State of Good by Pure Charity

Episode Title: "Funders Admit It's Not Working — And What That Means for You"

Summary: - Only 12% of foundations say their response to federal funding cuts has been effective, signaling openness to new approaches from nonprofit partners

• Corporate giving is consolidating around fewer partners — nonprofits must articulate clear value to stay on the list
• Gen Z donors are driving new donor acquisition, according to the Q2 2026 American Giving Index
• Most Americans remain unaware of how nonprofits impact their daily lives, making visibility a critical challenge
• Monthly donors retain at 90% vs. 46% for one-time donors — the subscription mindset is a powerful retention tool

Sources & Links: - Chronicle of Philanthropy — Nonprofits say funders aren't providing what they need to address new hardships: https://www.philanthropy.com/news/nonprofits-say-funders-arent-providing-what-they-need-to-address-new-hardships/

• Chronicle of Philanthropy — Fewer charities will get corporate gifts this year. Here's how to make the cut: https://www.philanthropy.com/solutions/fewer-charities-will-get-corporate-gifts-this-year-heres-how-to-make-the-cut/
• NonProfit PRO — Gen Z Drives New Donor Acquisition, Survey Finds: https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/gen-z-drives-new-donor-acquisition-survey-finds/
• Chronicle of Philanthropy — For most Americans, nonprofits are 'invisible': https://www.philanthropy.com/news/for-most-americans-nonprofits-are-invisible/
• Fundraising Effectiveness Project — 2024 Q3 Report: https://afpglobal.org/fundraising-effectiveness-project
• UMSI — UMSI creates giving society to celebrate committed donors: https://www.si.umich.edu/about-umsi/news/umsi-creates-giving-society-celebrate-committed-donors

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — Foundation effectiveness survey and the funder-nonprofit disconnect
• 2:30 — Corporate giving consolidation and partnership strategy
• 4:00 — Why donors give: the subscription mindset and monthly giving retention
• 5:15 — Gen Z driving new donor acquisition
• 6:15 — The nonprofit invisibility problem
• 7:00 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:45 — Good in Action: University of Michigan's outcome-based giving society
• 8:30 — Sign-off

Episode Title: $177 Billion in Frozen Grants, AI Without Guardrails, and the Donor-Advised Fund Action Gap

Summary: - A new analysis shows $177 billion in federal grants have been cut or frozen, reshaping the competitive landscape for private philanthropy across the sector

• 98% of nonprofits are using AI, but most lack policies, budgets, or training — and adoption is unevenly top-down
• FreeWill's 2026 donor-advised fund report reveals a persistent gap between stated priorities and operational action on donor-advised fund giving
• New research on need-based appeals shows framing matters more than the information itself — testing beats intuition
• Bequest revenue grew nearly 20% year over year, signaling the great wealth transfer is already underway

Sources & Links: - Chronicle of Philanthropy — Trump administration has cut or frozen $177 billion in grants: https://www.philanthropy.com/news/trump-administration-has-cut-or-frozen-177-billion-in-grants-analysis-shows/

• Nonprofit Quarterly — How Nonprofits Adopt and Govern AI (NTEN/Bridgespan report): https://nonprofitquarterly.org/how-nonprofits-adopt-and-govern-ai-insights-from-a-new-report/
• The NonProfit Times — Nonprofits' Use of AI Outstrips Training and Guidelines: https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/nonprofits-use-of-ai-outstrips-training-and-guidelines/
• FreeWill — What New Research Reveals About Donor-Advised Fund Giving in 2026: https://www.nonprofits.freewill.com/resources/webinars/what-new-research-reveals-about-donor-advised-fund-giving-in-2026
• Phys.org — When Equity Appeals Inspire Giving to Classrooms: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-equity-appeals-classrooms.html
• Clairification — Why Your Small Nonprofit Needs Planned Giving: https://clairification.com/2026/09/17/why-your-small-nonprofit-needs-planned-giving-and-how-to-quickly-launch/

