Foundation Magazine January/February 2024

January/February | Vol. 5 | No. 23

Women, Wealth and Philanthropy • True Insights From Donor Data • Case Studies in Charity Marketing

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The World Around Us

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Mexico has a long tradition of charity. In the last 20 years, charitable organizations have expanded to include fields like the environment and human rights. However, tax incentives were limited to only a few charitable purposes, despite the emergence of organizations in new public interest fields that influenced public policy and had significant impact. For more than a decade, organizations therefore pushed for a law that recognized the social importance of civil society activities.

In 2004, the Federal Law for the Promotion of Activities Undertaken by Civil Society Organizations (“The Law on Promotion”) was enacted to provide a legal framework and opened up possibilities for greater Government/civil society organization (CSO) collaboration with mutual responsibility and transparency.

Whether for organizing donations, building shelters, or rescuing victims, CSOs have proven to be an instrumental part of humanitarian assistance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has stimulated recognition of the need for further enabling CSO operations in Mexico. However, the current government denies public resources to CSOs and has passed regulations with the objective to hinder the sector’s development.

Canada and Mexico have long enjoyed a special relationship, cemented by a free trade agreement, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and cooperation in other key areas. Amnesty International Canada has repeatedly called for the protection of human rights to be the overriding priority for our engagement, particularly in light of the current crisis. The disproportionate use of criminal law is one of the main threats facing the right to protest peacefully in defense of land, territory and environment in Mexico, Amnesty International said in a new report. Various state authorities have used criminal proceedings against protesters, ignoring principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. They have also failed to consider the context of the protests, their root causes, and the people’s right to defend their land, territory and the environment.

Mexico’s president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador asked his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden to stop the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from funding groups hostile to his government, according to a letter presented to journalists, echoing previous Mexican criticism of U.S. interventionism. Obrador did not specify which Mexican groups the U.S. should stop funding, but he has in the past accused several media organizations of being part of a conservative movement against his government.

A bill being considered by Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies would severely restrict the work of civil society groups in Mexico and violate Mexico’s international legal obligations. The bill from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s party, which holds a majority, would prohibit non-profit organizations from trying to influence or change laws either through lobbying or through strategic litigation if they receive funding, directly or indirectly, from foreign governments or corporations. The government would have the authority to revoke the non-profit status of organizations that violate the prohibition.

At the helm of what Obrador calls the country’s “Fourth Transformation,” he has dismantled checks and balances, weakened autonomous institutions, and seized discretionary control of the budget. AMLO, as the president is widely known, seems intent on pulling Mexico back to an era of single-party dominance. Yet there is one force that has caught López Obrador by surprise — and threatens to derail his plans and damage his reputation. Frustrated by the government’s lack of a response to a pandemic of violence against women that has only grown worse in recent years, Mexico’s feminists have become the one true thorn in the President’s side. Amnesty International concludes that Mexico is “rushing headfirst into an abyss of human rights”. foundationmag.ca

January/February 2024

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CONTENTS

January/February 2024 | Vol. 5 | No. 23 www.foundationmag.ca Twitter: @foundationmaga1 PRESIDENT / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve Lloyd - steve.lloyd@lloydmedia.ca DESIGN / PRODUCTION Jennifer O’Neill - jennifer@dmn.ca PHOTOGRAPHER Gary Tannyan CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Janessa Bishop George Irish Michael Brooke Mubashir Maqbool Mary Cahalane Kathleen A. Provost Mark Halpern LLOYDMEDIA INC. HEAD OFFICE / SUBSCRIPTIONS / PRODUCTION:

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30 Women in Philanthropy:

A Study in Foundational Support

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Foundation Magazine is published bimonthly by Lloydmedia Inc. Foundation Magazine may be obtained through paid subscription. Rates: Canada 1 year (6 issues $48) 2 years (12 issues $70) U.S. 1 year (6 issues $60) 2 years (12 issues $100) Foundation Magazine is an independently-produced publication not affiliated in any way with any association or organized group nor with any publication produced either in Canada or the United States. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. However unused manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. Occasionally Foundation Magazine provides its subscriber mailing list to other companies whose product or service may be of value to readers. If you do not want to receive information this way simply send your subscriber mailing label with this notice to: Lloydmedia Inc. 302-137 Main Street North Markham ON L3P 1Y2 Canada.

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ON THE COVER

3 THE LEAD IN 6 SEEN, HEARD & NOTED HISTORIC PLAQUES

49 QA Crossroads

RECOGNITION

50 Five Lives: What We Do Coming in May: In Good Company The Guide To Corporate Foundations & Their Work.

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COURTESY CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY

CONTENTS

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22 25

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VECTEEZY.COM

43 45

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CASE STUDY

COLUMNIST

10 The “BUSYNESS” Affliction Leadership - Kathleen Provost

12 Twelve Human Quirks You Can Use to Fundraise Better

The Hand’s on Fundraiser – Mary Cahalane

14 Strategic Philanthropy Unlocks Larger Gifts

The Accidental Philanthropist® - Mark Halpern

18 From Novelty to Necessity:

Getting Started with ChatGPT Workflows Inside AI – George Irish

WEALTH MANAGEMENT - Malcolm Burrows will return next issue

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22 Behind “It Takes a Society”: The Power of Collective Action

47 How AI is Helping Pet Rescue TECH INSIGHTS

25 Making Sense of Donor Data:

A Guide to Different Analytic Approaches

INSIGHTS

43 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2024 MANAGEMENT

45 Strength in The Numbers

Evaluating Volunteers and Employees

NEXT ISSUE: Our CAGP Annual Conference Media Partner Edition Distribution to All Delegates. Find Out More.

January/February 2024

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SEEN, HEARD & NOTED Canadians are Becoming Less Generous, and We Can Do Something About It. As we approached the height of the giving season, a newly released survey explored why Canadian generosity is declining, why it threatens the future of 75,000+ charities in Canada and offered insights about remedial actions which could likely be helpful.

Statistics Canada data shows a steady decline in the percent of Canadians claiming a charity tax credit on their annual tax returns.

This is leading to an increasing charity gap between what is being given versus the increasing demand on charitable services.

“This widening charity gap will threaten those who need a helping hand and the quality of life in our communities” says John Hallward, President of Sector3Insights. A key unanswered question is whether generosity is truly declining or simply shifting to less wellmeasured acts of support (e.g. giving items, GoFundMe campaigns, care giving)?

This new study confirms that generosity, when measured in a much more inclusive manner, is indeed declining. The survey reveals a few explanatory reasons: Greater economic pressures are squeezing the ability to afford generosity; As religiosity continues to decline, so does generosity due to the higher giving + volunteering of religious Canadians; And an ongoing shift in social values and principles. The insights show a particular concern among younger Canadian adults.

Younger adults have lower appreciation of social giving norms, have a lower recognition that charities need their help, and are less likely to feel a responsibility to help. They are more likely to feel government is 6

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responsible (not them).

Unless something is done, this provides a real threat to the future of the charitable sector as generous Baby Boomers pass, and are replaced by less-generous Gen Xs, Ys, and Zs” says Hallward.

So, what immediate remedial solutions can be considered?

A. Our federal government should be considering new policies to better incent the wider set of all desirable prosocial acts of kindness which help our communities (i.e. volunteering, giving items).

B. Increasing the value of charity tax credits is not likely a good option because it would be expensive to the public purse, and this mechanism has only a limited effect on giving.

Quebec has the highest charity tax credits, but the lowest levels of giving. Generosity is about culture and values; not tax incentives. We need to encourage Canadians to want to give more.

C. Create an on-going public campaign (akin to “ParticipACTION”) to promote greater generosity by selling higher social giving norms, creating communities of generous behaviours, and encouraging the mentoring of younger adults.

D. It is important that the main media channels do not allow the negative coverage of a few bad-acting charities overshadow all the good from Canada’s 75,000+ charities.

E. Develop programs to help charities leverage bestpractices for higher quality solicitations. This could include promoting awareness of the charity tax credit (which is low); including charities in one’s Last Wills (currently low); and developing online

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volunteerism (also low).

Hallward adds “As we look forward to the end of the year, and to creating new year resolutions in 2024, it is an ideal time to consider our levels of generosity and to offer a few percent of our income each year to help those in need.”

John Hallward is a Canadian entrepreneur, professional market researcher, and president of Sector3Insights.com, a social enterprise research firm focused on helping the charitable sector thrive. He is a volunteer and has been on several charity and foundation boards. He is the founder and president of GIV3, a charity to promote greater giving in Canada.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• Defeat Duchenne Canada, the country’s leader in Duchenne muscular dystrophyfunded research, is proud to announce that it will grant $880,320 toward five promising research projects this year — making the total awarded over its 29-year history $17.73M. One in every 5,000 boys is born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common fatal form of muscular dystrophy.

This condition is relentless.

It slowly weakens the body’s muscles, deteriorating the function of vital organs and ultimately — shortening their life. Although there are medical treatments in current clinical trials to slow disease progression, there is no cure.

“Research is the only way to find a cure and improve care.

But we cannot do this alone - it is a partnership with scientists, clinicians, and families working closely together to serve one common purpose: improving the health and quality of life

for children and young adults living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” shares Lisa McCoy, Chief Executive Officer of Defeat Duchenne Canada.

The five new projects will enter a three-year agreement with Defeat Duchenne Canada, joining six other research projects in years two and three of their funding. “As a non-profit organization, Defeat Duchenne Canada relies entirely on donations from our community to invest in the most promising research opportunities. Thanks to our donors’ exceptional vision and generosity, we have funded 61 projects by eminent researchers worldwide. Yet, our journey is far from over, and we remain committed to our mission until all children can live a long and active life,” McCoy concludes.

The pipeline of potential treatments for this life-shortening disease has never been so full of promise. Defeat Duchenne Canada is the country’s only national charity dedicated to ending Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Our goal is to provide leadership in research, advocacy and support to ensure our boys can live long and active lives.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• People living with dementia are as diverse as the different diseases and conditions that cause these brain disorders.

In Canada, we are in danger of failing the rapidly growing number of people living with dementia and their care partners if services and supports are not tailored to their unique needs, according to a new study released today by the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

The Landmark Study: The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada is the second of three volumes detailing the demographic, social and foundationmag.ca

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economic impact of dementia in Canada. With the rapid rise of Canada’s aging population, the study projects that the number of people living with dementia in the country will increase by 187 percent by 2050. This is one of the first Canadian studies that seeks to better understand the many faces of dementia and find equitable solutions for future dementia challenges, so that no one is left behind.

“Structural barriers and social determinants of health have had an impact on the brain health of a large segment of the population,” said Dr. Joshua Armstrong, Alzheimer Society of Canada research scientist and lead author of the study. “Our findings highlight that we need to adapt how we help everyone — including Indigenous, racialized and younger adults — live with dementia, while supporting access to care, foundationmag.ca

diagnosis and prevention tools for all.”

Almost one million Canadians will live with dementia by 2030 and its impact will be felt across borders, sectors and cultures. To create positive outcomes, more must be done to fight stigma, discrimination and stereotypes.

“We have to work together to make diversity and inclusion part of a more holistic approach to dementia prevention and management,” said Natasha Jacobs, Advisory Group Lead, Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Natasha’s grandfather, originally from Guyana, developed young onset dementia, and as a youth, she was part of his circle of care. “We have often isolated racialized families, or those who have immigrated here. Fear plays a large role in why folks do not reach out for assistance in a timely manner. Support that recognized my family’s

needs would have made all the difference for us.”

“From coast to coast to coast, dementia touches us all, if not today then tomorrow,” said Christopher Barry, Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer Society of Canada. “The Alzheimer Society of Canada is committed to leading the way in transforming the landscape of dementia care and research, from prevention to support.

There is a wide range of actions we can take – individually and collectively – to be part of the solution for optimizing our healthcare and support systems.

We have a National Strategy in place and are making progress, but much more work needs to be done, and we have a shared responsibility to see it through.”

Findings from the report include: The number of people living with dementia in Canada is expected to increase by 187 percent from 2020 to 2050 — with more than 1.7 million people likely to be living with dementia by 2050.

By 2050, the number of people of Indigenous ancestry living with dementia in Canada is expected to increase by 273 percent, from 10,800 to 40,300.

By 2050, almost one out of every four people who develop dementia in Canada will be of Asian origin.

In 2020, an estimated 4,800 people of African ancestry in Canada were living with dementia, which is predicted to reach over 29,100 in 2050 — a 507 percent increase.

In 2020, an estimated 3,500 people of Latin, Central and South American ancestry in Canada were living with dementia, which is predicted to reach over 18,500 in 2050 — a 434 percent increase.

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In 2020, an estimated 61.8 percent of persons living with dementia in Canada were female and more than half of care partners were women. By 2050, projections show that over 1 million women will be living with dementia in Canada.

Young onset dementia (people under age 65) presents distinct challenges, which often lead to delayed diagnoses and difficulty in obtaining workplace accommodations. By 2050, there could be over 40,000 people under the age of 65 living with dementia in Canada, up from an estimated 28,000 in 2020.

The report concludes with a list of actions that Alzheimer Societies across Canada, healthcare providers, governments, and researchers can take to better understand dementia in Indigenous populations and diverse communities, along with suggestions on how to tackle the gender gap and young-onset dementia.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• Back 2 Basickz Youth Support Services hosted the grand opening of their new location for Black youth in Scarborough, Ontario in January, in partnership with Frontlines. The event included youth speakers, site tours, the unveiling of a graffiti mural, and a DJ. “It’s amazing to go back to Scarborough and the community that helped me and my son when we were going through very difficult challenges,” says Amanda Coombs, Founder of Back 2 Basickz, a grassroots organization that supports Black youth in Toronto’s Jane & Finch community and beyond.

Years ago, Coombs stayed in a women’s shelter and got help from a local church near the new office in Scarborough. “It’s FOUNDATION Magazine

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Stachen Frederick, Executive director of Frontlines Toronto, will also become a mentor to Coombs and her team as Back 2 Basickz expands its reach.

“Grassroots organizations are the glue of our communities.

As someone who founded a grassroots organization many years ago, I could only dream of having an organization such as Frontlines provide funding and support for work that I love doing.

This funding will have great impact for generations to come.”

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Public Safety of Canada. Three other organizations are also fund recipients for this project: Helping Hands, Challenge the Outcome Youth Services and Student Leadership Youth Empowerment. Further program launches will happen in February and March 2024.

Founded in 2013, Back 2 Basickz Youth Support Services was founded with the primary objective of creating a safe space for marginalized and racialized youth to come together, acquire essential life skills, and build a solid foundation for their futures.

Founded in Toronto’s WestonMount Dennis community, Frontlines is a dynamic and innovative youth focused organization with a mission to address the pressing needs of Canada’s most vulnerable youth, particularly BIPOC youth between ages 6 to 29.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• Canada’s forests are facing extraordinary challenges, including climate change, increased fires, biodiversity loss, and invasive species.

As the largest conference in the province about the importance of healthy, resilient forests, Forests Ontario’s 2024 Annual Conference will provide opportunities to meet, learn from, and be inspired by those most passionate about our forests.

“Our natural world is facing some of its greatest challenges, including the unprecedented wildfires that raged through Canada’s forests last summer.

We know there are smart, sustainable, nature-based solutions that support healthy communities and healthy economies. We want people who come to our conference to feel energized and excited by what they can all accomplish together,” Jess Kaknevicius, CEO

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of Forests Ontario and Forest Recovery Canada, says.

The in-person event takes place on February 28, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Universal Eventspace in Vaughan, Ontario.

Topics will include hearing and learning from diverse youth perspectives, new forest health tactics for landowners and forest managers, opportunities with the 2 Billion Trees program and an important look into this year’s unprecedented forest fires.

Changing Climate session) ❯ Catherine Langille, Indigenous Relations Coordinator, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (The Power of Youth – Breaking Barriers and Carving New Pathways session) ❯ Ken Farr, Manager – Science Integration, Natural Resources Canada, and author of “The Forests of Canada” (The Forest’s History session)

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full circle to go back — not as a service user, but as a service provider — to make a difference to youth.”

In partnership with Frontlines, a local charity with a mission to address the pressing needs of some of the GTA’s most vulnerable children and youth, Back 2 Basickz will receive approximately $1M over five years to launch their B-YOU project (Black Youth Outreach United Project). The B-YOU project will provide culturally appropriate programs for Scarborough’s Black youth ages 12 to 21, who are in school and non-students who have been involved or at risk of getting involved in the justice system.

Programs will focus on: ❯ Employment – from job shadowing to entrepreneur workshops to referrals ❯ Education – from free tutoring to post-secondary guidance to volunteering ❯ Mental Health – from emergency crisis intervention to counselling ❯ Positive peer relationships – from one-to-one interactions to group engagements

Parks Canada Fire Crew Leader Jabee Wu, who will be sharing a photographic journey of this past summer’s unprecedented wildfires at Forests Ontario’s 2024 Annual Conference.

