s. So over 60 years of giving USA is better known. Amazing. Well, talk to us and give us like a kind of that overview of what it is and why it's so I would say credible because it's pretty amazing. It is pretty amazing. And so giving USA so 60 plus years of providing the most comprehensive charitable giving data that they have available. And so this is really a partnership through the Giving USA Foundation and the Indiana University, the Lilly School of Philanthropy. And so they're studying, you know, all the charitable data that is out there. They're estimating that charitable giving across the United States. So it's something that I think many of us look forward to each year to see because the sector overall is highly resilient regardless of what's going on. So they take a look at, you know, charitable giving overall, where the donations coming from when we look at individuals, foundations, corporations. So, you know, they look at it from where the money is coming from, but then they also look at where are the charitable dollars going, what sectors are, you know, depending on what your cause type is, as I like to say, like, where are those dollars landing each year. And so that that study analysis and then they, I mean, it is a sizable report. It is. There are a lot of pages, a lot to dig through. And I think for me, and what to me is the most valuable is that if you can kind of step back and look at this trajectory of all these decades, you see the changes in American society and culture reflected in these in the ecosystem of how we how we give and where we give. To me, that is just riveting information, because every year it's not the same old same old. I mean, there are changes. And so definitely not the same old same old. And if some of you've been watching kind of your social media feeds with other, you know, others that are having the conversation and going, Oh, my gosh, it is not the same old same old. And there's one other piece I want to highlight as it relates to giving USA. So giving USA.org, if you haven't ever gotten to their site, they do some produce some phenomenal research besides the annual report that we we look at, they look at like donor advice funds, they've got some really good detailed report on that. They have a really good one to around generational giving. Because I think as we think about donors and how that profiles and what's changing, they've got some really good deep dive into some certain topic topic areas that a lot of us care about. Yeah, thank you for sharing that because it is it is an ongoing thing. And I think the veracity of their program and what they track is amazing. But now I got to ask you, and we touched on this, you know, it's not always the same old same old for you. And what was the biggest surprise? Okay, well, let me just first for those that haven't here's the head, let me just let's just get to the headline if you haven't got the news. But the giving in 20. So the report is titled 2023. But it's looking at the giving from 2022. And I think a lot of us knew this. So let's confirm our suspicions that giving was actually down from 2021. So I will say it was 499.33 billion in 2022. And so and it is actually down a couple of percentage points. When you look at they look at things in current dollars, and then in inflation adjusted to dollars, which is in this day and age is really important to understand and look at. So in current dollars, it went down about 3.4%. Which what's really exciting. And this isn't my biggest surprise, but exciting is in 2021, they revised their estimate from when they published a report last year to $517 billion. And that's half a trillion dollars as people are like capital T trillion in charitable giving. So just again, that's the headline. That's not my biggest surprise. But it's important to understand like where are we at? So we are down and there's only been a few times in history where we've actually been down. So 2008 recession 1987. So 0809 the recession 1987. And then now this this past year in 2022. Then there are a lot of factors right that played into that. But let me now get to your question of I just wanted to kind of get everybody on the same page. Okay, it was down a couple of percentage points in real dollars, but then inflation adjusted dollars. It was down by 10.5%. So yeah. But that aside, the biggest surprise that I saw is actually the growth of foundations. So and I think as fundraisers, we want to think about that and our mix. Okay. So again, individuals still comprise the biggest pie piece of the pie. There are 64% of that $499 billion is coming from an individual script. That's a lot of money. That's still the biggest pleat piece that you really want to focus on individuals. But the foundations now they're 21% of that $499 billion. Amazing. Yeah. And what's what I think is what's interesting, you get go back to 1982. It was 5% of the pie. So now one in every $5 is giving through a foundation, which many times it's actually individuals. Yeah, giving through a foundation, but but I think that's just, you know, I for me, that was the biggest surprise I didn't I just, I'm always thinking about individuals as giving, but now there's, you know, foundations have just been steadily increasing their share of the pie over the, you know, the over the last couple of decades. Well, yeah, I