Annual Giving Is the Foundation

Annual giving is one of the most important ideas in the history of philanthropy.  It is rooted in human nature’s default to habit and the enduring nature of philanthropic bonds and commitment.  It has made it possible for so many non-profit organizations to deliver on their missions over decades and decades. 

Organizations that understand annual giving can design their fundraising programs to capture its full power and apply it as the foundation of their “business” or support model. However, annual giving does not happen spontaneously. It must be manifested each year through thoughtful campaigns, volunteer leadership, strong messaging, creative branding, segmentation, and systematic processes. Every year some donors give more, some less, some not at all, some for the first time. Some donors drop out for a year or two and some forever.  The most effective annual giving programs recognize these underlying dynamics and design their strategies and tactics to ensure the best results. 

Annual giving is usually the foundation of an organization’s overall fundraising program. The best prospects for gifts to a capital campaign will be those donors who have prioritized the organization year in and year out through annual giving. Legacy (estate) gifts are also likely to come organically from those donors who have a long history of annual support. In our judgment, the most effective legacy gift strategy is a robust annual giving program. Giving begets giving. 

A strong annual giving program provides an organization with dependable, repeatable revenue to fulfill its mission and creates a solid foundation for capital and legacy gifts.