While the discussions will appeal to those interested in managing, restoring and conserving our natural environment, as well as everyone who cares about resilient, healthy forests that sustain biodiversity, healthy people and a healthy economy, the real highlight is the diverse and engaging lineup of speakers, including: ❯ Jabee Wu, Fire Crew Leader, Parks Canada (A Cruel Summer session) ❯ Elder Garry Sault, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (Opening session) ❯ Phil Green, CEO, First Resource Management Group Inc. (Fire and a Wildly

❯ Susy Domenicano, Senior Manager: Policy, Reporting and Outreach for 2 Billion Trees program, Natural Resources Canada (2 Billion Trees: Seeds of Change session) ❯ Chris Kornacki, President, Wild Hog Farming Company (Calling all Landowners & Forest Managers session) The full list of sessions and speakers is available on the Forests Ontario website.

“One of the most unique aspects of this Annual Conference will be our youth session, which will explore diverse perspectives on career development. This session will feature a high schooler with foundationmag.ca

SEEN, HEARD & NOTED minimal sector experience, a university student exploring career options, and a young forest and conservation sector professional,” Kaknevicius says.

“The discussion will focus on barriers faced and what appeals to youth about the sector, including integrating Indigenous perspectives and strategies to engage Indigenous youth.”

Also new for 2024 is a pre-event Evening Social of networking and laughter with comedian Graham Chittenden on February 27 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets for the 2024 Forests Ontario Annual Conference are available on the Forests Ontario website, with Early Pricing in effect only until January 22, 2024.

Forests Ontario & Forest Recovery Canada Forests Ontario is the province’s leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats.

Their ambitious, large-scale tree planting initiatives, extensive educational programs, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year.

•••••••••••••••••••••••• A recent survey reveals that 88 percent of B.C. lower mainland residents believe access to natural spaces is crucial to their quality of life. This sentiment is rooted in awareness, with 89 percent acknowledging the importance of pollinators in food production and 88 percent recognizing the role of natural areas in enhancing quality of life.

Notably, the survey highlights that 95 percent of lower mainland residents agree that protecting wildlife habitat improves the overall quality of life in the region, emphasizing a positive attitude toward conservation efforts and the foundationmag.ca

need for increased funding.

Respondents expressed concerns about high food prices and how local landscapes support food security, including significant worries about damage to pollinator (91 percent), salmon (89 percent), and birdlife (87 percent) habitats.

Additionally, nearly all residents (88 percent) share concerns about increasing water pollution and wildfires, underlining the community’s deep connection to their environment, and the desire to see it become and remain healthy and thriving, especially in the face of climate change as robust ecosystems are more resilient to impacts such as droughts and floods.

The survey, taken in March of 2023 with results released today, indicates overwhelming support for regionally specific special conservation funding accounts, with 82 percent of respondents endorsing the establishment of funds dedicated to regional conservation projects. This

support extends to using funds to help farmers protect natural areas on their farms, with 74 percent in favour.

Matt Christensen, Head of Conservation Programs for Ducks Unlimited Canada’s B.C. program speaks on behalf of the Fraser River Delta Farmland Protection and Stewardship Working Group, which commissioned the survey: “This survey reflects the public connection to natural spaces, and the interest in developing funding models to support conservation of these local spaces. Results like this create momentum to take a deeper look at possibilities and start conversations about how we can apply this in our local communities. Everyone will benefit from healthy natural space, and sustainable funding models make that possible.”

The working group is comprised of representatives from local municipalities, academia, environmental nonprofits, and the federal January/February 2024

government, and conducted the survey through Angus Reid with responses from over 1000 residents of the greater Vancouver area. The findings will contribute to the development of a conservation strategy for the region.

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation.

A registered charity, DUC uses sound science and partners with government, industry, nonprofit organizations, Indigenous Peoples and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment. Conservation Funds in B.C. is a local government service that is funded through a dedicated tax or fee and used to support environmental conservation and community sustainability projects. Several municipalities in B.C. have already established local conservation funds with great success including South Okanagan, Regional District of Central Kootenay, and others.

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COLUMNIST

LEADERSHIP KATHLEEN PROVOST

The “BUSYNESS” Affliction

BY KATHLEEN A. PROVOST, CFRE, MAdEd

A

s a professional fundraiser I am struggling to determine my role in the next iteration of philanthropy, to reflect our current reality. Over the last few years I have been researching and reporting back on our everevolving sector as it transforms post pandemic. I was inspired by Ezra Greenberg, Asutosh Padhi, and Sven Smit who co-articled, “2024 and beyond will it be economic stagnation or the advent of productivity driven abundance”, in the January Mckinsey & Co. Magazine.

In an attempt to present a productivity model for businesses they wrote: “The consensus expectation is for growth to revert to preCOVID-19 trends, but this is by no means preordained.

We see plausible scenarios in which growth is well above or well below historical levels.”

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So, as I consider my everyday planning, I must ask, how do I define “growth”? Must the charitable sector revert to past events, fundraising plans, or campaigns expecting pre-pandemic results? Or given the current state of our society must we plan to expect different results and different outcomes in our fundraising strategies. To help explore this conundrum I want to foundationmag.ca

COLUMNIST look at a reoccurring pattern we find in our society, with our donors, and in the charitable sector.

Consider the State of Society A recent analysis of Gallup data by Harvard Business School’s Ashley Whillans found that the percentage of employed Americans reporting that they “never had enough time” rose from 70 percent in 2011 to 80 percent in 2018. I have personally seen and experienced the ailment of “busyness” from a number of individuals. Whether it is a colleague, a business owner, a donor I meet, a teacher at my children’s school, or a clerk at the grocery store. We have all experienced it. Today we must go faster, move beyond, and work more. Why is this?

Social scientists who have termed busyness as “time poverty” state that busyness is on rise.

Columbia marketing professor Silvia Bellezza’s research shows that people perceive others who are busy — to be important and impressive.

Psychologist Jared Celniker found that across the United States, France, and South Korea, people consider those who exert high effort to be “morally admirable,” regardless of their output.

And sociologist Jonathan Gershuny notes, “Work, not leisure, is now the signifier of dominant social status.”

In the Harvard Business Review, Adam Waytz stated: “put simply, ‘busyness’ has become a status symbol.” Our reality is that individuals, businesses, and organizations all seem to be part of this widespread obsession and destructive pattern of busyness.

Some individuals have come to revere busyness. Meaning the more demanding the effort is, the more commitment people feel. Others choose to do something that keeps them busy rather than wait idly for 15 minutes, labelled by some as “idleness aversion”. Lydia Phillip, Communications Manager at Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia claims that an urgency culture is limiting our ability to challenge the status quo because we are just trying foundationmag.ca

Individuals, businesses, and organizations all seem part a widespread obsession and destructive pattern of busyness.

to keep our heads above water.

Can we reverse this obsession with “busyness”? Maybe we cannot force people off the clock, but as professionals, we need to model the right behavior and continuously assess whether our organization is generating meaningful work and eliminating low-value work.

Consider the State of Mind of the Donor Another consideration with the “urgency” of doing things is the relationship you build with a key donor. According to Richard Radcliffe, Founder of Radcliffe Consulting, a legacy gift to a charity is an increasingly common act of engagement, relevance, trust, and confidence. In his January 2024, Hilborn Charity enews article titled: “Thank You and Goodbye”, Radcliffe states this boldly. “Marriage is not always forever. Nor are legacies.

Today’s intelligent donor prospects are marketing-savvy people who will

investigate you to ensure their legacy to you is a good investment.

They need to be respected as equals”.

It is not a case for support that makes a good appeal, it is not the name of the volunteer soliciting, or the story of a student that allures the donors. Today, as fundraisers, we are entering in a partnership with our donors, in a long-term commitment that is just like a marriage; build on trust and affinities. However, the current sense of urgency we are all experiencing may also give rise to paternalism. In her article titled: “Resisting a rest: How Urgency Culture Policies Work”, Lydia Phillip states that our sense of urgency at times can influence the power dynamic by which funders who have economic power may have vastly different lived experiences and priorities than the communities they intend to serve.

Similarly, a factor in the relational exchange called the “promise of next time” gives an urgency culture permission to impose choices and leave no room for inclusion.

Decisions are made unilaterally at the top without the consent, advice, and buy-in of the communities they are intended for.

Given we aspire to have a long-term relationship with our donors, maybe we need to slow down as we establish this long-term commitment. We need to define the terms of our “marriage with each donor”. As Radcliffe put it: “For a donor, a whiff or sniff of doubt in the wisdom of leaving a legacy to your charity and out you go.”

Consider the State of The Sector “The near-continuous pace of crises makes it even more challenging for organisations to navigate our charitable sector,” said Sally Llewellyn, Global Security Director at International SOS. “Organisations will have many risks to address in 2024, as instability continues to be a key theme.”

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COLUMNIST

THE HAND’S ON FUNDRAISER MARY CAHALANE

BY MARY CAHALANE

W

e humans are quirky.

You know fundraising is never as simple as asking for donations. Behind your ask is a world of study. We think about our language. We consider exactly what we’re asking for and why. And we keep the language clear and simple.

We’re straightforward about the need and use stories to illustrate it.

Understanding humans is at the heart of our work.

And for me, it’s endlessly interesting. We are complex characters.

So pulled from my reading over many years, here are 12 human quirks you can use to fundraise better. (You probably already know some of them… experienced fundraiser that you are.)

But hey, repetition works, right?

Mary Cahalane

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1. We make decisions based on emotions I’ve written about this before… and undoubtedly will again. Because while we know this is true, we fight against it. We so dearly want to believe ourselves creatures of logic.

But that’s not how we’re made. Here’s how it works, from an article in Psychology Today: “When an emotion is triggered in your brain, your nervous system responds by creating feelings in your body (what many people refer to as a “gut feeling”) and certain thoughts in your mind. …That is what emotions are designed to do: to appraise and summarize an experience and inform your actions.”

Using our emotions lets us make a decision faster.

But we do quickly rationalize it — either before or after making that decision. So we *think* we’re using our heads.

2. We like to go along with the crowd Roger Dooley calls this the bandwagon effect. We’re group animals. There’s a tendency to think like the crowd, to conform to the general opinion… and our desire to be right and included.

That’s why inviting people to join other caring people in giving helps. Everyone wants to be part of the kind crowd. foundationmag.ca

COLUMNIST 3. Helping others makes us feel good Whether intentionally or not, you already know this. And thank goodness.

It’s how we’ve survived this long. It’s also why we’re able to ask for help to support our good work.

But it’s not just that momentary high of being a helper. This study found that the kind of people who were willing to sacrifice for others were the people who coped better with their own challenges.

4. We’re more likely to help someone if we’ve already helped them So there’s some logic to thinking that we need to return a favor. That’s the social lubricant that keeps civilization going, right?

But we’re also more likely to help someone we’ve already helped. Huh? Dissonance is why.

Dissonance is caused by a negative feeling toward the other person — contrasted with knowing you just helped them. So we rationalize it. They can’t be a bad person if we helped them.

And there’s this: “Research shows that people who have rejected you in the past are actually more likely to help you than other people. When I reject you and you offer me another opportunity to help, if I can, I jump at it.”

Don’t give up on your lapsed donors.

5. We’re powered by groups I love this one, because it’s about the language you use. (That means you can put this to work immediately.)

It seems that using a noun invokes our sense of group identity. You can probably name five things you are right now. I’m a mother, a wife, a fundraiser, a writer, an arts lover… etc. So when you’re writing any donor communications, it’s more powerful to call up that sense of identification by using a noun.

For instance, instead of “donate now,” try “Be a donor.” I’ll be honest, I would have guessed the verb had more power.

But this is definitely worth a test.

6. We love a story… and we stay tuned If you write to donors, you already understand this. But here’s what’s going foundationmag.ca

on inside.

“Our memory is fine-tuned to remember incomplete stories and tasks…

Say you’re meeting with a prospective client or recruit, and you’d like her to come back for a second meeting. Tell her a story or assign yourself a task that you’ll complete when she does. Her compulsion for completion will nag at her, which means you’ve got her attention.”

That’s why you don’t give away the happy ending for an appeal.

7. Reach out and touch someone?

I read a blurb about this study years ago and I’m still intrigued by it. It seems touching something rough — like sandpaper — triggers our empathy and motivates us to donate.

What could you do to use this idea?

8. One is the most powerful story This is another case where we fight “logic” for what’s best for our fundraising.

(Along with using stories, not facts.)

It might seem momentous that millions are suffering. But you’ll move more hearts with the story of one person — or maybe one family. Why? Because we feel more for a specific, identifiable person. We connect on a personal level and it makes us want to help.

9. We want to return a favor Ah… you know those little gifts in a direct mail pack, right? This is why they work — at least enough of the time to make them worthwhile. Even if most people don’t give, enough do.

(But please don’t just pack your envelope full of stuff and hope. The nonprofits who do this have tested carefully. Try something small and look at how it works.)

10. We don’t like too many choices If you’ve spent time with a small child, you understand this. To avoid a meltdown, you offer a blue or red crayon, not the whole pack.

Well, we’re still like that when we’re grown, it seems.

“More choice requires more time and effort (to go through and compare

everything). This can lead to anxiety, stress, unhappiness, high expectations, regret and self-blame if a poor choice is made. It’s hard and it’s difficult to make a good decision when you’re overwhelmed with information and options. You can’t process it effectively.”

11. Loss worries us more than gain From Scientific American: “…the brain regions that process value and reward may be silenced more when we evaluate a potential loss than they are activated when we assess a similar-sized gain.”

We’re wired to avoid loss. And yes, giving a charity money is a kind of loss.

So we have to find ways to overcome that.

My guess? We need to really show (not just tell) the great gain — a life saved, a family fed, etc.

12. Yes, thank you letters matter — a lot.

Dr. Thomas de Zengotita, a media anthropologist and author of Mediated, believes that acknowledgement — our need for validation and empathy from others — is one of our most vital needs. “All mammals want attention,” he told me. “Only human beings need acknowledgment.” https://hbr.org/2015/03/7-ways-tocapture-someones-attention That need for attention is also why a tax receipt or a stuffy, feelings-free thank you doesn’t have the same power. It takes very little — just some real human emotion — to make the donor feel seen and appreciated. Why in the world would you skip over that?

So, which of these ideas are you already using? Which might you experiment with next?

Understanding how we humans human is at the heart of good fundraising communications. It’s also fascinating stuff. Let me know what you find out.

MARY CAHALANE is principal at Hands-On Fundraising where she focuses on improving fundraising results through great communication and a donor-centered mindset. She writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine.

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COLUMNIST

THE ACCIDENTAL PHILANTHROPIST® MARK HALPERN

Strategic Philanthropy Unlocks Larger Gifts

BY MARK HALPERN, CFP, TEP, MFA-P

C

Mark Halpern, CFP, TEP, MFA-P 14

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harities often focus their fundraising efforts on current gifts received in cash, cheques and credit cards. Those are in fact the costliest and least tax-effective ways to give. There are better ways to enhance donations by facilitating smart tax planning by donors. This can even help build a portfolio of legacy gifts that contribute substantially more to a charity’s long-term financial sustainability.

Contact us to receive a copy our reports “After-tax Cost of a Donation” and “More Than 20 Ways to be Generous”.

What often stands between a charity and more sophisticated, larger gifts is a shortage of resources and expertise. The solution is to partner with experts.

Our team, for example, serves as a legacy process consultant for over 60 charities across Canada. When a donor expresses the wish to make a major donation, the charity can reach out to us, and we’ll work with the donor and the donor’s professional advisors to structure that gift in the most cost-effective and taxeffective way possible.

There’s no obligation — just an opportunity for the donor to access wisdom and knowledge to make the best decision possible in a cost and tax-effective way. foundationmag.ca

COLUMNIST An additional advantage to the charity is that these conversations often extend beyond the current gift to explore the benefits that arise from incorporating Strategic Philanthropy into a donor’s estate planning. This often leads to bigger donations down the road.

To provide a sense of the opportunity that’s often there but usually missed, here are three examples of families we’ve worked with, each of which discovered new ways to give that enabled them to take their generosity to the next level.

Turning capital gains tax into charity I was recently an expert panelist at a financial literacy conference with 600 attendees. At the dinner that followed the panel, I saw a couple I know very well.

The husband gave me a big smile and put four fingers in the air. I asked him what that was about. He replied, “Remember I wanted to donate three emergency vehicles to a charity? Well, I donated four!” And then he kissed me on my left cheek and said thank you because they couldn’t have made the gift without my help. That made me smile just as brightly.

The backstory is that a charity introduced me to this couple. They knew they wanted to make a $250,000 gift but weren’t sure how to best navigate it. One thing that came out of our conversations is that the husband’s elderly mother had an equity portfolio that was what we call “pregnant with capital gains” — meaning that its value had appreciated significantly during her lifetime and 27 percent of the capital gains were destined to evaporate into taxes on her death.