mean, the structure of that vehicle and with the amount of wealth is being transferred in our nation, which is such a huge topic. And we're really technically and demographically, we're right in the middle of that. As we have an aging population, you know, passing away, a demographic that was financially successful, you know, post World War Two created a lot of wealth. You know, this vehicle is something that it used to be for the very exclusive. It used to be very hard to deal with. And now it's not. And so I think you're right about this, the foundation structure, unless there are some major government changes, it's just going to continue to grow and amplify, be amplified about how people manage their giving wealth. You're right. And yeah, so like they giving USA did a annualized growth. So individuals grew at an annualized rate of about 4.9%. Whereas foundations have grown at an annual annualized rate, that's hard to say 10 times fast of about 9.2% over the last 40 years. So something just to think about there's some growth there. But again, oh, I always like to look at pure dollars too. And remember your biggest piece of the pie is still the individuals, but I'm not surprised. And again, I highly encourage you to look at I was just looking at because I was like, okay, what, what is the makeup of the US population from boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, Gen Zers and now Generation Alpha, as they say. But so really important is that millennials have surpassed boomers as the largest, the largest generation. Right. When we think about that as fundraisers again, like, and that the boomers are passing that wealth to the millennials. Yeah, yeah, right. There's a lot of wealth being passed. There's a lot of wealth. Yeah. And I think the other big thing before we move on is that those millennials have have smaller bases. They don't have as many siblings. And so where it used to be, you would have to go up against a family, a second or third generation, you know, four to eight deep and have them all be on the same page for the donation dollars, that number skating, you know, smaller, you don't have those those bigger family or sibling groups to be making these decisions. So it changes a lot of things. Okay, so that's a surprise. I think it's a good surprise. And I think it's, you know, positive if we know it and we can figure it out. But now going to, I don't want to say the dark side, but what is your concern? Like, what are some of the things that you were like, maybe you had that icky feeling of like, oh, yeah. I will say, actually, my biggest concern is actually how we react to the report. So not thought of that. Interesting. Okay. So let's think about how we react. Oh, my gosh, dollars are down. And then we layer in information from the fundraising effectiveness project. Donor counts are down. And even the major donors are down in their giving, right? So, oh, you know, some I some out there have used the word chicken little, but I think it's really about my biggest concern is how we choose to react with the information, the report. And so look, here it is, you know, every so, you know, it feels like almost every decade we run into some economic, it's been a little bit a longer stretch, but we run into some economic turmoil. So first and foremost, and this is this is not a new statement for me, but or a new quote, others have said this, but look, there's always something, right? And we really truly are in a perfect storm of factors affecting individual wealth. So it's really no surprise that it was, you know, that it's down just given we have, you know, the donor counts and things like that we saw, but our disposable income feels down. Inflations are is that, you know, a record 40 year high, right? You've got, you know, other economic indicator S&P 500, there's a tighter correlation there again, we are feeling what less wealthy will many are than what they did in years prior. And so that's something to think about. Now, what I do think is interesting is that there is some there's a there's a sense or a feeling that will actually recover from this a little bit faster than in other, you know, downturn, recessions unemployment as is that record low. So we have kind of this like dichotomy, there's a lot to sift through when it comes from that. So I think my biggest concern is how we choose to react as people are just generally complicated. But how we choose as fundraisers and as nonprofits professionals to like, how do we take this information? And what does that mean for us in our own organization? And that's where my advice is like this is again, this is broad, this is a US your specific region of the country that you might be in or that you're serving as well as your specific cause. There's there's a lot to look at. So compare yourself to the numbers because I was chatting with a number of nonprofits earlier this week, and many were like, Oh, I'm actually doing better. This is the best year we've ever had. So I think everybody's situation is different. And so again, use this as a baseline or a benchmark to compare your organization to. And then I say we should be using giving USA data because it kind of comes out in the middle of the year. For some, it's the end of the fiscal year, but this is a great time to kind of take stock of what you've been doing. I