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — Federal funding landscape: $177 billion in cuts and what it means for every nonprofit
• 2:30 — AI adoption vs. AI governance: the 98% problem
• 4:00 — Donor-advised fund behavior and the priority-action gap
• 5:00 — Why Donors Give: need-based appeals and the science of framing
• 6:00 — What Changed This Week: converging pressures and the knowing-doing gap
• 6:30 — The Bottom Line and three actions for the week
• 7:15 — Good in Action: bequest giving surges nearly 20%
• 8:15 — Sign-off

Episode Title: The 25-Year Test: Why Mission Evolution Is a Survival Strategy

Summary: - Most charities born after 9/11 no longer exist — the Chronicle of Philanthropy explores what the survivors did differently

• The Department of Education proposes landmark changes to federal grant rules, and the comment window is now
• More nonprofits are turning to loans and impact investments as a deliberate growth strategy
• Social proof research shows that seeing others give increases donation likelihood by 30%
• Michigan State's College of Natural Science closes a record $30.2 million fundraising year from nearly 2,800 donors

Links: - Chronicle of Philanthropy — A Quarter Century On, 9/11 Charities Evolve to Remain Relevant: https://www.philanthropy.com/news/a-quarter-century-on-9-11-charities-evolve-to-remain-relevant/

• Social Current — Department of Education Proposes Landmark Changes to Grant Rules: https://www.social-current.org/2026/09/sep-8-federal-update-department-of-education-proposes-landmark-changes-to-grant-rules/
• Chronicle of Philanthropy — Why More Nonprofits Are Borrowing, Not Just Raising Money: https://www.philanthropy.com/solutions/playbooks/why-more-nonprofits-are-borrowing-not-just-fundraising/
• Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta — Strengthening Atlanta's Nonprofit Financial Backbone: https://cfgreateratlanta.org/2026/09/09/nonprofit-finance-fund/
• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits — 2026 Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report: https://minnesotanonprofits.org/2026-minnesota-nonprofit-economy-report-shows-a-sector-holding-steady
• Shang & Croson — A Field Experiment in Charitable Contribution (Journal of Public Economics): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272709000863
• MSU College of Natural Science — Record Year of Giving: https://natsci.msu.edu/news/2026/2026-09-record-year-of-giving.aspx

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — The 25-year test: why most post-9/11 charities didn't survive
• 2:30 — Federal education grant rule changes and what to do now
• 3:30 — The rise of nonprofit borrowing and financial infrastructure
• 5:00 — Why donors give: the power of social proof
• 6:00 — What changed: Minnesota's nonprofit economy report and benchmarking
• 6:45 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:30 — Good in action: Michigan State's record fundraising year
• 8:30 — Sign-off

Episode Title: The Long View Wins: 15 Years of Philanthropy, Charity Ratings, and a Business Donated Whole

Summary: - The Chronicle of Philanthropy's 15-year retrospective reveals the rise of general operating support and the cost of organizational inaction

• Syracuse University research examines whether charity ratings actually drive donor decisions — and finds they're more of a screen than a motivator
• Practical guidance on auditing your asks, positioning trust signals on donation pages, and identifying inaction risks
• A business owner donates an entire company to a charitable trust instead of selling, as reported by PBS NewsHour
• Three action items: review default asks for flexible funding conversations, audit public trust signals, and name one inaction risk with your team

Links: - 15 Years of Giving: What Has Changed — Chronicle of Philanthropy: https://www.philanthropy.com/news/15-years-of-giving-what-has-changed/

• Do Nonprofit Ratings Help Donors Make Better Decisions? — Syracuse University Center for Policy Research: https://surface.syr.edu/cpr/536
• Instead of Selling, Business Owner Donates Company to Trust for Charity — PBS NewsHour: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/instead-of-selling-business-owner-donates-company-to-trust-for-charity

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — 15 years of philanthropy: the rise of flexible funding and the risk of inaction
• 3:30 — Why donors give: do charity ratings actually change giving behavior?
• 5:15 — What changed this week: the long view as a fundraising discipline
• 6:15 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:15 — Good in Action: a business owner donates an entire company to charity
• 8:15 — Sign-off

Episode Title: Trust Is Your Biggest Asset — But Only If You Keep Earning It

Summary: - A new poll confirms nonprofits remain America's most trusted sector, but transparency is the condition donors attach to that trust