I pointed out that an in-kind donation of the securities from the portfolio would eliminate tax on the capital gains and provide a charitable receipt for the full market value. Then, the charitable receipt could be applied to mitigate up to 75 percent of the mother’s net taxable income in the year of the donation or any of the next four years (Note that charitable donations on death can mitigate up to 100 percent of estate taxes due at death). This tax savings made it possible for the family to make an even larger gift than originally planned — foundationmag.ca

Even if it doesn’t have a cash value, life insurance of all types is worth something

and bring an additional much-needed emergency vehicle into service.

Exploiting the value of old, unwanted Life Insurance Another affluent family I was introduced to has a patriarch in his 90s. When the family business was sold, the company that bought it also received Life Insurance policies on the patriarch that they didn’t see any value in. The policies had no cash value, so the company planned to simply cancel them. Fortunately, the family’s advisor knew about my work and asked if there was anything that could be done to capture value from those policies.

I explained that even if it doesn’t have a cash value, Life Insurance of all types is worth something. I recommended that the client and the advisor speak with the purchasing company and encourage them to take the trouble to turn “nothing into something”. We arranged to get a fair market valuation on the Life Insurance policies, which turned out to be worth several million dollars. The acquiring company still had no use for the policies themselves but agreed to donate them to the family’s foundation and receive a very valuable charitable receipt to mitigate tax!

For its part, the foundation could keep the policies alive, paying the premiums

for the remaining years of the patriarch’s life using foundation funds. The result for the family will be a multimillion-dollar legacy they will use to advance their ambitious philanthropic goals. It’s a total win-win-win all around.

Extracting registered money for charity I also consulted with a very generous philanthropist with a net worth of around $800 million. He gives away $15 million to $20 million every year, and it pains him that he can’t give away more.

As it happens, he and his wife had a total of $3 million in RRSPs that would be taxable as income on withdrawal — in his case, in Ontario, at a rate of 53.53 percent — money they would never need to fund retirement.

Through another advisor, he heard about our RRSP/RRIF Conversion Strategy, which extracts money from registered plans to fund charitable gifts.

The goal is to avoid losing more than half of a registered plan’s value to tax. The fact is that, for very wealthy families, the after-tax value of an RRSP or RRIF doesn’t move the dial much on retirement income. However, there’s an alternative that maximizes charity while saving tax.

If the securities inside an RRSP or RRIF are transferred in whole or in part to a donor-advised fund (DAF) or foundation, the 53.53 percent tax bill will still come due — but there will be an approximate accompanying 50 percent charitable receipt. For this donor, the result is a gift of $3 million to charity — when the registered plan was really only worth $1,394,100 to him — plus a charitable receipt that offsets all but 3.53 percent of taxes due.

Going forward, our plan is for the donor to allocate $1 million a year from their foundation for 10 years towards premium payments on a new Life Insurance policy owned by his foundation. In the end, this will create an exceptional legacy gift of about $60 million, plus there’s flexibility, as well, to take dividends as cash and distribute them to charity during his lifetime or take a tax-free withdrawal from the cash surrender value and give it to charity during his lifetime because

January/February 2024

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COLUMNIST the policy is charity owned and the withdrawal will not be taxable!

The “BUSYNESS” Affliction CONTINUED FROM page 11

Creating charity is our mission Our conversations with donors often result in strategies that involve restructuring rather than insurance sales.

I call it “simply moving the shells around”.

We engage enthusiastically in them because we are dedicated to creating charity. Also, they tend to open the door to more comprehensive discussions about estate planning, including insurance solutions that incorporate further Strategic Philanthropy.

We’re also keen to share our knowledge.

We regularly present to national accounting, legal, investment and insurance firms full of professionals who are outstanding at what they do but who nevertheless have knowledge gaps related to Strategic Philanthropy. In addition, we walk charitable leadership teams through the complexities of various approaches to philanthropy, with the goal of empowering them to attract larger gifts.

We are currently developing a community of 100 allied professionals, (accountants, lawyers, insurance advisors, investment advisors, bankers and estate planners) each committed to using their best efforts to create $10 million per year of legacy gifts which equal $1 Billion of new philanthropy annually. For more information or to join us, please visit https://wealthinsurance.com/billion.php Lastly, to become an expert in Strategic Philanthropy and HNW Life Insurance sales, consider signing up for the Power of Platinum™, the unique mentoring and coaching program developed by me with Jim Ruta. Please visit https:// powerofplatinum.com or reach out to us directly — we’d love to share how we go about maximizing the rewards of philanthropy for charities and helping their donors go from success to significance often just by converting taxes into charity.

MARK HALPERN is a well-known CFP, TEP, MFA-P (Certified Financial Planner, Trust & Estate Practitioner, Master Financial Advisor – Philanthropy). He writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine. foundationmag.ca

Other issues arising in our sector include: running on empty, climate crisis (such as extreme weather event), global instability, and social unrest. We have become “shapeshifters”, pulled in many directions. We’re in a constant state of overlapping tasks and competing priorities as we push one thing out the door to immediately leap into the next. This constant reactive state is overwhelming, leading to mental exhaustion and decision-fatigue. HRD Magazine’s Sara Dobson wrote: “burn-out will significantly impact our sector in the coming year.”

Yet according to International SOS Risk Outlook 2024 Report, only, 41 percent of surveyed professionals responded that they feel their organizations are equipped to deal with this mental health challenge.

This urgency culture may privilege organizations with greater resources and capacity to act. Yet, we know that many organizations are underfunded, stretched thin, and lacking resources.

Thinking about the traditional funding system: tight deadlines, strenuous applications, stringent reporting — the organizations that are greater resourced have an advantage in securing funds and additional opportunities.

Annika Voltan proposes a few ideas to resist an urgency culture. She suggests we take a pause when we start to feel the pressure of the day and challenge our own deadlines and expectations. As leaders we must be willing to slow down and we need to stop glorifying “busyness”.

We ought to re-redefine productivity to include spaciousness, rest, and reflection, in an effort to avoid rushed decisions. If only it was that easy!

My final thoughts According to Tricia Hershey of the Nap Ministry, “rest is revolutionary” and is one of the most powerful explanations to restructure how we work together toward peer support and accountability.

Given we have all experienced crisis management teams that have been

running consistently over the last years, maybe we are at a critical junction.

Should we stop running? If we only work harder, if we put in more time, or if we strive for more, who benefits?

This “busyness” only results in our lack to imagine, ideate, and create. The way forward is to consciously choose ourselves and our community. Imagine if what is deeply engrained, as a constant state of “busyness” is keeping us from choosing our humanity? Lydia Phillip was very honest when she started writing her latest blog saying: “Full disclosure: this article was later getting finished. The stress had been building from the pressure I was putting on myself to complete my draft while also being on the road this past month facilitating our storytelling workshops across the province…”

Since this urgency culture dependents on a belief that our work defines us, then rest is resistance, and slowing down is truly a radical practice.

KATHLEEN A. PROVOST is currently the Vice President, Philanthropy and Communications at United for Literacy (previously Frontier College), a national organization with 125 years of community partnerships in Canada, offering free tutoring and mentoring to adult, youth, and children who need literacy and numeracy support.

Kathleen has over 30 years of experience in the charitable sector. She has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) since 2007 and a long-time member and volunteer for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Kathleen holds a Masters degree in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University as well as a Baccalaureate Arts in Political Science and a certificate in Public Relations from McGill University. As a recognized leader, Kathleen has tailored presentations for French and English audiences at various events including AFP-Nova Scotia, AFP-Ottawa, AFP-National Congress, Coady Institute and the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education. She has received numerous recognitions during her career, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to the charitable sector and was recognized as 2021 Fundraiser of the Year in Nova Scotia. She writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine.

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January/February 2024

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COLUMNIST

INSIDE AI GEORGE IRISH

From Novelty to Necessity: Getting Started with ChatGPT Workflows

BY GEORGE IRISH

“We tend to overestimate the effect of a new technology in the short run and underestimate its effect in the long run.”

George Irish

ChatGPT is a powerful platform for advanced AI workflows

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his insight, by technology futurist Roy Amara during the microcomputer revolution of the late 20th century, sheds some light on where we find ourselves in these early days of the AI ‘revolution’.

It’s been a year since the release of ChatGPT. There is wide public interest in AI, and general agreement that we’re on the edge of an important new technology.

But ChatGPT is still more of a novelty than a real tool.

It’s cool and impressive, but it hasn’t yet had a big impact on work lives.

It seems we’re still “in the short run”, waiting for AI to deliver on its highly-hyped promise to transform our jobs. But that may start changing as we head into 2024. This year, the rapid pace of AI ‘breakthrough’ announcements will continue, but at the same time, we should also see practical AI applications enter into our day-to-day work.

Office software giants like Microsoft and Google are already introducing AI into their familiar office programs. Copilot for Office 365, Gemini for Google foundationmag.ca

COLUMNIST

Building AI workflows with ChatGPT For most nonprofits, the best starting point for working with AI is ChatGPT. 1. It’s low cost: Either free or $20/ month for a single ’Plus’ user account.

2. It’s powerful: With a paid ChatGPT Plus account, you get access to GPT4, the most powerful AI model in the consumer market.

3. It’s adaptable: ChatGPT can perform a wide variety of tasks including text analysis and generation, reading images, text recognition, advanced data calculation, and even programming.

4. It’s easy to use: It has a simple interface that understands commands written in plain English - no programming required.

5. You’re probably already using it: You or your colleagues may already be experimenting with ChatGPT (officially, or unofficially). That’s a great starting point!

ChatGPT is a powerful platform for advanced AI workflows and can become a common interface for exploring many different use cases.

GEORGE IRISH is a veteran of strategy, coaching and consulting for AI-powered charity fundraising. He works with Amnesty International Canada and Greenpeace among other organizations.uo. He writes this column exclusively for each issue of Foundation Magazine. foundationmag.ca

Know your ChatGPTs VECTEEZY.COM

Workspace, and other AI assistants will launch with expensive marketing campaigns and claims to boost our job productivity. But don’t expect your daily work routines to change overnight. AI office assistants are still very new and will be aimed at enterprise commercial clients. They likely won’t fit so neatly into nonprofit operations, particularly in specialized areas like fundraising.

If you’re ready to start working with AI right now (and you should be), you don’t have to wait for AI assistants to land on your organization from the software giants. You can already start building practical AI workflows using the most available and accessible AI tool right now: ChatGPT.

If you’ve tried out ChatGPT, you’ve likely used the free version. But for building AI workflows, the better option is to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), which gives you access to the more powerful GPT-4 model with its advanced abilities including document upload, web browsing, data analytics, and image generation.

1. Document Processing The best tasks for harnessing ChatGPT’s capabilities are for working with text documents. ChatGPT can analyze and process multiple documents in just a fraction of the time it would take an expert human analyst.

Here are some top knowledge processing tasks that ChatGPT excels at: Consolidating: “Combine these monthly reports into a single annual/quarterly report, following the same content structure” Summarizing: “Review these reports from our project partners and summarize the top findings on program impact” Extracting: “In these survey results, find all the references to positive donor experiences of our matching gift program” Cross-referencing: “Review these project reports and match the outcomes to key objectives in our strategic plan.”

2. Data Analysis and Reporting Adam on the left (ChatGPT) is a recent top-of-class grad, at his first entry-level job. Ben on the right (GTP-4) has 15 years of experience, a business degree, advanced statistics skills, and runs a marketing design agency. (AI image generated using DALL·E 3 via GPT-4)

Best tasks for ChatGPT workflows ChatGPT has a remarkable ability to process texts — even large blocks of text with many pages — and manipulate words and phrases based on their mathematical associations. It’s like bringing the power of Excel spreadsheets to your written documents.

Use cases for ChatGPT can be grouped into three task categories:

If you have a paid ChatGPT Plus account, then you can use the Advanced Data Analytics toolset in GPT-4. It’s like having a highly capable data analyst always ready to take on complex data intelligence tasks: Fundraising: “Analyze this online donation data and create a summary report showing total gift income, average monthly gift, top 3 daily income totals, and top 3 single gifts.”

Marketing: “Review these monthly ad spend reports and identify the channels that are providing the lowest lead acquisition cost” Forecasting: “Review this data on our past 5 years of face-to-face fundraising results to

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COLUMNIST identify trends, then generate a prediction for the next 2 years.”

Visualizations: “Create a chart showing our daily spend on Facebook ads compared with daily website visits and donations.”

3. Content Generation ChatGPT is also a powerful tool for creating text, though this requires some additional caution. Any content generated by ChatGPT should be reviewed by a human editor to ensure accuracy and conformity with your organization’s communications guidelines.

Fundraising appeals: “Create a draft fundraising email for a fundraising campaign incorporating details from our latest press release.”

Newsletters: “Use this outline of stories and links for our latest newsletter, and generate a full newsletter draft, following our communications style and content guidelines.”

Donor Communications: “Using this latest project report, write a draft of an update to donors that highlights recent achievements and includes one personal story from the report.”

These use cases have all one thing in common, they ask ChatGPT to consult additional information sources — usually documents or Excel charts. Creating the bridge allowing you to connect ChatGPT to your documents and data files is the key building block to enabling AI workflows using ChatGPT.

❯ How you want to receive the response Here’s an example prompt for a summarization and categorization task: “As a marketing advisor, analyze the survey results from our focus groups and create a report on the most common recommendations and concerns about our upcoming campaign.

I will provide the raw survey data in an Excel file. Identify the most frequently mentioned recommendations and concerns, and then summarize them into a report in order of most to least common. For each item, include a relevant quote directly from the survey data.”

It’s kind of like the step-by-step instructions to build an IKEA shelf.

Everything needs to be included — including the Allen key.

But what’s not included in the prompt is the actual survey data. That’s in a separate Excel file, so before ChatGPT can get to work on this task, it needs to be sent this additional document.

How to send documents and data to ChatGPT The available methods to send additional documents and data files to ChatGPT depend

on your account type. The good news is that it’s generally done with familiar methods like ‘cut-and-paste’ or ‘select a file to upload’.

METHOD ONE: Using ChatGPT Free version Using a free ChatGPT account, the only way to add additional texts to a chat is to cut and paste blocks of text directly into the chat window. This limits the size of text or data that can be sent and is best for tasks needing only limited external documents or data.

Start with a prompt that tells ChatGPT about the task and how you will provide the additional documents.

“Summarize three documents into a single report. I will provide the text from the three documents, one at a time. After you have received the three documents, proceed with the summary.”

ChatGPT will respond with a confirmation such as: “Understood. Please provide the first document.”

You then cut and paste the additional documents into the chat window, one at a time.

ChatGPT has a limited ‘active’ memory, so if you have a lot of documents or long documents, then it might start forgetting the first parts. You may need to segment your

METHOD ONE

It’s all about context Like any real-world assistant, ChatGPT can only deliver a successful project if it has been given all the information (context) that it needs for the job. That means thinking beyond the simple short prompt that most of us are familiar with: “Name three Taylor Swift songs about break-ups” or “Tell me a joke about iguanas”.

ChatGPT is very good at receiving and following complex instructions. You can get the best results by building your prompt to include as much context as possible about your task. ❯ What role do you need ChatGPT to perform (a persona or job title) ❯ What you want it to do ❯ What it needs to complete the task ❯ Step-by-step process to follow 20

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METHOD TWO

METHOD THREE

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COLUMNIST tasks into separate pieces and then combine the results at the end.

METHOD TWO: Using GPT-4 If you have a paid ChatGPT Plus account ($20/month) then you can use the more powerful GPT-4 model which offers an “upload file” button.

Using GPT-4, you can prepare your prompt outlining the task and then upload the additional documents before you submit the request. The prompt can be simpler because the files will already be available.

“Summarize these documents into a single report.”

You can upload most common document formats (text, word, excel, PDF, PowerPoint) and GPT-4 will be able to read and analyze the contents. You can load about six documents (depending on their size) that the GPT-4 model will be able to use.

Each time you start a new chat you can re-load the same or different documents, so this approach is very adaptable to a variety of tasks.

METHOD THREE: Create a Custom GPT For some common tasks, you’ll find yourself needing to upload the same documents every time you start a new chat — for instance, loading your strategic plan as a reference or providing a style guide before writing a fundraising appeal or newsletter.

For these repetitive tasks, you can create a Custom GPT — a new feature that was added to ChatGPT in late 2023.

A Custom GPT allows you to create a library of reference documents and instructions that are automatically loaded each time you start a new chat. Then you only need to provide a prompt outlining the task and the Custom GPT will automatically add the reference documents.

“Use this outline to write a newsletter.”