agree this year and say, do we need to make any adjustments? How do we think about what we're doing differently? You know, I appreciate that perspective and because I too believe that you can't it's it's it's a fallacy to look at this report and say, okay, well, it's yay or nay, good or bad. It's really more about the entire ecosystem and what you might be you can learn from what you can celebrate what you can lean into and to understand. And this is what I think giving USA shows us is that this is a this is like a wave. It moves. It's not a static thing. And it really mimics our culture and our nation. I mean, you cannot go through a global pandemic and lose basically a million people in your country and not have some impacts, right? And so understanding what that looks like I think is I think is really I think it's intelligent too. I think especially for a team to have these discussions and say, you know, what do you think there's no right or wrong answer here, but let's kind of think about this and what what are some different things? You know, another piece of this and because it's such a it's such a comprehensive report. What's the biggest message? I mean, you you said something and I'm hearing the same thing too organizations that are like, I hate to say it, but we're doing really well, you know, are we should we not say that? Should we not go public? I mean, what is this message that you're hearing? Or what do you feel like we should be Yeah, I mean, good question. So one again, we all are going to have different experiences. So use this again as a comparison and start, you know, a great conversation to be having with your team to say, let's look at our mix. How are we different? How are we the same? And how do we adjust? And I'm going to just something we've talked about time and time again at Lumerang is American generosity is resilient. Actually, lots of us say this, right? There is, but we've also seen that in times of crisis, whatever that might be, again, there's always something. Many organizations go, Oh, well, maybe donors can't give right now and they pull back and then they artificially set themselves up to have a more difficult year because they're deciding for the donor. Don't decide for the donor. Make the ask the donor will decide if they're feeling extra generous because they know times are difficult for some people and they want to give to your cause and they're connected to your cause or hey, I have a little bit less this year. So that is like really important is just because it's down doesn't mean that we should be pulling back. We still need to get our story out there and talk about but again, reevaluate your mix and then make sure you've got really good online giving strategies. Yeah, I love that you just said that don't make that decision for your donor. Let your donor decide. And I agree with you. I think that the digital aspect, if you're not fully invested in that, you're just missing out in such a man, such a significant way that yeah, you've got to make it seamless for that donor and that donor experience. And that's one of those challenges for so many people, it seems like. And I'm within giving USA and within your the trajectory of your work. And this is where you have to get out your crystal ball and shine it up. What do you think? Like, do you think that we're on a trajectory where a lot of the same messaging or data is going to be similar for next year? I mean, it's it's not like we're just going to all of a sudden have crazy new data points, right? I mean, do you think we're kind of like in a period where we can expect this for a little bit longer? Well, one crystal ball to watch is the S&P and the S&P 500. So we're seeing a little bit like closer correlation to giving, you know, those that, you know, just they see what they have in their retirement account, you know, in our account, our accounts, and there's a little bit of a correlation of up and down. So if we start to see that climbing, I would say that we're going to we're going to step out of this a little bit faster of this down. I mean, I know that prices on eggs have come down quite a bit. That's my singular data point. But so kind of looking at some of those things as, you know, will inflation slow, you know, just again, it's really about the human psychology of how wealthy someone feels and how generous they feel. Now, we can't control necessarily how each individual person, but as nonprofits and as fundraisers, what we can do is make sure our stories are tight, right? And that we're making a good case and that our whole team is comfortable making that case for support. But also, I think there's just there's a real opportunity here. One of the things that we looked at in COVID, we analyzed some of our own customer data and those that recognize, you know, so, okay, so I said, don't pull back, right? Right. Make sure you're engaging in your campaigns, don't pull back just because times are tough or whatever it might be. But also, call out and recognize that you realize that we're in a tough economic environment for many. So when we analyze some of our just kind of broad customer data, those that called out or called out the that recognize that COVID was having an impact and then made their appeal like they they had better results on their campaign. So don't shy away from