• An analysis of 136 million nonprofit text messages offers rare, large-scale benchmarks for donor communication via text
• Institutional funding is shifting on both the foundation and federal sides — emerging organizations face access barriers, and federal funding gaps aren't being automatically filled by philanthropy
• Donors who feel community belonging have 3x higher lifetime value — building tribe matters more than building a transaction list
• Youth-led immigrant defense fund raises $15 million, demonstrating the power of proximity and rapid-response philanthropy

Sources & Links: - NonProfit PRO — "Nonprofits Remain America's Most-Trusted Sector, New Poll Finds": https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/nonprofits-remain-americas-most-trusted-sector-new-poll-finds/

• Eventbrite — "What 136 Million Texts Reveal About Nonprofit Fundraising in 2026": https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-136-million-texts-reveal-about-nonprofit-fundraising-in-2026-tickets-1995715067490
• Nonprofit Quarterly — "Climate Philanthropy Doesn't Have a Talent Problem, It Has an Access Problem": https://nonprofitquarterly.org/climate-philanthropy-doesnt-have-a-talent-problem-it-has-an-access-problem/
• Brookings — "Investing in Indian Country": https://www.brookings.edu/articles/investing-in-indian-country/
• Chronicle of Philanthropy — "I Lost My Parents to the Immigration System. Now Youth Like Me Lead the Fight.": https://www.philanthropy.com/opinion/i-lost-my-parents-to-the-immigration-system-now-youths-like-me-lead-the-fight/
• Sargeant & Woodliffe — "Building Donor Loyalty" (Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15427854

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Intro and episode overview

• 0:30 — Trust as the nonprofit sector's biggest asset; transparency and predictive analytics
• 2:15 — What 136 million text messages reveal about donor communication
• 3:30 — Institutional funding shifts: foundation access barriers and federal funding gaps
• 5:00 — Why donors give: community, belonging, and 3x lifetime value
• 6:00 — What changed this week: the institutional funding landscape
• 7:00 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:45 — Good in Action: Youth-led $15 million legal defense fund
• 8:45 — Sign-off

Episode Title: "Fewer Donors, Bigger Gifts, Sharper Stakes — Giving USA 2026 and What It Means for Your Shop"

Summary: - Giving USA 2026 confirms ongoing donor participation decline while giving concentrates among fewer major donors — what this means for your revenue risk profile

• Stanford Social Innovation Review highlights the compounding fundraising workforce crisis and its direct connection to donor retention challenges
• ProPublica investigation reveals inconsistencies in donor-advised fund sponsor policies — practical steps to protect your DAF revenue
• Make-A-Will Month creates a timely window for legacy giving conversations with loyal donors
• The Pittsburgh Foundation's #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert demonstrates the power of community-driven, urgency-framed giving moments

Links: - Giving USA 2026: What It Means for Nonprofit Leaders — https://givingusa.org/looking-beyond-the-headlines-what-giving-usa-2026-means-for-nonprofit-leaders/

• "Sustaining the Fundraising Vocation," Stanford Social Innovation Review — https://ssir.org/articles/entry/sustaining-fundraising-vocation
• ProPublica investigation on donor-advised fund sponsor policies — https://www.propublica.org/article/donor-advised-funds-charity-contributions
• FreeWill August FreeMinute: Nonprofit Fundraising Trends to Watch — https://www.nonprofits.freewill.com/resources/blog/free-minute-august-2026
• Cialdini, *Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion* — https://www.influenceatwork.com/principles-of-persuasion/
• The Pittsburgh Foundation #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert results — https://pittsburghfoundation.org/newsrelease/oneday2026-results

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and weekly preview

• 0:30 — Giving USA 2026: donor concentration risk and what to do about it
• 2:45 — The fundraising workforce crisis (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
• 4:15 — Donor-advised fund infrastructure and the ProPublica investigation
• 5:15 — Why Donors Give: the power of reciprocity
• 6:15 — What Changed: Make-A-Will Month and legacy giving strategy
• 7:00 — The Bottom Line: three actions for this week
• 7:45 — Good in Action: The Pittsburgh Foundation's #ONEDAY campaign
• 8:45 — Sign-off