(Your Custom GPT will automatically load and use the style and branding guides that are in its document library) This is where we can really start to see the promise of ChatGPT-powered workflows, turning time-consuming processing tasks into simple point-click commands.

I’ve used the Custom GPT feature to build a Fundraising Appeal Evaluator with a library of best-practice fundraising guidelines, and foundationmag.ca

a scoring matrix. It only needs a cut/paste or upload of text from a fundraising appeal to generate an evaluation of strengths, areas for improvement, DEI assessment, and an 8-point score based on fundraising best practices.

It’s free to use here: https://bit.ly/appealevaluator but you will need a ChatGPT Plus account (paid) to try it out.

We’re still very much in the early days of AI, but with new tools like Custom GPTs, we’re getting a glimpse at how our work routines could be significantly transformed

by AI. A lot remains to be seen — and learned — as we move into our second year of AI in our workplaces. We’re probably still underestimating its impact in the long run.

Reach marketers & financial executives Our magazines are must-reads for key executives in core corporate competencies.

Can you help our readers: • Create a strong financial structure and healthy economic ecosystem to ensure capital and cash flow keep their engines running?

• Determine who their customers should be, how they can reach them most effectively, and how they can turn data-driven marketing into profitable sales?

• Build efficient and effective financial systems to enhance payments and billings between their companies and their customers and vendors?

• Convert all the data and information they collect from every contact point into tangible benefits that increase revenue and reduce costs?

• Equip their companies with the tools, technology, systems and hardware needed to manage their operations, to create new services or products, and deliver them to their market?

• Manage their customers with smoothly functioning support departments that are properly staffed and equipped to solve problems, foster loyalty and retain customers?

• Make any or every step in that chain better, faster, cheaper, and more profitable?

To advertise or get more information and media kits: Steve Lloyd 905-201-6600 ext 225 | 1-800-668-1838 | steve.lloyd@lloydmedia.ca

We can help you tap into the ecosystem at the points that will drive your campaigns.

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IMAGES COURTESY CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY

CASE STUDY

Behind “It Takes a Society”: The Power of Collective Action

W

e spoke to Pamela Mollica, EVP Marketing & Communications, and Mitchell Praw, Director, Brand Marketing, about the recent launch of the new ‘It takes a society’ brand platform for the Canadian Cancer Society. Here’s what they shared: FOUNDATION: The Daffodil and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) brand has a lot of legacy, equity, and brand power in Canada. What was the pivot point that signaled it was time for a brand refresh?

Pam: You’re right, we have a very strong and recognizable brand in Canada and are working hard to keep awareness of CCS high.

Since our last brand refresh nearly 5 years ago, we have adopted a new purpose statement as well as a new mission, vision and values. We’ve moved from a vision of creating a world where no one fears cancer to embracing a new purpose focused on uniting 22

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and inspiring people to take control of cancer. We’ve also updated our organizational values: CCS is courageous, united, caring and rigorous. We needed a brand platform that reflected these changes.

Mitchell: We are also now on the other side of several years of uncertainty and challenge. Like many organizations around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic applied pressure on CCS, causing us to rethink how we served the people who need us.

But together, we rallied. We found ways to deliver our mission, engage supporters and challenge ourselves to be innovative.

Because of this hard work together, we are now growing, we are making progress in cancer prevention, treatment and care, and every day we are there for people affected by cancer.

With CCS well-poised to take on new challenges and opportunities, the timing was right to reimagine our brand, nation-wide. foundationmag.ca

CASE STUDY FOUNDATION: A major brand platform re-design doesn’t happen overnight!

Can you speak to us about the strategy and process that brought you from the decision to develop a new campaign until now?

Pam: We started this process more than a year ago with market research to help inform our work and the direction we wanted to take the CCS brand. We know the majority of our donors are older and there was an opportunity for us to start thinking about a younger audience. The market research revealed that our competitors’ donors are not only younger, but they’re more diverse and more likely to donate to charities that have an impact in their communities.

Stage 4 Cancer Survivor Harjeet Kaur - One of three individuals featured in the “It takes a society” campaign.

Mitchell: We also saw an opportunity to improve our relevance. Together with our fantastic creative agency partner, Juliet, we worked to reimagine the brand to convey why the work we do matters to every person in Canada. We wanted to energize the cause to get more people to see CCS as “a charity for me” — so that we could grow our audience and ultimately encourage more people across the country to join and support us.

FOUNDATION: What does “It takes a society” mean to you, to CCS, and what are you hoping it does to act as a rallying cry for the donor base and potential new audience?

Cancer researcher Dr. Lee-Hwa Tai - One of three individuals featured in the “It takes a society” campaign.

Pam: We all know the expression “It takes a village.” foundationmag.ca

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When the team started developing this particular It takes a society idea, we knew we had something special here. We understood that it would resonate deeply and distinguish CCS in the marketplace. It does a great job at reflecting our core values — courageous, united, caring and rigorous.

It shows us to be a leader and uniter, but it also honours something that is deeply true about cancer: that it is big, and it is complex. And any kind of progress — better treatments, better care, better support — can only happen when we work together. Importantly, It takes a society captures the need for the cause to involve everyone. We think it has the ability to inspire people to recognize that everyone has a part to play and motivate them to join us.

Mitchell: It takes a society is also broad enough to enable us to have conversations about cancer’s most complex issues that are deeply relevant to our many different audiences.

We can talk about how we’re engaging on issues like health equity, access to care, mental health, and so on.

All of these issues require people to come together to find solutions.

By opening the door to these difficult, important and meaningful conversations, we believe It takes a society will help grow our supporter base — appealing to new audiences while adding dimension to and deepening relationships with our longstanding supporters.

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CASE STUDY

Anthony Henry, Prostate Cancer Survivor - One of three individuals featured in the “It takes a society” campaign.

Pam: This new brand platform marks a bold new chapter for CCS and will play a critical role in guiding us for several years to come.

It makes a promise that we will show determination, courage and leadership, uniting people across the country, in the face of this disease.

Across all our communications, we want to demonstrate the impact that one person can have when they combine their actions with the actions of others. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire people of all ages, from all backgrounds and all parts of the country to come together to take on cancer’s biggest issues.

FOUNDATION: When you look back on the campaign once it’s over, what will success look like for CCS? Mitchell: Of course, we hope that people have a positive reaction to the videos and other materials we’ve developed for the brand campaign. We’ll know the campaign is a success when more people join our cause: as volunteers, partners, advocates, event participants, fundraisers, donors and staff members.

We are a charity and the vast majority of our funding comes from individual donations, so ultimately the goal is that It takes a society will resonate emotionally with people, making them feel that donating to the Canadian Cancer Society will have a significant and direct impact on lives of people with cancer - in their families, their communities and across the country.

FOUNDATION: How is CCS mobilizing the nationwide workforce at CCS behind this new brand position?

Pam: We presented It takes a society to our employees in November and it was really well received. I think our staff is excited to embrace this evolution of our brand and make it come to life in their day-to-day work.

Mitchell: To ensure we’re providing our staff with the tools 24

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they need to be active ambassadors for our organization and live our brand in our actions and decisions, we’ve done several things, including convening senior leaders for a Brand Summit to talk about how we can maximize the impact of the new brand campaign across different business areas. The marketing and communications team is regularly meeting with internal stakeholders to advise on how to integrate It takes a society into various projects. We’ve developed a toolkit and other resources for staff to reference so that we’re consistent in our communications, both internally and externally.

FOUNDATION: Last question. Are there any individuals behind the scenes who were instrumental in bringing “It takes a society” to life?

Pam: It wouldn’t be much of an understatement to say that it took a society for this new brand campaign to see the light of day. Certainly, our partners at Juliet were instrumental in developing this idea — Ryan Spelliscy, Kaiti Snell, Laurent Abesdris, Natasa Kajganic deserve a huge shout-out. Media.

Monks played a key role in getting our message out to market.

At CCS, Mitchell Praw led the charge for the marketing team with contributions from Sarah Connor, Karen Clark, Audrey Caramanico, Jacqueline Lam, Milveen Eke-Allen, Fiona Sohrabi, RD, CAPM, BSc, PMDip, Hiba Al-Dabbagh, Isabelle Girard, Sheila Dong, Maxmillien Rosenberg and all their teams and colleagues. The list goes on. As the idea evolved, we solicited input from leaders across the organization from fundraising, digital engagement, our mission team, our executive and board of directors. It really was a huge team effort.

For more on “It takes a society” and for information on the Canadian Cancer Society: https://cancer.ca/en/ways-to-give/ittakes-a-society foundationmag.ca

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TECH INSIGHTS

A Guide to Different Analytic Approaches

BY MUBASHIR MAQBOOL

D

ata Analytics in nonprofit organizations goes beyond simple data stored in databases and financial systems. Instead, it involves the ability to derive meaningful insights from this data and effectively apply them to enhance organizational management. By leveraging donor analytics, you can identify trends and patterns in donor behavior, understand the impact of fundraising efforts, and make informed decisions that contribute to improved financial management within your nonprofit. This more profound understanding of your donors can help you tailor your fundraising strategies, cultivate stronger donor relationships, and ultimately drive a more significant impact on your mission.

In this comprehensive article, we will thoroughly explore the wide range of analytics that can immensely benefit your nonprofit organization. By delving into these powerful analytics and gaining profound insights, you can strategically pave the way for long-term financial stability and unparalleled success.

So, let’s dive right in and embark on an enlightening journey to discover the immense power and transformative potential of analytics for nonprofit organizations.

We discuss some of the most important types of donor analytics that are particularly relevant: ❯ Donor Giving Analytics ❯ Donor Engagement Analytics ❯ Donor Demographic Analytics ❯ Predictive Donor Analytics Gaining valuable and actionable insights from your donor analytics is crucial to unlocking your fundraising strategy and achieving even greater success for your nonprofit organization. foundationmag.ca

By thoroughly leveraging these insights, your organization can enhance its financial flexibility, allowing you to fulfill your mission better, serve your constituents, and expand your services to reach even more individuals in need. Let’s delve into the details and embark on this journey together.

Donor Giving Analytics: Gaining deep insights into donor analytics, specifically their giving patterns and preferences is crucial for nonprofit organizations. A donor’s giving habits can tell you a lot, so take some time to analyze the past transactions stored in your donor database. By comprehensively understanding the donation habits and motivations of your supporters, you can effectively tailor your communication strategies, develop targeted fundraising campaigns, and foster stronger, longlasting relationships. This valuable information empowers you to engage with your donors on a more personalized level, ensuring that your messaging resonates with their interests and values, ultimately driving increased support for your cause.

To achieve this, it is imperative to collect a comprehensive set of relevant data points for each individual donor in your nonprofit customer relationship management (CRM) system.

These valuable insights will serve as a solid foundation for understanding and optimizing your donor-giving analytics. The data that you’ll rely on for these insights include the following: Historical Donation Amounts: By analyzing the previous donation history and amounts from individual donors, you can ascertain their average contribution and track any changes over time. This valuable insight allows you to gauge potential future gift amounts and better understand the donor’s level of support.

Giving Frequency: Understanding the frequency at which individual supporters give can provide valuable insights for January/February 2024

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TECH INSIGHTS future engagement. By analyzing and tracking the giving patterns of your supporters, you can gain a deeper understanding of their donation habits and preferences. For example, if a supporter makes sporadic donations throughout the year, you have the opportunity to invite them to join your recurring giving program. This will not only ensure a sustainable source of income for your organization but also foster a deeper sense of commitment from your donors. On the other hand, if you are aware that a supporter typically contributes once at the year’s end, you can tailor your end-of-year campaign message to reach out to them and maximize their engagement effectively. This level of granularity allows you to optimize your approach and enhance the effectiveness of your fundraising efforts, ultimately leading to greater success in achieving your philanthropic goals.

Recency of Giving: If a donor typically contributes multiple times per year but has yet to make any donations this year, they may be at risk of lapsing. It’s important to reach out and remind them of the impact they’ve made in the past, highlighting specific projects or programs they’ve supported. A heartfelt message like “We miss you!” can help reignite their support if it has been a while since their last contribution. On the other hand, if a donor has just made a recent donation to your organization, it may come across as greedy and disconnected to send them another solicitation the following week. Instead, please take the opportunity to express gratitude and provide updates on how their contribution is making a difference. Building strong relationships with donors is crucial for long-term support and engagement.

Lifetime Value: By gathering detailed donation information for each donor, including their giving history, frequency of donations, and average donation amount, you can gain valuable insight into the long-term effectiveness of your fundraising efforts individually. While you will calculate the overall fundraising efficiency ratio for your campaigns, analyzing the return on investment per supporter and identifying your most valuable donors becomes even more insightful when considering factors such as their engagement level, loyalty, and potential for future contributions. This comprehensive understanding of your donors’ lifetime value can guide strategic decision-making, enabling you to prioritize resources and tailor your fundraising strategies to maximize your organization’s impact.

By analyzing the data on your specific donors and their giving history, you can gain valuable insights into donor profiles that will guide your fundraising appeals and provide opportunities for increased engagement.

For instance, consider a mid-tier supporter who consistently donates multiple times yearly to your nonprofit. Let’s assume this supporter contributes approximately $1,000 four times annually. As you prepare for your upcoming fundraising campaign, you can aim to enhance their yearly donation by crafting a message similar to the following: We are incredibly grateful for your generous support throughout the past year. As we embark on a new program, we are thrilled to introduce initiatives that will make a profound impact on x, y, and z. We invite you to participate in this exciting journey 26

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by considering a commitment of $5,000 towards this year’s campaign. Your contribution will be instrumental in our mission to create lasting change. Thank you for your continued support.

In addition to enhancing individual donor relationships, analyzing donor data related to giving enables your nonprofit to generate valuable insights such as average donation amount and total revenue from individual donors. To stay ahead with the data management efforts and keep donor data organized, this information can be utilized to develop a more precise budget for the future, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in financial planning.

Additionally, by analyzing your fundraising data over the years, you can observe the variations and trends, enabling your nonprofit to make better predictions about revenue. For instance, you may discover that major donations tend to decline after elections as many supporters opt to allocate their contributions toward political campaigns rather than charitable causes.

Donor Engagement Analytics: Supporters can engage with your mission in various ways beyond just making donations. Even if a supporter has yet to make a recent donation, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are disengaged or haven’t contributed to your cause through other means.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of your prospective major donors engagement, it is important to collect broader data encompassing their interactions with marketing efforts and alternative giving channels and gain deeper insights into donor engagement analytics. In the process of collecting data, it is essential to gather donor information related to the following data points.

Email Open Rates: The average email open rate for nonprofits is approximately 26.6 percent (source: Campaign Monitor). Even if supporters still need to donate, they can stay updated through your emails! Analyze open and click-through rates per supporter to gauge their engagement with your email communications.

Event Participation: Donors who actively participate in events demonstrate their dedication to your campaign. Your nonprofit organization must keep a record of individual donors attending your events, as well as the overall event attendance.

For hybrid events, it is important to distinguish between inperson and virtual attendees. This will empower you to collect feedback and gain a deeper understanding of how each supporter engages with your cause.

Volunteer Hours: When supporters face difficult times or want to enhance their contributions, they may dedicate their time and volunteer for your cause. It is crucial to not only monitor these volunteer hours but also acknowledge them as significant contributions of time, rather than merely another metric of engagement. Moreover, you can proactively reach out to your volunteers and encourage them to inquire about their eligibility for volunteer grants from their employers.

In-kind Donations: Alongside volunteer hours, the value of inkind donations from supporters should not be underestimated.

These non-monetary contributions are assigned values as part of your accounting processes and can be just as valuable foundationmag.ca

TECH INSIGHTS as financial contributions. Even supporters who haven’t contributed financially may have made in-kind contributions to support your cause.

Feedback Provided: Even negative feedback can indicate that a supporter is genuinely invested in your cause. Supporters only provide feedback for causes they deeply care about, so expressing their opinions signifies their desire for your organization to enhance specific aspects.

Based on this information, your nonprofit can derive valuable insights regarding the effectiveness of your strategies in engaging supporters and evaluating your organization’s overall performance.

When analyzing donor data for engagement, you can uncover valuable insights that provide a deeper understanding. These data driven insights can help you make informed decisions and enhance your strategies to better engage with donors.

Enhancing engagement strategies: Take the time to thoroughly explore optimization opportunities to improve the effectiveness of your emails, registration pages, and other engagement channels. Consider employing A/B testing to measure the impact of different strategies and identify what works best for your audience. Additionally, remember to gather feedback from supporters engaged in various activities to gain valuable insights and identify specific areas for improvement.

By continuously fine-tuning and refining your engagement approach, you can create a more tailored and impactful experience for your audience.

