Karen Willson - Word On The Wire: Themes & Trends In Philanthropy

Word on the Wire – Themes & Trends in Philanthropy

Karen Willson, CFRESenior Vice President

KCI (KCI Ketchum Canada Inc.)June 8, 2009

2008

90% of funds will come from 10% of donors, Relationships will be key, Accountability will be a cornerstone not a sidebar, Volunteers will be prized resources, Corporate giving will become more transaction-based, Individual donors will be more discerning, Donors will be more

diverse, Technology will grow in importance, A mature profession will develop, The strong will get stronger.

Importance definitely grows…

• Web 1.0– Information online…strictly a one-way published

media

– Fundraising – the ‘donate now’ button

• Web 2.0 / 3.0– Web design that facilitates creativity, information

sharing, collaboration (facebook, twitter, blogs)

– Possibilities for fundraising

New Statistics

• 1.4B people access web each day• 3.8 B will text a message • Canada logs the second highest usage of cell

phone time in the world – 400 minutes per month

• 70% market penetration in 35-54 age group• Fastest growing market (guess??)

Mean for 2009/10

• Technology is here to stay• Must recognize – and resource for – its growing

importance• Remember: Decision-makers at many

organizations not ‘in touch’ with this technology

• Must not be ‘lost in translation

Integration

• Must be part of your overall revenue generation strategy

• Important part of your tool-kit• Have not seen that this is the new, great

solution to all of our fundraising issues• Many influences on donors’ decision making

i.e.: economy

What have we seen/read??Globe and Mail: November 2, 2008

Universities eye 'painful' cuts in wake of crisis

St. Catharine Standard: November 11, 2008Market woes haven't hit Brock too hard

Globe and Mail: October 3, 2008Workplace charity drives prepare for lean times

Globe and Mail: October 5, 2008

Donation sta

ts point to

charitable ‘

perfect

storm’ Ottawa Citizen: November 12, 2008

Give generously:

Difficult times ar

e when

we most need our

charities

Ottawa Citizen: November 6, 2008

Market woes

hobble key c

harity group

:

Community Fo

undation of

Ottawa has l

ess

money to giv

e, greater d

emand

Globe and Mail: September 30, 2008Rotman to grow, despite downturnGlobe and Mail: September 23, 2008

Charities brace for drop in donors

May not have heard?

• Murphy and Helen Hull, donate $10 Million to Humber River Regional

• Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg, donate $2 Million to North York General Hospital

• Jay and Barbara Hennick, donate $3 Million to York University (March 2009)

• Dan Greenberg, donates $1 Million to the Ottawa Hospital (March 2009)

• Donna and Gary Slaight, donate $1 Million to Young Centre for Performing Arts, Toronto (February 2009)

Remember this?

July 1998 June 2003

S&P/TSX Composite Index

Where to from here?

Feb 2004 Feb 2009

S&P/TSX Composite Index

Fundraising in these times.

• Visible, stay out there• Ramp up cultivation and stewardship

– Remain the charity of choice

– Maintain the sense of urgency

• Be thoughtful and strategic about solicitation timing– Who will understand the need to demonstrate leadership

and confidence - make gift now, increase size of gift

• Suggest alternative vehicles for making a gift, such as gifts of property, life insurance, or bequests as alternatives to giving cash or stock

Organizational agility.

Organizational integration.

A new K.I.S.S. principle.

• Keep it simple and strategic• Stewardship, Stewardship, Stewardship• Be:

– Mission-focused– Relationships are key– Have a plan, work the plan– Be open and accountable– Be grateful– Remember: “People give to People”

• #1 Reason people give: They were asked