Episode Title: "$617 Billion in Giving — But Fewer Donors Are Writing the Checks"

Summary: - The Giving USA 2026 Report estimates U.S. charitable giving reached $617.2 billion in 2025 — a healthy topline that demands deeper benchmarking at the organizational level

• The Fundraising Effectiveness Project confirms fewer donors are giving while total dollars increase, creating strategic implications for acquisition and retention
• New research from Momentive Software's 2026 Nonprofit Trends Report argues donor trust is built through operational excellence, not just communications
• Why specific, tangible impact statements dramatically outperform abstract appeals (the identifiable victim effect)
• Washington state's coordinated wildfire relief campaign shows the power of building emergency giving infrastructure before disaster strikes

Links: - Giving USA 2026 Report analysis: https://philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu/professional-development/blog/the-giving-usa-2026-report-deserves-a-closer-look.html

• Fewer Donors, More Dollars (The NonProfit Times): https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/fewer-donors-more-dollars-new-methodology-at-fep/
• Beyond Impact Reports – AFP session / Momentive Software 2026 Nonprofit Trends: https://community.afpglobal.org/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=37c8da9d-6df3-4a1e-95e6-019eff4574f8&Home=%2Fhome
• Small, Loewenstein & Slovic – "Sympathy and Callousness" research: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/docs/small/Sympathy%20and%20Callousness.pdf
• Washington wildfire relief campaign: https://www.sos.wa.gov/about-office/news/2026/washingtonians-encouraged-help-support-washington-wildfire-relief

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 – Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 – Giving USA 2026: The $617 billion headline and how to benchmark against it
• 2:00 – Fundraising Effectiveness Project: Fewer donors, more dollars
• 4:00 – Why donors give: The power of tangible impact statements
• 5:15 – What changed: Donor trust as an operations problem
• 6:30 – The bottom line and three actions for this week
• 7:15 – Good in Action: Washington state's wildfire relief infrastructure
• 8:15 – Sign-off

Episode Title: "More Dollars, Fewer Donors: Why Retention Is Your Growth Engine"

Summary: - The Fundraising Effectiveness Project's Q1 2026 data shows giving dollars up 4.3% but donor counts down nearly 1%, confirming a multi-quarter concentration trend

• NonProfit PRO analysis reveals repeat and recaptured donors are powering growth on a shrinking base, with a warning that the second half of 2026 could be tougher
• Stanford researchers studied over 2 million PayPal users to understand what drives online donor acquisition at scale
• The 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy finds 68% of affluent donors cite values and beliefs as their top giving motivation
• New PNAS Nexus research shows social expectation and guilt avoidance are powerful drivers of charitable giving

Links: - Fewer Donors, More Dollars, and Methodology Changes At FEP — The NonProfit Times: https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/fewer-donors-more-dollars-and-methodology-changes-at-fep/

• Repeat and Recaptured Donors Power Growth on a Shrinking Donor Base — NonProfit PRO: https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/repeat-and-recaptured-donors-power-growth-on-a-shrinking-donor-base-new-data-shows/
• New Research Could Help Nonprofits Attract Millions of Online Donors — Stanford GSB: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/new-research-could-help-nonprofits-attract-millions-online-donors
• What the 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy Reveals About Giving Today — Giving USA: https://givingusa.org/what-the-2025-bank-of-america-study-of-philanthropy-reveals-about-giving-today/
• Leveraging Social Expectation for Charitable Donations — Phys.org (PNAS Nexus study): https://phys.org/news/2026-07-leveraging-social-charitable-donations.html
• PKD Foundation Increases Research Investment by 50% — PKD Foundation: https://pkdcure.org/resources/pkd-foundation-increases-research-investment-by-50-announces-2026-research-grant-and-fellowship-recipients/

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — Q1 2026 fundraising data: more dollars, fewer donors
• 2:30 — Retention trends and year-end planning caution
• 3:45 — Stanford's large-scale online donor acquisition research
• 4:30 — What affluent donors say drives their giving
• 5:15 — Why donors give: social expectation and guilt avoidance
• 6:30 — What changed this week: the concentration pattern is now undeniable
• 7:15 — The bottom line and three action items
• 8:00 — Good in Action: PKD Foundation increases research investment by 50%
• 8:45 — Sign-off