Preventing donor lapses is crucial when they disengage from your activities, such as attending events, reading emails, or contributing to campaigns. Proactively contacting them to rekindle their interest before they lapse entirely is essential. By understanding the reasons behind their disengagement, you can tailor your approach and communication to address their specific concerns. This could involve personalized follow-up emails, targeted event invitations, or showcasing the impact of their past contributions. Statistics show that lapsed donors are only recaptured about four percent of the time, highlighting the importance of making continuous efforts to retain these supporters and prevent their drop-off.

Acknowledge the value of non-monetary contributions offered to your nonprofit organization. In addition to monetary donations, recognizing the significance of in-kind donations and the dedication of volunteers is crucial. While financial contributions are often given more attention, it is important to appreciate the specific benefits of in-kind gifts, and to assign a monetary value to them for accounting purposes. Furthermore, the commitment and time invested by volunteers should be noticed. Their valuable contributions can be quantified by assigning an average suggested rate, such as $31.80 per hour, to recognize their impact. By giving due credit to these nonmonetary contributions, your nonprofit organization can effectively showcase the comprehensive support it receives from its community.

When supporters engage with your nonprofit in multiple foundationmag.ca

ways, such as attending events, volunteering, and sharing your mission on social media, they not only increase their likelihood of long-term commitment but also bring value beyond monetary contributions. By monitoring individual engagement metrics for each supporter and analyzing your donor analytics, you can identify significant opportunities for future growth and tailor your strategies to maximize impact. This comprehensive approach allows you to build strong relationships with supporters and leverage their diverse skills and networks to advance your organization’s mission further.

Having completed the initial two types of donor analytics, we now have two remaining categories to explore: Donor Demographic Analytics and Predictive Donor Analytics. In our upcoming blog article, we will delve into these topics, providing comprehensive insights while maintaining clarity and coherence.

Whether you’re a startup organization or a leading corporation, CommunityForce provides fully customizable, all-in-one online grant management solutions to maximize your efficiency, simplify complex processes, and improve collaboration so you can focus on increasing your impact. We’ve helped organizations streamline their entire process no matter the size and scope of their giving.

Our previously published blog article thoroughly examined and discussed the first two types of donor analytics: Donor Giving Analytics and Donor Engagement Analytics. Today, let’s take a deep dive into the remaining two types: Donor Demographic Analytics and Predictive Donor Analytics. By delving into these specific areas of analysis, Dawe can gain a comprehensive understanding of donor behavior, including their age, gender, location, and other demographic factors. This knowledge will enable you to make highly informed decisions based on data-driven insights, allowing you to tailor your fundraising strategies according to the unique characteristics of your donors. Expanding your knowledge in these domains will undoubtedly enhance your ability to engage with most valuable donors on a more personal level and optimize your fundraising strategies effectively. Let’s explore these areas in more detail to unlock donor analytics full potential and revolutionize your fundraising approach.

Analyzing Donor Demographics: Understanding the demographics of your current donor base is crucial when reaching out to acquire new supporters. By identifying the shared qualities, interests, and characteristics between your existing supporters and potential donors, you can significantly increase the likelihood of connecting with individuals who resonate deeply with your cause. For example, if your nonprofit focuses on supporting young children, you likely have many supporters who are young parents and families. These supporters understand the challenges and importance of early childhood development and are passionate about your organization’s mission. This knowledge allows you to tailor your outreach efforts effectively and helps you build a more robust support network by engaging with individuals who have a genuine connection to your cause. With this more January/February 2024

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TECH INSIGHTS profound understanding of your donor base, you can craft compelling messages, create targeted campaigns, and establish meaningful relationships that foster long-term commitment and support for your organization’s initiatives.

By harnessing the power of donor analytics, you can strategically target your outreach efforts, leading to reduced acquisition costs and a heightened return on investment in finding new supporters. This data-driven approach allows you to optimize resource allocation and efficiently connect with potential donors, ensuring your fundraising efforts are maximized to their fullest potential. With the ability to analyze donor behavior and preferences, you can tailor your strategies to resonate with your target audience, fostering stronger connections and driving long-term support for your cause. Embracing the insights provided by donor analytics will empower your organization to make informed decisions, unlocking new opportunities for growth and impact in your fundraising initiatives.

To effectively monitor your supporters, it is crucial to keep track of specific demographic data, including: Age: Understanding the average age of your supporters provides actionable insights on how to reach and engage with your target audience effectively. For example, if your target audience consists of younger individuals, platforms like Instagram might be more suitable for capturing their attention and interest. On the other hand, if your target audience is predominantly older, focusing on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn could yield better results. By knowing the age demographics of your audience, you can shape your marketing campaigns in a way that resonates with them, creating content that speaks directly to their preferences and interests. This personalized approach maximizes engagement and ensures your message has a lasting impact.

Location: Tracking location is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it allows you to estimate the number of local supporters you have and determine their potential attendance for in-person events.

Additionally, it helps you gauge the amount you should allocate for virtual options, such as live streaming or online engagement platforms. This ensures that you can provide a seamless virtual experience for supporters who cannot attend in person. Secondly, if your nonprofit engages in fundraising activities across different states, it is imperative to register with each respective state in which you raise funds. This ensures compliance with legal requirements and facilitates smooth operations, as you can tailor your fundraising strategies to align with each state’s specific regulations. You can effectively plan and execute initiatives that maximize support and impact by understanding the locations involved in your nonprofit’s activities.

Family Members: Understanding the dynamics of your supporters’ households allows your nonprofit to engage with the entire family unit rather than just individual members. This approach proves particularly advantageous for cost-effective direct mail campaigns, as it enables you to reduce expenses associated with mailing invitations, annual reports, and more.

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and inclusivity, ensuring everyone feels involved and valued.

Additionally, understanding each family member’s unique needs and interests allows you to tailor your outreach efforts, providing high intent, relevant and personalized content that resonates with each individual. This increases the likelihood of their engagement and enhances the overall effectiveness of your communication strategies. So, take the time to delve deeper into the dynamics of your supporters’ households and unlock the untapped potential within their families’ collective strength.

Employer: If supporters work for the same employer, there is an opportunity to explore corporate philanthropy options with the company. This can include programs such as matching gift programs, where the employer matches the donations made by their employees, or volunteer days, where employees are encouraged to give their time and skills to support charitable causes. Additionally, some companies may have other initiatives to encourage their staff members’ further involvement, such as employee-giving campaigns or community service projects.

By tapping into these corporate philanthropy opportunities, supporters can make an even more significant impact and contribute to positive change in their communities.

Relevant Interests: One of the main key strategies in the nonprofit sector is to identify and understand the specific interests of your major donors. By doing so, you can create meaningful donor segments that allow you to tailor your outreach efforts accordingly. This personalized approach ensures a stronger connection to your cause, as you can align your messaging and initiatives with the motivations and passions of your supporters. By delving deeper into their interests, you can foster a sense of belonging and engagement, strengthening relationships and increasing organizational support.

Donor analytics play a crucial role in marketing outreach.

By leveraging data management efforts and understanding your audience’s demographics, you can effectively target new supporters and engage existing ones. For instance, in the realm of social media marketing, conducting an advertising campaign for your organization allows you to expand your reach and customize your message for specific groups, taking into account their documented interests, age, gender, and other relevant factors. This level of precision and customization enables you to create more personalized and impactful marketing strategies that resonate with your target audience, ultimately driving more robust engagement and support for your cause.

Furthermore, organizations can unlock invaluable insights to create highly targeted and segmented groups within their existing database. This strategic approach allows tailored marketing and fundraising campaigns that resonate deeply with specific audience segments. For example, an animal shelter can gather data on supporters’ preferences for cats or dogs, enabling them to craft distinct and personalized messages for each segment. This ensures maximum impact and engagement and strengthens the connection between the organization and its supporters. By going the extra mile to understand and cater to their audience’s unique needs and interests, organizations can foundationmag.ca

TECH INSIGHTS build stronger relationships and drive even greater success in their fundraising efforts.

Predictive Donor Analytics: Within your comprehensive donor database, you can store crucial and detailed information about your dedicated supporters. This extensive repository of valuable data can be harnessed to understand their current engagement and predict and anticipate their future involvement and commitment to your noble cause. Donor analytics, primarily derived from thorough prospect research, provide your esteemed organization with invaluable insights and knowledge about your passionate supporters, empowering you to make informed decisions and cultivate meaningful relationships.

Predictive donor analytics are derived from various types of data, including the following: Wealth Data: These metrics provide valuable insights into the financial capacity of your supporters, allowing you to understand their potential contributions to your nonprofit organization. By analyzing these key data points, you can better understand their financial resources, investment portfolios, and philanthropic interests. This information empowers you to tailor your fundraising strategies and effectively engage with potential donors. Here are some key data points you can explore: ❯ Ownership of real estate properties ❯ Holdings in stocks and investments ❯ History of political donations Philanthropic Data: These comprehensive metrics provide valuable insights into the philanthropic behavior of your dedicated supporters, allowing you to anticipate their likelihood of generously donating to your esteemed nonprofit organization. By leveraging this data, you can develop targeted strategies and personalized approaches to cultivate lasting relationships with your valued donors, fostering a strong and sustainable foundation for your mission-driven initiatives.

Below are some of the data points that you can analyze: ❯ Previous donations made to your nonprofit or similar organizations ❯ Volunteer hours dedicated to your nonprofit or similar organizations ❯ Involvement as a member of your nonprofit board or other nonprofit boards ❯ Consideration of the timeliness, frequency, and monetary value of donations The primary purpose of collecting this data is to assist in identifying significant gift prospects for your cause. You can strategically prioritize and cultivate relationships with potential donors by analyzing various factors such as wealth, philanthropic history, and personal interests. Notably, a substantial portion, approximately 88 percent, of nonprofit funds are derived from just the top 12 percent of donors, underscoring the immense impact these contributions can foundationmag.ca

have. When data indicates that an individual possesses both the financial means and inclination to donate, they represent an up-and-coming candidate for a major contribution, potentially transforming your organization’s future and its mission.

Utilizing insights gained from donor analytics helps identify the most impactful fundraising requests to make to your supporters, but it also assists in establishing appropriate gift levels for engaging in meaningful conversations with them.

By understanding your supporters’ giving history, you can tailor your approach based on their previous contributions.

For example, if you know that a supporter generously donated $3,000 to another organization, you can approach them with a request for a similar amount, knowing that they can give at that level. On the other hand, if they decline the larger gift, you can suggest a more moderate contribution of $1,500 as an alternative. This strategic approach maximizes the potential for successful fundraising efforts and demonstrates your attentiveness to your supporters’ preferences and capabilities.

By planning your fundraising tasks precisely and aiming to maximize your requests, you can enhance your ability to forecast and secure funding. This, in turn, improves budgeting and provides greater flexibility in revenue management for your organization. Increased liquidity and a willingness to take calculated risks are then reflected in your statement of financial position, opening up new avenues for growth and creating additional opportunities.

Concluding Thoughts The data utilized to derive insights from your nonprofit’s donor analytics is vital information for your organization. It lets you identify the critical performance indicators driving your fundraising strategy. By leveraging this data, you gain valuable insights into these KPIs and discover metrics that bolster your pursuit of these goals.

If you want to improve your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts and drive even greater success, leveraging predictive donor analytics is an integral step. By utilizing a suite which comes with all the powerful tools and business intelligence, your organization can tap into the immense potential of data-driven decisionmaking and build strong, long-lasting relationships with your passionate supporters. With a solid understanding of key data points such as wealth and philanthropy, you can tailor your approach to securing major gifts and achieving your fundraising goals. So don’t wait; start leveraging donor analytics today and unlock the full potential of your nonprofit organization.

Whether you’re a startup organization or a leading corporation, CommunityForce provides fully customizable, all-in-one online grant management solutions to maximize your efficiency, simplify complex processes, and improve collaboration so you can focus on increasing your impact. We’ve helped organizations streamline their entire process no matter the size and scope of their giving.

MUBASHIR MAQBOOL is Senior Marketing Director at CommunityForce.

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KICKER

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SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH

Women in Philanthropy: A Study in Foundational Support STAFF

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he new report released from TD Wealth examines the critical and growing role women are playing in Canada’s charitable sector. With wives, partners and daughters set to inherit $1 trillion over the next decade, women are a driving force in Canadian philanthropy.

The new report, Trust and Transformation: Canadian Women and Philanthropy, delves into women’s unique motivations and approaches to giving, and details the evolving differences between generations of female philanthropists.

Donations claimed by women in annual tax filings increased from $1.5 billion in 2011 to $4.3 billion in 2021 and are projected to reach $5.9 billion by 2030, yet the TD study shows that tax incentives are not a key motivator for women when they make philanthropic decisions. Rather, trust emerged as an essential driver in Canadian women’s philanthropy, influencing how much, and to whom, they decide to give.

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Trust key to female giving Trust, as a critical decision driver, is reflected in the research and due diligence many women undertake to ensure they are fully satisfied with the strength of any charity, including volunteering, to gain a better understanding of the charity’s work, and establishing relationships with key management personnel before providing their financial support. Additionally, women who participated in the research emphasized the importance and trust they place on the views of their friends, family and colleagues when making decisions about donating.

“Before donating, women tend to do more extensive diligence than men. Women seek counsel from family and friends in making charitable giving decisions and they are also influenced by family experiences, social awareness and growth in financial resources. They also volunteer their time as a way to gain a better understanding of the charity’s work and establish relationships with key management personnel before providing any financial support,” said Jo-Anne Ryan, Vice President, Philanthropic Advisory Services at TD Wealth. “Women are a critical force behind the country’s charitable sector. Without women, the almost 86,000 Canadian charities would simply not function. Not only do they provide much-needed funding and a cadre of volunteers, but women participating in the sector are increasingly driving systemic change.”

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SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH Generational differences in philanthropic behaviour The report also explores the differences in philanthropic priorities between younger and older female donors, finding that younger donors are more focused on the future, working to improve historical and emerging inequities, whereas older donors continue to support charities that their families have traditionally donated to. Younger women were also found to be more willing to self-identify as philanthropists, and the emergence of women in leadership positions and as role models has encouraged young women to step forward as volunteers, fundraisers, and funders.

Additionally, female entrepreneurs have become leaders in the creation of businesses that combine commercial success with the opportunity to create a better society. Coined “social entrepreneurs,” more women are integrating philanthropy into their business plans than ever before.

“We are seeing more female social entrepreneurs add philanthropy to their business plans, putting money back into their communities and incorporating purpose as part of their hiring practice. They are propelled to help others through a sense of social responsibility and a belief that everyone who is able should set aside some time, effort, and personal resources to help build a community that is just and equitable,” continued Ryan. “Women have a greater capacity to give than ever, and it’s important that Canadian charities of all types and sizes demonstrate their relevance and positive impact on those they serve.”

Additional findings from the report include: ❯ Between 2020 and 2023, 40 per cent of the growth in total wealth controlled by women will be represented by inter-family transfers, such as divorce settlements and inheritances. ❯ Giving by women is motivated by several factors, including family experiences, social awareness, the influence of

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friends and growth in financial resources.

Women are more likely to respond to current events and humanitarian crises, such as the negative impact of inflation on housing and food security, and environmental disasters associated with climate change in Canada. ❯ Top causes supported by Canadian women include mental health support and research (42 per cent), medical research and treatment (38 per cent), and climate change and environmental efforts (37 per cent). ❯

“As women’s influence over wealth in Canada continues to increase, it’s important to recognize that just as we plan for our financial future and retirement, having a philanthropic plan is equally important,” added Ryan. “Talking with an advisor to discuss your philanthropic goals and strategies is an essential step toward making a meaningful and lasting impact on the causes you care about - whether it’s advice on how philanthropy fits into your overall financial strategy or support establishing a structure to leave a legacy, such as private foundations or donor-advised funds. We always do better with a plan, and this holds true for our philanthropic endeavors as well.”

INSIDE THE REPORT Taking a deep dive into the findings, insights, and realities capture in this report.

Without women the almost 86,000 Canadian charities would simply not function. Fundraising would collapse, animal shelters would not be staffed, and food banks would be forced to close.

Of the 3.5 million people employed by the sector, approximately 2.7 million are women.

What’s more, women hold a significant proportion of executive positions at Canadian charities and more board positions are being filled by women as Diversity, Equity, and

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SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH impact through immediate donations and sustainable monetary commitments.

These gender-specific changes and influences, together with the application of diversity, equity and inclusion frameworks and policies, have led to material shifts within the charitable sector. It is these shifts and the impact of these changes that are the subject of this new report. This report is not an addendum to the 2014 report but, rather, a fresh look at the topic. It is, deliberately, more qualitative than quantitative and seeks to capture the spirit and drivers of change in a way that will spark a new debate among participants in the charitable community.

Women not only work and volunteer in the sector, but they also represent a critical source of funding through donations that either flow directly to charities or are directed through private foundations and donor advised funds. For 2021, Statistics Canada reported that women claimed donations totalling $4.3 billion, an increase from the $1.5 billion donated a decade earlier.