whatever that difficult topic, whatever that time of crisis topic might be, being able, even if it has nothing to do with your account whatsoever, but recognizing what's going on in the world from a current event can can be really helpful because then the donor sees that you understand and that this is a privilege and an opportunity to to connect with you and you know, ask for your support. Okay, all the things that I was thinking you would say today because believe it or not, I do think about who's coming on and what's going to say and how I would have never ever guessed that that's that's absolutely fascinating. Yeah, and I like how you followed up that you understand it's a privilege to participate, you know, in this in solving a problem. You know, in the mission vision and value of a nonprofit. Very interesting. And well, I always learn so much from you. It's just a delight to get you and of course, your team members that come on. Everybody always brings such an amazing level of knowledge to the table and and helps us understand, you know, the entirety of what's going on, which then I think we can bring it back to our own, you know, organizations. I mean, there are 1.8 million nonprofits registered in our country. And we're all doing different things and we're all interested in different things. And yet, we kind of still have to go in the same path when it comes to fundraising and and managing our systems and our donors. And so it's really, really interesting that you are here with us to share this knowledge. We don't have a lot of time left. One of the things that you mentioned and if you could expand upon this a little bit more is the CEP because that I feel like is a great report and source of knowledge to help us kind of even frame up a little bit more what we're seeing with giving USA. And if I'm not mistaken, you and your team are an active part of that, correct? The Center for Effective Philanthropy. I mean, it seems like you all engage in that as a business as well. Right. I mean, we engage in a number of organizations that are conducting research when it comes to what's going on in our sector. I think the biggest thing that as we look at Blumerang's participation in this is, okay, how do we take this information now? Like how do we as nonprofits then adjust what we're doing or think about our mix, our fundraising mix and what's going to be the most impactful because our resources are limited, right? And our time is limited. And so we really need to be thoughtful and planful about how we pursue that. But overall, I mean, it just, Blumerang has had such a fabulous, like we've been wildly successful in the opportunity to support nonprofits. And so we get really excited about the opportunity to give back and participate in the community as well. You know, I think it's cool. And I think that this is the, for me, this is the modern management of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector is that we're moving, and I don't want to say we're abandoning, but we're moving away from the emotional piece of this and being more intellectual and being more understanding of how we solve problems and why we need to solve problems, not just it's like good versus evil and we should be doing this because it's right, you know, but kind of moving forward on some of these more intellectual pieces. And so that's why I love that you came on and talked about this, because I think it really can help an organization understand, you know, how to maybe reframe or just understand where they can go. And so thank you so much for sharing that. Ann Feldman, Chief Marketing Officer of Blumerang. Again, I always learn so much from you, and I'm super appreciative that you come on and again share this knowledge. I'm Julia Patrick, CEO of the American Nonprofit Academy. Birthday girl, Jared Ransom will be back with us tomorrow. Like I said, I think she's hiking somewhere. Happy birthday, Jared. So, yeah, Ann, I'll tell you before we get off. This is the crazy thing. Our birthdays are like a week apart and we are 20 years in age difference, 20 years. So I won't let you guess who's older or who's younger. I never saw it. Well, what's interesting is that it gives our viewers and our listeners a real generational check, I guess, because we come from different times in this country. And so it's fascinating to see how we each think about things. And I know Jared shakes her head a lot of times when we're talking. But anyway, we will be back with Jared tomorrow. Again, our tremendous gratitude goes to our sponsors, including Blumerang American Nonprofit Academy, your part-time controller, non-profit thought leader, fundraising academy at National University, staffing boutique, non-profit nerd and non-profit tech talk. These folks join with us day in and day out for these amazing conversations. And we are delighted and honored that they continue to do this. Ann, I hope you have a great day. I hope you get some more information. Bring it back to us on the non-profit show so that we can share it with our viewers and our listeners. Thank you, Julia. It was a real privilege. Thank you. It was a lot of fun. Hey, everybody, as we end every day, we like to leave you with a message that we truly believe, and that is to stay well so you can do well. We'll see you back here tomorrow, everyone. Thank you, Ann.