The Golden Gate Bridge, a spectacular artistic and technological feat, spans the Golden Gate Straight at the entrance to the San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco with Marin County, California. Prior to its construction, the concept of the bridge was so controversial that it took engineer Joseph Strauss 16 years to persuade doubtful city officials and others who opposed the project. After public opinion began to sway in favor of the undertaking, design plans were set and financing secured. Construction for the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1933—when the economy had reached bottom as a result of the Great Depression. Strauss and his workers endured many challenges throughout the bridge’s creation, including frequent storms, heavy fogs and tumultuous waters from the straight—strong tides that constituted grave dangers for the necessary underwater construction. After just over four years of construction and eleven casualties, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public to great acclaim on May 27, 1937. On opening day, dubbed “Pedestrian Day,” some 200,000 people showed up to marvel at the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge—the longest bridge of its kind in the world at the time. At its unveiling, the Golden Gate Bridge stood as a symbol of triumph and progress amidst economic hardship. After 80-plus years of operation, the bridge stands today as one of the world’s most recognizable architectural achievements. Now that you’ve added some facts to your trove of trivia, check out these five nonprofit headlines from the news this week.
1. Hope, Not Rage, Driving Donations
According to a recent survey from Edge Research, approximately one in five people who made at least one donation in 2017 gave in reaction to a social or political shift that encroached upon their principles. While the press has begun to label these gifts as “rage donations,” findings from the above-mentioned report indicate that rage was not in fact the prime motivator for donating. Instead, hope (63%) and empowerment (58%) were the top two key drivers for reactive giving—with anger (26%) ranking fifth on the list overall. According to Nonprofit Quarterly, understanding what stirs donors to action is vital for fundraising, especially for nonprofits fighting regressive policies. Want to know more about emotionally driven charitable donations? Click on the link above to discover an in-depth summary of the study’s noteworthy findings.
2. Franchise Organizations Serving Their Communities
Because of the unique structure of franchise organizations, individual owners are able to create a huge impact in the communities they serve. Through collaboration, shared technology platforms, buying power and pooled marketing dollars, networks of entrepreneurial business owners can give back and provide boots on the ground support to local initiatives. Most franchise owners are encouraged by their brands to participate in community efforts and some even have formal programs to streamline efforts. Want a snapshot of the types of initiatives taking place in the current marketplace? Check out the link above from Entrepreneur for three examples of franchise organizations providing much-needed resources to those in need.
3. New Nonprofit? Avoid these Fundraising Mistakes
According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million (and growing) tax-exempt organizations in the United States. That said, it can be a challenge for nonprofits to gain their share of charitable giving. This is especially true of newly-formed organizations that have not yet established recognition or a reputation amongst donors. A recent article from Forbes states that younger organizations oftentimes act too quickly in attempts to appeal to donors—leading to desperate measures that may cause long-term damage. Follow the link above to read about thirteen common fundraising errors to avoid in the infancy stages of your nonprofit.
4. Donor-Advised Funds: The Basics
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) can be described as a personal charitable savings account. Donors create accounts and make contributions such as cash, stock, or other assets (artwork, real estate and the like) that are eligible for an immediate tax deduction. DAFs are controlled by nonprofits, referred to as sponsoring organizations, that manage the account and invest to charitable organizations according to donor wishes. While the use of DAFs is but a small part of philanthropy, their popularity has flourished in recent years. Because DAFs account for billions of dollars (and are seeing continual growth), people have are a lot of questions with regards to how these funds function. Want to learn more about DAFs? Click on the link above from The Chronicle of Philanthropy for the basics.
5. Philanthropy Meets Advocacy
The widening rift between Democrats and Republicans is continually highlighted in headlines. Whether it is with regards to issues of race, immigration, the environment, or other serious issues, gridlock at the congressional level hinders elected officials' ability to solve our nation’s challenges. That said, Americans have begun to look to the nonprofit sector to address policy issues and take up the torch for causes they care about. According to the Stanford Social Innovation Review, philanthropists can, and should, engage the public and policy makers and step up their advocacy work. But how should they proceed? Check out the link above for five questions philanthropists should work through to build and execute advocacy campaigns.
That’s it for this week’s Friday Five! We’re wishing everyone a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend. See you next week.
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