Canadians at all income and wealth levels support charities in a variety of ways throughout their lives with gifts that can consist of money, goods, their personal time and support or other means — including fundraising on behalf of charities.

Motivation for giving will vary from one person to the next but is generally founded on a sense of social responsibility and a desire to support one’s community.

Women and the Canadian Charitable Sector The motivation to become philanthropic and to share personal skills and resources springs from many different sources and, based on the interviews conducted with female donors across Canada, is frequently a combination of many factors rather than a single event or experience.

“Giving is a universal opportunity,” points out Laura ArrillagaAndreessen, philanthropist, educator, and author. “Regardless

HTLAEW DT FO YSETRUOC

Inclusion (DEI) policies are implemented, particularly at local charities and those focused on the provision of social services.

It was 19 years ago that TD Wealth first commissioned a major study on Canadian women and their philanthropy. This ground-breaking report in 2014 was followed by supplementary reports in 2016 and 2017, all of which led to a heightened level of discourse about the important role of women in Canada as donors, volunteers, board directors and charity executives.

In a report published in 2022 by Statistics Canada, 69 percent of nonprofit organizations that serve the needs of Canadian families indicated that they have a need for volunteers. In all age groups, women outnumber men in terms of volunteering with an overall participation rate of 44 percent compared to 38 percent for men, suggesting that just over 13 million women volunteer their time to one or more charities. This and associated data around the approximate time spent translates into the equivalent of about 1.4 million full-time positions and confirms the continuation of circumstances that have existed for at least the past decade.

Since 2017, the emergence of a number of critical social issues have further shone the spotlight on women and fueled debate by women on the influence of these issues on the charitable sector.

These catalysts include the #MeToo movement in 2017, the publication of the report of The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in June 2019, the murder of George Floyd in 2020 which accelerated the growth of Black Lives Matter, and the landmark 2022 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to remove the constitutional right to abortion.

These social issues and various existential issues — such as climate change — are influential forces, but not the only forces, affecting women and changing the shape of women-led philanthropy. Another force is the expanded access to, and the ownership of, financial resources that enable women to make an

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SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH of your age, profession, religion, income bracket, and background, you have the capacity to create change.“ Belonging to a community Fundamentally, women are propelled to help others through a sense of social responsibility and a belief that citizenship imposes an obligation on everyone who is able to set aside some time, effort, and personal resources to help build a community that is just and equitable. Almost to a person, the women interviewed for this research echoed the words of former Governor-General David Johnson in the 2015 Speech from the Throne who said: “Canadians are open, accepting, and generous people. We know that helping those in need strengthens our communities and makes them safer, more prosperous places to live.”

To some, community was defined by geography, to others the community was based on colour and ethnicity, to a third group the defining feature was age, and to a fourth group their community was characterized by sexual orientation and identity. It is often these microcommunities within the larger community that are the focus of women volunteers and donors.

In one example, a Black donor in Ontario mentioned that her giving patterns had changed as a result of her willingness to express her Black identity “openly and unapologetically” and that she no longer wished to continue to try and assimilate and “pretend to be white.”

Family and friends Many women spoke of the influence of their parents and grandparents in guiding them in the early days of their philanthropic journey. Some talked of a sense of responsibility to continue to support charities that have relied on the family for years.

On the other hand, some younger donors mentioned the need to 34

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SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH reflect contemporary issues in their giving.

While parents and grandparents are inspiring to many women, the power of friendship and the encouragement of colleagues also play an essential part in building philanthropic conviction.

Throughout the research, women frequently mentioned the importance of trust and the high level of confidence that they placed in the advice given by friends and their willingness to support charities introduced to them by friends and trusted relatives, often to the point that the need for due diligence was overlooked or not considered appropriate.

As with all donors, many of the women that participated in the research discussed the impact of their family circumstances on their approach to philanthropy, such as growing up in a lowincome family, a family death caused by a specific disease, or migration. In a few cases, women reflected on their own use of local charities. The experience of hardship as a child or young adult was a convincing experience for some women who are now focused on funding charities that deal with food insecurity, homelessness, and racial inequality while, at the same time, publicly advocating for changes to public policy.

Other motivating factors mentioned included: ❯ Desire by immigrant donors to “give back” to Canada as a way of thanking the nation for providing them with an

opportunity to succeed.

Belief that women need to work to ensure the protection of hard-won rights. ❯ Realization that the creation of wealth comes with a responsibility to share. ❯ Recognition that it is possible to combine a personal interest, such as environmental protection, with philanthropy. ❯ A sense that government funding, in some cases, is insufficient to solve an issue within the community. ❯ The visible outcome of making a gift was also mentioned as motivational in itself. ❯

Canadians are open, accepting, and generous people. We know that helping those in need strengthens our communities and makes them safer, more prosperous places to live.

Thirty years ago Canadian FundRaiser started reporting on the nonprofit sector Now weekly, as Hilborn-charityenews.ca, we’re the most trusted news source serving the Canadian nonprofit sector.

To advertise: contact chris@hilborn.com To subscribe: contact mary@hilborn.com To contribute an article: contact editor@hilborn.com

Independent Canadian news and analysis for the nonprofit sector foundationmag.ca

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To many, the emergence of women as leaders in the political, public, private, and charitable sectors has been motivating and is seen as encouragement for girls and young women to set their sights high and seek to make an impact. None of the women donors that participated in the research mentioned as motivators either the tax benefits or the public recognition that might accompany a gift. In fact, some women mentioned a willingness not to claim the tax credit and a concern that public recognition might lead to unwanted approaches from charities that would not be supported.

The view from the corner office During the research process, executives from various charities shared their opinions on the motivations behind women’s giving. More than one mentioned the increase in financial wellbeing of many women and their access to capital through business success or inheritance.

While inheritances would seem to provide resources one charity executive indicated that, in her view, Canadian women have been very conservative and, even collectively, seem to be reluctant to take a more prominent role, observing that “women are not yet making really big, bold moves that men do with their philanthropy”.

Access to resources was one driver of philanthropy, though executives also pointed to a heightened profile of issues that directly impact women and their families, as well as a determination by an increasing number of women to correct glaring imbalances in opportunity and to strive to develop a fairer and more caring society. It was also confirmed that the emergence of women in leadership positions and as role models has encouraged other women to step forward as volunteers, fundraisers, and funders.

The need for analysis In discussing the issue, charity leaders, even those at charities with sizeable operating budgets, admitted that only limited analysis had been undertaken into donor attitudes and behaviours by gender, and that more work needed to be 36

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undertaken if charities were to refocus away from “white, middleaged women” as the backbone of their women donor base.

Despite the lack of analysis, and a view by some executives that too much attention is paid to the differences between male and female donors, there is a view that charities are realizing that programs directed at women donors, such as the formation of giving circles and the identification of women-specific health projects, have themselves been motivational forces behind the growth in the generosity of Canadian women.

Strategy versus spontaneity Although there was no universal approach by women who participated in the research to providing financial support to charities, the majority divided their support into two distinct approaches: strategic and reactionary. Strategic in the sense that a cause (or causes) was chosen, and multi-year commitments were often made. Reactionary in the sense that most women allocated some of their annual giving to immediate needs that could not be anticipated, such as disaster relief, or a specific local project, such as refugee housing.

A recent study of Canadian donors undertaken by Blackbaud indicated that in the preceding 12 months, 65 percent of women focused their generosity on four or fewer charities. The study also suggests that donors in the 35 - 54 age cohort are most likely to concentrate their giving.

Making a plan A minority of women interviewed developed and followed an annual budget for charitable gifts as an element within their overall financial plan. In these cases, the size and timing of gifts, and the most effective way of giving, were points of discussion with external advisors such as accountants and wealth managers. One donor in Toronto was critical of the financial advisory industry and said, “financial planners need to talk about charitable giving”.

The majority of donors interviewed were not disciplined in terms of budgetary allocations or identifying specific sources of capital, although most women had a clear understanding of their overall capacity to give with some linking their level of generosity to investment returns. Not surprisingly, it was generally the case that women who had chosen to give through either a private foundation or a donor-advised fund had a clearer vision and purpose in place than those who did not.

Such structures often lead to discipline within the donor family due to the importance of establishing a mission. For example, one donor indicated that, through their family foundation, they foundationmag.ca

SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH only give to charities doing work in Canada on the grounds that their wealth was created entirely within Canada.

A recent study released by the Canadian Association of Gift Planners Foundation and KCI indicated that only a minority of investment advisors and financial planners engage in in-depth discussions on philanthropy with their clients.

We all come to philanthropy through different paths and can just try to make smart decisions based on our journey.

Focus on a theme In the research discussions, many women indicated that their giving was centred on a specific cause such as acute homelessness, the education of children, or protecting the environment. In planning their philanthropic activities, the cause was central and volunteering and giving was dictated by the cause and the ability to monitor the result of their gift.

Although women generally looked very favourably on causes

linked to women and girls, only a few strictly limited their giving to only women and girls’ causes, such as reproductive rights and human trafficking. Most women interviewed tended to look beyond gender-specific issues and adopted themes that addressed urgent social needs.

The importance of impact While gift planning and goal setting was not adopted by all women, there was a general consensus that gifts should have impact on either the charity as a whole, or a specific project developed or sponsored by the charity. As one interviewee said, her giving is determined by a simple test — “Will it change at least one life?”

To a few, major gifts needed to go beyond impact and become transformational, an objective that was more likely to be achieved by giving to small, grass-roots organizations rather than a mature charity. Many women donors interviewed demonstrate a preference for charities of modest means and hold the view that male donors tend to favour large charities, such as hospitals and universities.

One donor who runs a private foundation focused on educational opportunities for women and girls made a sobering observation about the challenge of demonstrating the impact of women-focused organizations as “taking two steps forward and

All Canadian nonprofits and charities with at least 10 employees are eligible to participate and the program is held annually to support a continuous improvement model for your organization.

“We highly recommend the NEOC program for the insights it can offer to nonprofits!”

— CMHA York Region and South Simcoe

“This included an anonymous online employee survey done

by NEOC, which gathered more and higher quality responses than the in-house surveys we did in the past.”

— UNICEF Canada

“NEOC allows small organizations like ours to participate.”

—Alberta Retired Teachers Association Learn more about the Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award neoc.ca/overview

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one step back”. The point was made that traditional views and practices hold sway in many areas of the charitable sector and that progress can be slower than ideal.

Discovery A number of women mentioned the value they ascribed to research and due diligence and an associated unwillingness to make a meaningful gift until they were fully satisfied with the strength of any charity. Even those women who are generally supportive of the movement toward trust-based philanthropy (see sidebar) were unwilling to move away from the need to develop a sound understanding of the charity and its work before making a financial commitment.

It was Sir Thomas Browne, an English polymath, who has first used the expression (in the present form, as we use it today) in Religio Medici published in 1642. Community Foundations Canada summarizes trust-based philanthropy as: “An approach to giving that addresses the inherent power imbalances between funders, nonprofits and the communities they serve.” This approach has at its heart unrestricted grantmaking, donor transparency and proactivity, and a reduced set of demands by donors.

Due diligence The list of due diligence activities seen as important by women, particularly those with a business background, is long and includes: ❯ The need for the charity to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at both the board and management levels. ❯ Assessing whether board members properly reflect the communities they serve. ❯ Determining the quality of leadership in terms of day-to-day management, implementation of organizational strategy and achievement of objectives. ❯ An evaluation of strategic and operational plans and budgets. ❯ A review of the financial condition of the charity in order 38

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to assess past performance and its ability to deliver on its mission in the foreseeable future. ❯ Discussions with friends and other trusted third parties regarding the local profile and reputation of the charity and its work. ❯ The type of relationship that would follow a gift, such as the opportunity to meet with like-minded donors or attend educational events led by experts.

Some women use a period as a volunteer to gain a broad understanding of the charity’s work and an opportunity to establish a relationship with key management personnel prior to providing any financial support. In general, when comparing men and women donors, one donor said, “women spend more time on details” while another indicated that “women tend to do more extensive diligence than men.”

Heart and mind In developing an approach to their philanthropy, the women involved in the research identified a variety of issues that shaped their thinking and decisions as opposed to motivating them to become philanthropic.

A number of those interviewed emphasized the importance of having an emotional attachment to the providing cause (“Heart”) as well as a rational reason for providing support (“Mind”). In addition, the point was made by some that, as women and, in many cases, mothers, women strive to make the world a better place through change while men are often driven to preserve and protect. In addition, the point was made by some that, as women and, in many cases, mothers, women strive to make the world a better place through change while men are often driven to preserve and protect.

Other influences Some donors discussed their preference not to work through various charitable intermediaries as such institutions may, foundationmag.ca

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unintentionally, limit their ability to establish a direct relationship with a charity, a matter of importance to many donors. On the other hand, there were women who strongly supported these organizations on the basis that they were better able than an individual donor to identify community needs.

A few interviewees spoke about their faith and places of worship as a guide as they developed their personal approach to giving. As mentioned earlier in the report, others spoke of the impact of the level of government funding to a specific cause and how they decided to direct donations to a cause, such as healthcare delivery, in order to help offset a perceived lack of adequate government funding. In the same vein, some donors mentioned giving to political parties that identified with their views on issues such as climate change, affordable housing and reconciliation. That said, a major donor in Western Canada indicated that she does not see “many prominent female philanthropists promoting political change.”

Areas of debate During the conversations with women from across Canada, four issues were brought forward that will likely impact the direction of women’s philanthropy in the future. These were: ❯ Restricted versus unrestricted giving ❯ Trust-based philanthropy ❯ Intersectional grantmaking ❯ The future of endowments Many women raised the topic of restricted versus unrestricted gifts. A number of interviewees made the point that they give to specific projects at or managed by a charity and that they did not want to fund operating expenses to enable the charity to maintain its operations. Only a few give on an unrestricted basis to support the overall mission of the charity and allow the charity to use its discretion as to how the funds may be used most effectively. Linked to this first issue is the second topic, that of a growing number of adherents to the concept foundationmag.ca

of trust-based philanthropy mentioned in a previous section.

While only a few interviewees noted this approach explicitly, they were eloquent in expressing how they felt it has the potential to transform and empower charities and may represent an emerging paradigm shift. It is worth noting that the number of women claiming a tax credit for donations to a political party declined from 103,570 in 2015 (a year in which a general election was held) to 63,380 in 2020. The third topic raised, particularly by women of colour, was the move to, and the importance of, intersectional grantmaking.

In a guide developed for applicants to the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund, intersectionality is described as a framework for understanding how a person’s different social and political identities can combine and overlap to create different and increased levels of discrimination. One interviewee noted that she has moved from a focus on women’s issues in general to giving more specific attention to issues facing Black women.

Finally, one philanthropist based in Quebec wondered aloud about the future of endowments and whether policies that allow both public and private foundations to sit on significant pools of capital were appropriate at a time when the needs of the charitable sector and other needs, such as affordable housing, were constrained by limited access to capital. One donor observed that women are more likely than men to react to sudden calls for support, a belief that has been confirmed by a recent study.

Based on a survey, the report indicated that 50 percent of women compared to 45 percent of men are influenced by current events.

When questioned about specific events or developments, women mentioned: ❯ The global pandemic. ❯ Climate change associated disasters in Canada (flooding, forest fires etc.). ❯ The negative impact of inflation on housing and food security. ❯ The war in Ukraine.

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Taking advice Many women who give to charities, either through a formal structure, such as private foundation or a donor-advised fund (DAF), or directly, tend not to seek advice from external professionals on gift recipients but prefer to rely on their own research or personal networks. Some women do seek advice from accountants, legal advisors, and wealth managers in regard to the amount and timing of gifts and, perhaps, the most appropriate structures for their philanthropy. Other women who work through DAFs established at community foundations mentioned the use of in-house community 40

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foundation resources to help them reach decisions. The point was made that advice is rarely available to modest donors or those beginning their philanthropic journey.

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In the case of the last example, it was noticeable that women with a European heritage or those that had suffered from military action seemed more affected than other women. Some events spurred action by specific groups of women. For example, the reaction to the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020 was noticeable among Black women interviewed for the project, many of whom indicated that this event brought a new focus to their philanthropy. Another example cited was the reported increase in homophobic crimes in Canada, and the introduction of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in many countries including Kenya and Uganda. This resulted in some women from the LGBTQ+ community re-orienting their giving to support victims of such crimes.

It was not only events that changed the attitudes and priorities of some women but also new learning. Interviewees mentioned attending lectures, listening to podcasts, and reading articles as having an influence. Some issues mentioned in relation to education were a heightened awareness of mental health and addiction needs within their community, the long-term impact of environmental degradation and, critically, the importance of the development and implementation of DEI policies within all sectors of society.

Many women mentioned their support for charities dedicated to issues arising from an increase in the visibility of the LBTQ+ community, particularly transgender and non-binary people, and how the heightened information flows and public discussions were requiring them to re-think how best to support such causes.