Episode Title: "The Trust Advantage: Why Donors Trust Nonprofits But Not Philanthropy — and What That Means for Your Fundraising"

Summary: - The 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study reveals donor acquisition challenges and a shift away from year-end-heavy giving patterns toward year-round digital giving

• New polling from Independent Sector shows 56% of Americans highly trust nonprofits, even as trust in government and corporations lags far behind
• A striking trust gap: Americans trust nonprofits at 56% but trust philanthropy overall at just 29% — perceived motive is the key differentiator
• A House committee advanced nonprofit-related bills in a partisan markup, signaling that the regulatory and tax environment for the sector is actively in play
• Georgia Tech raised a record $415 million in FY2026, pushing its campaign past $2 billion through partnership-driven fundraising

Links: - 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study — NonProfit PRO: https://www.nonprofitpro.com/resource/2025-nonprofit-fundraising-study/

• New Polling: 56% of Americans Highly Trust Nonprofits — Independent Sector: https://independentsector.org/blog/new-polling-56-of-americans-highly-trust-nonprofits-as-trust-in-government-corporations-remains-much-lower/
• Americans Trust NPOs, Philanthropy Not So Much — The NonProfit Times: https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/americans-trust-npos-philanthropy-not-so-much/
• House Committee Advances Nonprofit Bills in Partisan Markup — Independent Sector: https://independentsector.org/blog/house-committee-advances-nonprofit-bills-in-partisan-markup/
• Georgia Tech's Record Fundraising Year Propels Campaign Past $2 Billion — Georgia Tech News: https://news.gatech.edu/news/2026/07/23/georgia-techs-record-fundraising-year-propels-campaign-past-2-billion

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — The fundraising playbook is shifting: year-round giving and retention
• 2:30 — The trust advantage: 56% of Americans highly trust nonprofits
• 4:00 — Why donors give: the trust gap between nonprofits and philanthropy
• 5:15 — What changed this week: nonprofit bills advance in Congress
• 6:30 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:30 — Good in Action: Georgia Tech's record-breaking $415 million year
• 8:30 — Sign-off

Episode Title: "The Gap Between How It's Always Been Done and What the Evidence Shows"

Summary: - A New Jersey foundation's experiment with outcome-based grantmaking is producing early results worth watching — and worth preparing for

• New analysis from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project reveals mid-level donors as a significantly under-cultivated segment in most donor files
• Behavioral research shows familiar fundraising tactics may be backfiring with Gen Z donors
• The IRS proposes regulations clarifying 501(c)(3) requirements for educational institutions, with broader implications for charitable purpose compliance
• Utah's statewide giving campaign demonstrates the power of collaborative fundraising

Sources & Links: - Chronicle of Philanthropy — "Philanthropy Isn't Broken—but How We Fund Might Be": https://www.philanthropy.com/opinion/philanthropy-isnt-broken-but-how-we-fund-might-be/

• AFP Global — "The Overlooked Power of Mid-Level Donors" (Fundraising Effectiveness Project Q3 2025): https://afpglobal.org/overlooked-power-mid-level-donors
• AFP Global — "Familiar Fundraising Tactics May Be Losing Ground with Gen Z Donors": https://afpglobal.org/news/familiar-fundraising-tactics-may-be-losing-ground-gen-z-donors
• The Nonprofit Times — "IRS Proposes Regulations Changing Education Institution 501(c)(3) Status": https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/irs-proposes-regulations-changing-education-institution-501c3-status/
• Utah Nonprofits Association — "UTAHGIVES 2026 Report": https://www.utahnonprofits.org/2026/07/09/utahgives-2026-report/

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — Outcome-based grantmaking experiment (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
• 2:30 — The overlooked mid-level donor segment (AFP / Fundraising Effectiveness Project)
• 4:15 — Gen Z donor behavior research (AFP Global)
• 5:45 — IRS proposed regulations for education nonprofits (Nonprofit Times)
• 6:45 — Bottom line and three action items
• 7:45 — Good in Action: Utah's statewide giving campaign
• 8:45 — Sign-off