Visionary Voices

Visionary Voices is a platform dedicated to sharing bold ideas, lessons learned, and insights that can truly make a difference in philanthropy. Whether you’ve developed a unique strategy, discovered powerful lessons from challenges, or have expert advice to help others grow, your voice matters here. Stories of success—and the valuable insights gained along the way—have the power to inspire, connect, and spark conversations that move the sector forward. Share your expertise or personal experiences today, because the future of giving needs voices like yours. Contribute and be part of something bigger.

Elephant precariously perched on a fragile tree branch, symbolizing unsustainable weight, instability, and the looming collapse of fragile systems

7 Pillars That Keep You Standing

Nonprofits rarely collapse from bad intentions. They collapse because the foundation is cracked. Seven pillars determine survival: strategy, packaging, focus, prospects, outreach, stewardship, and leverage. Miss one and you wobble. Miss two or three and you’re irrelevant. Passion won’t save you. Discipline will. Prosperity isn’t luck—it’s alignment. Ignore the pillars, and you’re building a mission on sand.

Read More »

The Seton Society: How We Built Real Relationships with Major Donors

At St. Vincent Hospital, the Seton Society transformed major donor relations by engaging members year-round, not just thanking them. Each quarter offered unique experiences: elegant dinners with personalized gifts and speakers, volunteer opportunities, educational sessions, and surprise family events. A rotating planning committee kept ideas fresh. Recognition plaques, recruitment efforts, and volunteer awards deepened involvement. Many donors later joined the Foundation Board, proving genuine relationships outlast any single gift.

Read More »

Six Building Blocks of a Strong Nonprofit Brand

First impressions shape how people judge both individuals and nonprofits. Just as social interactions can hinge on superficial questions like “What do you do?” or “Where do you live?”, donors often gauge an organization’s credibility by its branding, not its actual impact. A strong nonprofit brand—through name, logo, messaging, voice, typography, and color—signals capacity and potential, attracting trust, resources, and partnerships that fuel meaningful growth.

Read More »
Wall Street Journal Clipping: Many Colleges Fail in Teaching How to Think

Many Colleges Fail in Teaching How to Think — And Donors Are Catching On

In 2017, the Wall Street Journal warned: “Many Colleges Fail in Teaching How to Think.” Eight years later, was it prophecy? Alumni giving is down. Public confidence has collapsed. Colleges are closing almost weekly. Donors now ask: Am I funding thinkers—or just diplomas? Real education, or expensive amenities? If students leave no better at reasoning than when they arrived, why should anyone keep writing checks? The warning was clear. The collapse was inevitable.

Read More »
Surreal desert landscape shaped like a human eye, symbolizing the illusion behind inflated legacy gift lists and the need for clearer vision

The $117 Million Mirage: Why Most Legacy Gift Lists Are Illusions

A nonprofit celebrated 1,270 bequest commitments worth $117 million. Reality check: filtering for actual prospects yielded 55 names. Calling those 55? They reached five people—none remembered making any commitment. The culprit: organizations spending $8,000-$20,000 annually on digital tools, expecting software to cultivate donor relationships. When results disappoint, staff move on, leaving nonprofits with the cleanup. The lesson: five genuine legacy phone calls will always outperform 1,270 fictional commitments. You can’t build relationships with shiny website objects.

Read More »
Depiction of Harvard University

Would You Donate to Harvard?

Harvard: citadel of brilliance or fortress of privilege? For decades, liberals slammed it as an elitist gatekeeper—legacy admissions, donor perks, and wealth dressed up as meritocracy. Now, conservatives aim to gut its funding, branding it a woke factory. Different flags, same battlefield. Reform or revenge—the motives have shifted, but Harvard remains rich, elite, and untouchable. The question isn’t whether it deserves criticism. It’s whether you’d bankroll an empire of inherited advantage… or gamble on the promise of change.

Read More »
Nonprofit board members sitting in a conference room - watercolor rendering

Nonprofit Boards Should Include Young People

It’s time we stop thinking of young people as future leaders and start recognizing them as current ones. Boards are not clubs for years served but strategic bodies for stewarding the mission. Readiness isn’t about age—it’s about perspective, commitment, and passion. Including younger voices isn’t symbolic—it’s strategic. They bring energy, authenticity, and digital fluency. If your board makes decisions about youth, equity, or tech, their presence isn’t optional—it’s essential. Empower them, don’t just appoint them.

Read More »
Concerned fundraising professional reading tax reform updates, reflecting nonprofit sector’s uncertainty after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed.

New Law, Same Panic

On July 4th, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) became law—prompting predictable panic in the nonprofit sector. Critics decried lower top-tier deductions and a new AGI floor. But pause. OBBB didn’t undercut charitable giving—it strengthened it. By making key reforms permanent, it created clarity: a 60% AGI limit for cash gifts, a new deduction for non-itemizers, and preserved estate exemptions. Just as important, it solidified long-term economic stability—an essential foundation for future generosity. This wasn’t a loss; it was a safeguard. The smart fundraiser sees the opportunity, not the noise. It’s time to stop reacting—and start leading.

Read More »
Small boat charting rough waters and winning — symmetry with a small foundation that succeeded against all odds

Small and Mighty 

The GOSUMEC Foundation proves you don’t need to be a big nonprofit to achieve sizable results. Drs. Sanjay and Archana Bindra turned their 25th wedding anniversary into a $1 million endowment for medical scholarships in India. With zero staff, full transparency, and a focus on legacy giving, their grassroots nonprofit offers a replicable model for small organizations everywhere. Visit gosumec.org or scan the QR code in GIVING magazine to learn more about their work—and the groundbreaking GIVE Study.

Read More »
>