One entrepreneur interviewed indicated that she was determined that a company she established would become a “vocal voice for women and LGBTQ+ causes.” She also made the observation that despite the increased attention, there were very few national charities, other than Rainbow Railroad, that are dedicated to LGBTQ+ causes.

While current events and new information may have positive impacts on the giving habits of women, this is not always the case. For example, when asked if their donation habits had changed since the global pandemic, 24 percent of women (and 19 percent of men) acknowledged that their donations had been cut back. At the same time, however, 22 percent of donors (both women and men) indicated their giving had increased compared with pre-pandemic giving, a change that was particularly noticeable among donors in the 18 - 34 years cohort.

How women give to charity In terms of giving, there was no clear pattern among the women engaged in the research project. Many provide an annual lump sum (often at the end of the year) while others prefer to make a monthly payment to benefit their own cash flow as well as that of the designated charity. In cases where a pledge was entered into, women generally viewed them as having a specific tenure rather than being an open-ended commitment without a maturity. Based on discussions, it is evident that an increasing number of affluent women are using giving vehicles, particularly DAFs. DAFs were viewed as “simple and convenient”, although one donor did note she had closed her DAF. DAFs are not the only vehicle being used, and mention was made of private foundations, both endowed and spend-down models, insurance policies, and bequests incorporated into a will. Finally, there was a clear interest by many women in becoming more aware of giving options and a sense that opportunities to give efficiently and effectively were being overlooked by donors. Notwithstanding the increased use of giving vehicles, currently the preferred method of giving is not through a vehicle but through a gift of cash or appreciated securities given directly to a charity. Some small gifts are channeled through platforms such as CanadaHelps or GoFundMe — a for-profit platform valued at US$650 million — or large charities that act on behalf of other charities (other than the United Way or local community foundations).

Galas: A number of women raised the topic of fundraising galas as a means of giving and raising funds. Many are supportive of special events, despite the time and effort required by employees and volunteers to develop, market and manage the event. Support is based on the assumption that galas raise money and awareness and introduce new individual and corporate donors. The naysayers believe that such events distract staff from the mission of the charity, fail to raise the targeted amount, and appeal to an elite group rather than build a broad base of supporters.

Indigenous causes: Little Canadian research has been published in regard to support provided by the donor community to Indigenous charities and various qualified donees such as First Nations Governments. In August 2022, CanadianCharityLaw.ca and RedskyFundraising.com published a note which sheds some light on the issue and provides data for both 2018 and 2019. The note indicates that in 2019 total foundationmag.ca

SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH grants over $30,000 to this group were $60.6 million compared to $46.9 million in 2018, an increase of 29 percent over the year. Despite this positive trend, the share of grants going to Indigenous causes represented only 0.7 percent of total grants in 2019, a disproportionally small share given that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples represent approximately 4.9 percent of Canada’s population. The interviews conducted with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous women demonstrated a keen awareness of the need to bring attention to the support needs of causes that have a direct and lasting impact on Indigenous communities such as environmental degradation, affordable housing, healthcare, education, mental health addiction, and domestic violence.

The cultural sector: Despite the view of one donor in Western Canada who suggested that “there is an increasing appreciation for the arts and its importance in society”, a number of female donors raised a concern about the emerging difficulties faced by cultural organizations, such as museums, art galleries and performing arts organization on the grounds that their importance was being overtaken by other categories of charities.

This concern is not exaggerated as survey data indicates that only 6.2 percent of female donors support arts and culture compared to 8.7 percent of men, with the lowest level of support being Generation X (those born between 1966 and 1980), the most indebted generation. Furthermore, a report published in 2023 highlighted the fact that total receipted revenues for the 2,665 charities active in the cultural sector were lower than many categories such as the 998 charities working in animal welfare.

Governance: Many, if not most, donors mentioned the high level of importance given to the composition of the board of directors of charities that they currently support or might support in the future. Women donors expect an appropriate gender balance on the board with the presence of a women as chair as a positive signal, particularly if the charity is focused on women and family issues.

One female philanthropist who was the Chair of a major charity indicated that changing the board composition from “all old white men” to one with representation from Indigenous groups and visible minorities — not to mention women from various age groups — was a priority.

But the issue of diversity on boards goes well beyond gender in the minds of most women. Boards need to represent the interests of donors and volunteers of all ages, the geographic community served by the charity, as well as those that the charity serves.

Communications: Coming a close second in terms of importance to women was the type and frequency of communications by the charity. Women look for evidence of mission accomplishment, stories of the impact of the work of the charity, progress against project milestones, and how their donations and volunteer efforts have been used to benefit the work of the charity.

The frequency of communication was far less of an issue (to the point that some charities were accused of information foundationmag.ca

overload) than content and “voice” which should be educational, inspirational and relevant to women and not always associated with a request for donations.

Coming together: Charity executives talked extensively about the success of bringing women together and providing a “safe space” for discussions about not only the work of the charity but also the background to the cause. For example, a food bank should not limit discussions to the distribution of food to low income families but, in addition, bring in speakers to talk about the causes of food insecurity. Donors expressed support for educational events and presentations customized to the needs and interests of women that would provide for peer-to-peer learning and networking. Events should embrace women of all ages and backgrounds and should not be viewed as a benefit offered only to established or significant donors.

More than one donor emphasized the need for meetings and events to be focused, respectful of time and not always viewed as a fundraising opportunity.

Different types of forums: Gala committees and giving circles are both examples of women seeking to work with other women in pursuit of a common cause. Despite the challenges brought about by the global pandemic and the differing opinions of women, based on age, wealth level, and ethnicity, it seems that most types of group activity continue to bring value both to participants and charities. Many charities have recognized the necessity to bring women supporters (not necessarily donors) of all types together at regular events. Some charities have found benefit in bringing female donors together to “learn, share and inspire” as one charity executive summarized the intention.

Giving circles: In other cases, these more general women’s groups either became or spawned giving circles of like-minded women who pool financial resources, meet at least quarterly and choose or are directed to women-focused projects. One example of these types of circles is the Tiffany Circle of the Canadian Red Cross, which at the end of 2021 reported a membership of 70 and a ten-year fundraising total of $11.6 million. A second example would be the Sea Star Club at The Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock (one of four circles at the foundation), which requires only a modest monthly gift to become a member.

There appears to be no standard structure to giving circles: some are limited to women able to donate a set amount each year (in one case $10,000, and in another $10,000 over five years) while others have no financial barriers to entry. Based on the interviews it seems that the more strict the entry requirement, the more likely the giving circle will fail to accommodate young women or those from visible minorities. A number of executives cited examples of young women who were reluctant to join an all-women giving circle and one executive from a community foundation mentioned difficulties faced in broadening the membership of giving circles to more closely reflect the make up of the community.

Relationships: The importance of developing long-term, personal relationships with women at all levels of giving was a consistent theme in research interviews, as was the necessity January/February 2024

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SECTOR INSIGHTS & RESEARCH to understand that the relationship should not begin or end with a financial transaction. In other words, charities need to establish multiple “entry points” to enable women to participate in a variety of different ways and to fastidiously avoid giving the impression that only wealthy donors are important.

A number of women also raised the issue of the need for charities to understand the link between the supporter and the cause on the basis that understanding the link would likely open up opportunities for the development of the relationship.

In some cases, relationships can be furthered by identifying specific projects in need of funding which would be a particular interest to women.

Conclusions: Trust, Systemic Change, and Work to be Done Despite the challenges wrought by the global pandemic and the subsequent economic disharmony, Canadian women have provided further evidence that they remain a driving force within the charitable sector. Not only do they provide muchneeded funding, particularly at the grass-roots level, and a cadre of volunteers, but women participating in the sector are increasingly driving systemic change.

“Empower women and you will see a decrease in poverty, illiteracy, disease and violence.”

Michaëlle Jean, Former Governor-General of Canada

Change is all around Change is occurring in many areas, albeit at a pace that is at times frustrating to some. Boards of charities are beginning to mirror the communities they serve rather than the donors that provide funding. Women, increasingly making up significant shares of boards and senior executive positions, are becoming more vocal and are not only making decisions to change but loudly advocating for change to both public attitudes and public policy.

Change is also coming to the causes that women support, and clear distinctions are becoming visible between women and men donors. As indicated in this report, women seem to be focused on the future in terms of working to address historical and emerging inequities and finding solutions that will allow society to help deal with the impact of climate change and to prevent the degradation of our natural environment.

Not there yet Although measurable and continuous progress has been made in many areas, such as entrepreneurial activity, as one interviewee claimed, “we are not there yet!”. Not there in terms of equality of opportunity, not there yet in term of economic clout, not there yet in terms of women’s voices being heard loud and clear in places where major decisions are made, and not there yet in the amount of money donated to causes focused on 42

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the needs of women and girls.

Women have a greater capacity to make gifts to charities than ever before and, if predications are fulfilled, this capacity will expand considerably over the next two decades. At the same time, Canadian charities cannot be assured of reaping the benefit of this expanded capacity. As is evident from recent research referenced in this report, family financial priorities can change quickly with lasting impact and charitable giving tends to be demoted in times of economic stress in favour of debt reduction and retirement savings.

In order to ensure that they continue to be viewed as a financial and personal priority, Canadian charities of all types and sizes must become more able to demonstrate the relevance and positive impact they have on those they serve.

Pleading poverty is not sufficiently convincing, and, despite the emergence of trust-based philanthropy as a creed, the rise of women in business and professional positions is bringing a need for a demonstration of competence in the board rooms and C suites of charities. Charities must earn the privilege of receiving gifts from the millions of Canadian women who are committed to making the world a better place.

Another theme that arose through the research interviews was the role of trust in framing the actions and decisions of women. Women interviewed emphasized the importance and trust they place on the views of their friends and colleagues, the information provided by charities in terms of progress made against objectives and the financial condition of the organization, and the actions of board directors both individually and collectively. It is critical that charities behave in such a way that the trust of supporters is not misplaced.

Women, given their increasing wealth and the attendant complexity of their personal affairs, will likely seek advice on the overall financial plan as well as their philanthropy. Women who participated in our research, although independent in many ways, believe that their financial advisors need to be more willing and far better prepared to spend time helping them plan their charitable giving.

Overall, notwithstanding the potential for turbulence as the result of shifting norms and priorities, and an uncertain political and economic outlook, the expectation is for donations made by women to reach almost $6 billion by 2030, a number which could be exceed if more women with access to financial wealth decided to come forward and reverse the trend seen in recent years. Of comfort and a cause for optimism is the fact that, irrespective of age, two-thirds of Canadian women place “the common good” ahead of “individual rights and freedoms”.

THE TRUST AND TRANSFORMATION: Canadian Women and Philanthropy report is a research paper on Canadian women and philanthropy, commissioned

by TD Wealth as part of an initiative to better understand the financial needs, habits and aspirations of Canadian women. This report is based on the findings from a series of interviews conducted by KCI professionals with approximately 60 individuals who identify as women from across Canada. All material is reproduced with permission. foundationmag.ca

INSIGHTS

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Social Media Trends to Watch in 2024

BY JANESSA BISHOP

W

hether you’re a social media guru or just a casual scroller, keeping tabs on the latest trends can be a full-time job. While the neverending algorithm changes and platform updates may seem overwhelming, the opportunity for brands to create compelling content and connect with their target audiences is endless.

Many would argue that 2023 was the year of AI, or artificial intelligence. While ChatGPT took centre stage, and more AI features were rolled out across social media platforms, 2024 feels like the year these advancements will become seamlessly integrated into the user experience.

Below are a few key trends we’re keeping a close eye on in 2024, as well as key considerations for brands looking to stay ahead of the game.

A new age of social media marketing: Virtual and AI influencers While AI and virtual influencers have been around for a while, we expect to see more growth in 2024. Although AI and virtual influencers are often viewed as one and the same, there are a few key differences.

An AI influencer is a digital character that is powered by artificial intelligence, and has been purpose-built to promote foundationmag.ca

certain products, services, or brands. A virtual influencer, also sometimes known as a V-Tuber, is a virtual avatar that’s controlled by an actual person.

The use of virtual influencers by major brands has become quite common. For example, over the years brands like Calvin Klein, Pacsun and Prada have worked with notable V-Tuber Lil Miquela, a virtual fashion influencer who was included in TIME Magazine’s ‘Most Influential People on the Internet’ list.

Additionally, a recent global survey on influencer marketing found that 60 percent of brands have used a virtual influencer.

The use of AI influencers is also on the rise, with brands like Dior and Samsung are using AI influencers to market products.

However, brands need to be extra cautious if they wish to create or partner with an AI influencer, as there are risks associated with content authenticity, as well as bias. Before jumping into this trend, brands need to consider whether this aligns with overall goals and target audiences. It’s also important to be transparent about the use of AI and ensure campaigns comply with current AI legislation.

Reprioritization of top performing channels Following Twitter’s rebrand to X, the rise and fall of Threads and concerns around TikTok’s privacy issues, many brands are re-evaluating their social media strategy and re-focusing efforts January/February 2024

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INSIGHTS on the most effective platforms to reach their intended audiences.

According to Hootsuite, the average user is on seven social media platforms.

For brands, maintaining a presence across multiple social platforms and creating tailored and meaningful content remains a challenge. Now, social media teams are choosing to focus only on top-performing platforms instead of spreading themselves too thin across social channels.

The beginning of year is always a great time to undertake a social media audit, determine the ROI of each platform, and set priorities for 2024.

year, you may want re-think your strategy On Facebook alone, approximately 85 percent of videos are now being viewed without sound. While video remains king on social media, captioned videos will get more views and engagement, and typically receive longer watch times.

In addition to being a trend, captioned videos offer more accessible content for audiences, such as for those who are hard of hearing or interpreting a video as a second language.

The key takeaway is — if your organization is using video content in 2024 (and it should be) — don’t forget the captions to maximize engagement.

AI in influencer marketing Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted all aspects of digital communications, and influencer marketing is no exception.

The previously mentioned global report reveals that over 60 percent of brands plan to utilize AI for their influencer campaigns, primarily to identify influencer opportunities.

While AI is a powerful tool, it’s important for brands to be mindful and watch out for unintended biases of this technology, particularly when it comes to influencer identification and recruitment.

As a best practice, brands should use AI to support their influencer research, instead of solely relying on it.

SEO for social media The next generation is challenging conventional search engines, making social media a prime platform for search. For Gen Z, TikTok and Instagram have become popular platforms for search, to look for anything from the latest skincare fad to finding the best restaurants to try on a Saturday night out. Because of this, it’s important to consider SEO while developing social media content in 2024 and beyond. This includes captions, keywords, descriptive data, and hashtags, all that can be used as ways to boost visibility and virality of your social posts.

Additionally, addressing the audience’s search intent or the types of questions your audience might ask should be a key consideration when developing your 2024 social media strategy.

Video captions are the future of online content If your video doesn’t include captions this

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AI across social platforms The AI bandwagon is growing. In 2024, expect AI to be used in different forms across all social media platforms – from more in-feed AI-based recommendations, tools and chatbots to generative AI backgrounds, stickers and editing tools.

Some AI enhancements will be less obvious, as social platforms leverage back-end improvements to enhance the in-app experience. Unsurprisingly, TikTok will likely be the platform to make the biggest enhancements when it comes to generative AI. This short-form content mogul is focused on improving its text-to-video tools, allowing users to easily generate video content solely by entering prompts through its AI chatbot. The hope is that these AI innovations will help facilitate content creation and make for a more seamless platform experience.

As social media trends evolve at the speed of light, how can brands stay ahead in 2024? Before jumping on the latest meme, it’s important for brands to evaluate the potential impact on business objectives. Does this trend make sense from a business perspective? Can I adapt it for my target audience? As trends come and go, brands that can strike the balance between staying relevant and being authentic will thrive.

JANESSA BISHOP is Vice President, Digital Communications at Kaiser & Partners, Inc.

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MANAGEMENT

Strength in The Numbers

ISTOCK/DISOBEYART

Evaluating Volunteers and Employees

BY MICHAEL BROOKE

M

any non-profits, like their for profit counterparts, think about the power of evaluation. This is especially true when it comes to highlighting strengths and how exactly people operate when it comes to performing tasks.

There are several valuable reasons for using tests, including that they can be more objective than resume screenings and preinterview calls. A well-designed test can give you measurable results. Tests are also standardized, and all candidates are given the same questions. They allow everyone the same opportunities to present themselves.

The structure of tests means they give nonprofits quantifiable insight. These “hard numbers” mean people rely on something other than their gut feelings regarding hiring.

Unfortunately, some issues can also arise. For example, a test might be able to assess specific job knowledge, but it can’t predict how willing someone is to learn and improve or fit into the culture of your funeral home.

Another problem is that candidates can fake their answers or practice taking the test to score a good mark. Potential employees want to present themselves in the best possible light, so getting a truly accurate portrait can be challenging.

Tests can also be ambiguous, and this leads to unreliable results.

The other issue with tests is that people come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, tests can’t capture variation because they assume we all respond similarly to external ideas and situations.

There are, of course, dozens of tools available to assess current and future employees or volunteers. By an odd bit of foundationmag.ca

serendipity, I learned about a Kolbe test. This is one assessment tool you should know about, and there is a good chance that it will significantly benefit your nonprofit or charity.

The Kolbe A™ Index (as it is more formally known) revolves around conative ability. Conative abilities are people’s instincts and behaviours when faced with problem-solving or needing action. This test is a reasonably good predictor of how someone will behave in any given situation.

One cannot study for a Kolbe test. You answer a series of roughly 40 questions, and it accurately determines how you behave in any given situation.

The Kolbe test measures four different categories on a scale from 1 to 10.

1. Fact Finder: This measures how individuals gather and process information. Some prefer to collect detailed information before acting (high Fact Finder). Others are more likely to make quick, intuitive decisions based on their gut or general knowledge. This would indicate a low Fact Finder.

2. Follow Thru: This element can lead to valuable insights regarding how people relate to organizations, systems and implementations. People with a high Follow Thru score prefer a more organized and structured workplace. Those with a low score may choose a more flexible and improvised approach.

3. Quick Start: This category focuses on an individual’s willingness to take risks and embrace change. As you can infer, those with a high Quick Start are more comfortable with change and uncertainty. They are looking for new January/February 2024

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MANAGEMENT ideas and approaches. Those with a low Quick Start indicator feel much more comfortable in a consistent and predictable environment.

4. Implementor: The final element indicates how an individual deals with the physical world and manual tasks. High Implementors most likely enjoy things that involve working with their hands. They love to construct and build. They love doing physical activities. Those who score low may prefer intellectual or non-manual tasks.

The most intriguing thing about the Kolbe Index is that you can’t score 1 or 10 on everything. There is no “ideal” score because the test recognizes everyone has unique strengths and abilities in each category.

I had an opportunity to meet up with Amy Hagerman, VP of Client Relations of Kolbe, along with Toby Phillips, VP of Marketing. “The way our chairman David Kolbe explains it is that ‘Kolbe will help you achieve what you care about most,’” says Phillips. “If you take a test and don’t care, that’s ok. But if there is something

that you are having difficulty with, then we can help you figure out how you fit in with the people in your life both at your place of work and home.”

Sometimes, it can be challenging to reconcile what you believe is the truth about yourself and what precisely the Kolbe test indicates. “It all boils down to knowing oneself, knowing the people around you and what the role requires the Kolbe test can provide all of this,” says Hagerman.”

“You’re going to get clarity on your strengths. You become very clear about what you bring to the table,” says Phillips.

The report illuminates three core pieces: ❯ It provides clarity on someone’s strengths. ❯ It identifies what they can commit to. ❯ It explains how you collaborate with others.

Founder Kathy Kolbe says that success is the freedom to be yourself.

I wondered if there was someone using the Kolbe tool in the nonprofit world. A quick search led me to find Sarah Olivieri of Pivot Ground. Olivieri is based in

Offering professional prospect research, training, and fundraising strategy.

Editor and contributor to “Prospect Research in Canada”, Canada’s first book on prospect research.

upstate New York and works with both US and Canadian non-profits. “I was introduced to Kolbe a number of years ago through a business mentor training group I once belonged to,” she says.

“I saw the benefits first-hand when I had an employee who I was struggling to get to perform the way I wanted him to,” explains Olivieri. “My mentor said, ‘You need to use Kolbe.’ The extraordinary results were explained by this brilliant, capable person who kept getting stuck.”

This employee was a quick start and a high fact-finder. This meant he would get stuck in research mode but would start anything she asked him to do, no matter how challenging. “After Kolbe, I realized the best way forward was to give him one task at a time.”

Pivot Ground centres around leadership for nonprofits. “In working with leadership, we always have to address how we build effective teams in our nonprofits,” says Olivieri. “Kolbe continues to be one of the best tools I have found to structure who to hire and how to ensure that you are working with your team members.” This idea of using Kolbe has now expanded to ensuring all her clients take the Kolbe test.

Among the benefits of the test, Olivieri feels it can be used to coach people in a much better way. “You know what type of advice or recommendations to provide.”

As a coach, she believes it helps her frame things in different ways.

While most nonprofits discuss funding as one of their biggest challenges, Olivieri has a different take. “The number one challenge I see for nonprofits from a leadership perspective is that they’re understaffed. They have funding challenges because they’re understaffed and don’t know how to prioritize where to put the staff correctly. Kolbe is in the picture immediately, and all of my clients who have used the Kolbe assessment love it.”

Olivieri says whenever she works with clients, she is looking for a reasonably balanced spread across the Kolbe scores depending on the nonprofit’s role.

MICHAEL BROOKE is an editor with Lloydmedia and a freelance writer and consultant.

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foundationmag.ca

ISTOCK/TANIT BOONRUEN

CASE STUDY

How AI is Helping Pet Rescue

A

new AI tool was put to use for the first time during National Adoption Week here in Canada.

PetSmart Charities of Canada and Deutsch LA supported animal welfare organizations with AI Tool Rescue Writer ahead of National Adoption Week. Rescue Writer helps staff and volunteers write compelling bios for animals available at PetSmart adoption centres across Canada.

With approximately 94,000 adoptable pets waiting in shelters, many animal welfare organizations across Canada, already stretched thin, don’t always have the time or capacity to create bios that will inspire potential pet parents to adopt.

PetSmart Charities of Canada worked with Deutsch LA, an award-winning creative agency, to create Rescue Writer, a free artificial intelligence (AI) tool that will help shelter staff and volunteers write attention-grabbing, heartwarming and editable bios, in an effort to increase pets’ chances of finding loving homes.

By entering a few personality traits, foundationmag.ca

COURTESY PETSMART CHARITIES OF CANADA

STAFF

Meet Joillyn, a sweet and mellow senior cat with a heart as gentle as a summer breeze. She’s the kind of feline friend who will curl up next to you, purring softly as she grooms your hand lovingly.

Joillyn is the epitome of calm, a soothing presence in any home. Her ideal day consists of snuggling up with her human and sharing quiet moments. She does require a special diet, but that’s just a small detail in her overall care.

Adopting Joillyn means opening your home to a companion who will offer unconditional love and endless cuddles. Her serene nature and loving personality make her the perfect addition to any family looking for a peaceful and affectionate companion.

Rescue Writer churns out quirky, sweet and attention-getting bios for each pet.

The newly developed tool is designed to pique the interests of potential adopters to schedule “meet and greets” and determine ideal matches. For example, Joillyn is an adoptable senior domestic shorthair calico cat being cared for at Toronto Cat Rescue. Using a few different details, Rescue Writer™ developed the following bio to help Joillyn find her perfect match: During Adoption Week, animal welfare organizations bring in adoptable cats, kittens, puppies, dogs and even some small pets, in an effort to help over 1,000 pets nationwide find loving homes ahead of the holidays. Additionally, National Adoption Week coincides with National Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and this year, PetSmart Charities of Canada is encouraging potential pet owners to consider senior pets as their furry companions.

“We’re thankful to our friends at Deutsch LA for creating such an easy-

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to-use, accessible way to evolve the timeconsuming job of writing bios,” said Heidi Marston, director of pet placement at PetSmart Charities of Canada. “We’re thrilled to make Rescue Writer available to shelters across Canada and help more pets — especially seniors — in need of warm homes in their golden years.”

While some might not see senior pets as an ideal pet to adopt, many potential benefits come with having an older pet such as: ❯ Senior pets are more likely to be calmer, more experienced and house-trained, which may make it a bit easier to bond with them. ❯ For those in search of a fellow “couch potato” to watch movies with or even to lay low while working, senior pets may be a good match. ❯ Senior pets may not need as much time exercising, ideal for those who prefer the comforts of the indoors as the weather turns colder.

COURTESY PETSMART CHARITIES OF CANADA

CASE STUDY

Pets in their older years may have preferences or personalities that are easier to read and understand.

Adopting senior pets may mean peace and better health for the pets in their final years and helps shelters deal with overcrowding.

“While younger pets can be a lot to handle at times, living with senior pets might inspire you to slow down and take it easy,” said Aimee Gilbreath, President of PetSmart Charities of Canada. “It helps give perspective and they can show that it’s okay to take time to stop and smell the roses.”

And for any pet lovers who aren’t sure

©JONNY HAWKINS

FOUNDATIONAL HUMOUR

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or ready to adopt, they can still make an impact by donating to help animals in need at PetSmartCharities.ca. They also can find their match when the time is right by visiting adoptable pets, and events at PetSmart Charities of Canada adoption centres in PetSmart stores.

Canadian animal welfare organizations will be bringing in a wide range of adoptable animals at PetSmart stores across the country. Visitors will be able to meet and interact with various shelter pets available, as staff and volunteers will be on hand to help potential adopters.

PetSmart Charities of Canada is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them.

Through its in-store adoption program in PetSmart® stores across the country, PetSmart Charities of Canada helps thousands of pets connect with loving families each year. PetSmart Charities of Canada also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. Our grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crisis with access to food, shelter, and emergency relief. Each year, thousands of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada directly at PetSmartCharities.ca, while shopping at PetSmart.ca, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities of Canada efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, granting more than $30 million since its inception in 1999. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity and works with nearly 4,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home.

Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated over 350 thousand adoptions in Canada, more than any other brickand-mortar organization. foundationmag.ca

HISTORIC PLAQUES

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CITY OF EDMONTON

Historic Plaques Which Honour Philanthropy

Sometimes an historic plaque which recognizes the volunteer efforts or donation programs that help communities aren’t about an individual but commemorate and honour a larger force — the community which pitches together with positivity, passion, and an openness to new ideas.

Julie Kusiek, one of the founding members of QA Crossroads, a neighbourhood improvement program, told Transforming Edmonton back in 2015 what the area wanted and needed.

The Queen Alexandra Community League turned the area into a vibrant neighbourhood nestled between 109 Street and Calgary Trail, just south of Whyte Avenue. With over 5,100 residents, a strong sense of neighbourliness, and amenities galore Queen Alexandra is a great place to call home.

As planners, city builders and employees of the city, they wanted to find innovative ways to work with communities. QA Crossroads has shown a long track record now of grassroots innovation. The group is a committee of the Queen Alexandra Community League that was founded when the city began public engagement on a Neighbourhood Renewal Project in the area. Residents saw an opportunity to change their streets.

“If it’s getting dug up, might as well put it back together better!” said Julie at the time.

Instead of approaching the city with a wish list of items they’d like to see built, Crossroads developed a vision (walk, bike, live safely) and a set of six principles they’d like to see met in the new design. These six principles for 106 Street and 76 Avenue say the new roads should, accommodate all users; showcase the neighbourhood’s beauty and history; be transformed into bridges, rather than divides; promote active

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modes of transportation and quality infill redevelopment; facilitate safe and desirable traffic flow; and maximize cycling infrastructure.

This principle-based approach to design created an opportunity for the city and the community to work together as a team because the flexibility in outcomes leaves the door open for conversations and collaboration.

Julie said the group is excited about the opportunity that neighbourhood renewal presents “not only to make our physical environment better, but also to engage community members in the conversation about preparing our neighbourhood for its future — how people will move around, live and do their daily business today and 50 years from now.”

She and the QA Crossroads group are also energized by the residents who come forward to enrich this project — some volunteering for the first time. “It has been a great learning experience for all of us, and I hope a good training ground for new community leaders and advocates.”

Support and momentum came from external groups including Make Something Edmonton, the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, Allendale and Strathcona community leagues, the Old Strathcona Business Association, the Old Strathcona Foundation, 1912 Studio, public and Catholic school board trustees Michael Janz and John Acheson, Edmonton Bicycle Commuters, Strathcona Complete Streets, Edmonton Bike Coalition and the Edmonton Wayfinding Group.

QA Crossroads forged ahead in their quest to make the intersection at 106 Street and 76 Avenue a landmark in their community, and the journey along those roads a walkable, bikeable, livable and safe one.

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Five Lives: What We Do

ISTOCK/ KATFLARE

RECOGNITION

Each issue Foundation Magazine provides a mini-profile of five people whose work and commitment make Canada a more liveable country. We thank them for their service.

1 2 3 4 5

Lead donor Sanjay Malaviya is a big reason for a major change in the way Paralympians are recognized and rewarded. His family foundation’s donation allowed The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) to create new program that will recognize Canadian Paralympians for podium performances, providing a financial reward for medals won at the Paralympic Games. An initial $8 million endowment created by CPC’s philanthropic partner, the Paralympic Foundation of Canada (PFC), will launch the Paralympic Performance Recognition program and ensure a sustainable funding model, with lead donor Malaviya contributing 50 per cent of the funds through the Malaviya Foundation. The Foundation’s total contribution of $4 million is one of the most significant donations in Canadian Paralympic sport history. Sanjay carved out a niche space in transforming delivery of education globally, across school, higher education and life-long learning. He is spearheading innovation in all elements of the educational landscape arising from the paradigm shifts caused by the disruptive impact of emerging technologies such as the mobile internet, touch screen, wearable and streaming devices and in the Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) environments.

Jody Steinhauer is Founder of Engage and Change & President and CBO of Bargains Group. As President and CBO (Chief Bargain Officer) of The Bargains Group, Steinhauer has mobilized her award-winning discount wholesale and promotional products company to revolutionize the business landscape. Pioneering her belief of “giving back makes good business sense”, Steinhauer uses her network of resources and leveraged buying power to aid every company and not for profit agency that she touches to maximize their buying dollar. A tireless not for profit advocate, Jody is the founder of Project Winter Survival and Project Water, two annual initiatives that help thousands of homeless throughout Toronto. Steinhauer and the Bargains Group also supply hundreds of similar projects across Canada. Engage and Change is a charity that was created to foster good citizenship and encourage healthy communities by giving back. Engage and Change gives people and companies the opportunities to do hands on group volunteer projects that assemble and build kits to assist in the alleviation of poverty. These kits are then distributed to the local communities through frontline social service agencies and homeless shelters directly to those in need.

Kelly Wilson is the Saskatchewan Blue Cross’ President & Chief Executive Officer, following her tenure as Interim President & CEO. Wilson joined Saskatchewan Blue Cross in 2015, serving most recently as Interim President & CEO and Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and Chartered Professional Accounting (CPA) designation. Born and raised in Saskatoon, Wilson’s financial acumen has taken her around the globe to Australia and Ireland, where she gained experience in both the public and private sectors prior to returning to leadership roles within the province. She’s devoted to her community, currently serving on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan and previously serving as a board member with Big Sisters of Saskatoon and as a member of the audit committee for SaskCulture.

RAVEN Executive Director Danielle Wilson is a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation. RAVEN-supported cases have been instrumental in quashing the Northern Gateway pipeline project, protecting hundreds of thousands of hectares of lands in Yukon’s Peel Watershed, and backing Beaver Lake Cree Nation (BLCN) at the Supreme Court where — to sustain their decades-long fight to curtail oil-sands expansion in their territory — BLCN set a precedent for the allocation of funding to sustain lengthy and expensive litigation in cases that are of national importance. For 15 years, RAVEN has relied on ordinary people holding bake sales, crowdfunding online and organizing events in communities across the country, raising millions of dollars to level the playing field for our Nation partners note Wilson. Now, he Krawczyk Family Foundation has made a remarkable and transformative $2 million donation to RAVEN, supporting access to justice for Indigenous Nations who are in court to protect land, air, and water for future generations. Alex Krawczyk, daughter of the late philanthropists Honey and Dr. Barry Sherman, is honoured to be supporting environmental legal challenges led by Indigenous Peoples.

Major Jamie Locke is the Divisional Director, Public Relations and Communications, for the Salvation Army in Atlantic Canada. His mission is to get the word out for news and insights on behalf of the organization. If you’ve seen a press release, his name is at the bottom as the contact and he’s often quoted with comments on particular stories. Major Locke recently sat down with Todd Battis during the live Christmas Daddies Telethon and Bruce Frisko during CTV News at Six to discuss the impact that donations to the telethon make in communities across the Maritimes. The Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign surpassed its goal in raising more than $1.2 Million. Every dollar raised through the Red Kettle campaign stays locally and is used to fund vital programs and services across Newfoundland and Labrador. “Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have been incredibly generous this holiday season,” said Locke. “Every year, we ask them to help their community and every year, they step up to meet the demand, and we cannot thank people enough.”

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Foundation Magazine is the Canadian bi-monthly publication and media channel which reaches more than 25,000 individual executives in Canada who represent the full charity and foundation sector and the major donor community, as well as the spectrum of companies which support, supply to, and advise all aspects of the not-for-profit industry.

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