Some of your donors have money coming out of their retirement accounts this year that they didn’t ask for and may not need. The IRS requires it. It shows up on their tax return either way.

Unless they give it to you.

Required Minimum Distributions are predictable, recurring, and often overlooked by nonprofits. For donors who don’t need the income, a Qualified Charitable Distribution lets them send it straight to a charity instead, satisfying the requirement without adding to their taxable income.

In this article, we’ll explain how RMDs work, why they matter to your donors, and how to make sure your organization is the one they choose.

Ask a development director how their endowment is doing, and they'll usually tell you about performance: the latest return, how the market's been treating the fund, what the investment committee said last quarter.

It's rarer for them to mention the donors they are stewarding and prospecting to support this long-term initiative.

Once an endowment is established, many nonprofits shift into maintenance mode. The fund exists, it's invested, and growth becomes something the market handles rather than something the fundraising team actively pursues. But an endowment doesn't have to grow through investment returns alone. It can grow because donors keep choosing to grow it. One of the keys, however, is knowing who to ask and how to have that conversation.

Ask most boards what their job is when it comes to fundraising, and you'll hear some version of "the ask," (if you're lucky!). What often doesn't makes the list is stewardship: thanking donors, keeping them informed, and making them feel like partners rather than a line on a spreadsheet. That usually gets left to the development team, which is a strange division of labor, since board members often bring exactly the credibility and personal relationships that make stewardship land.

Developing a reserve fund is a crucial part of maintaining your nonprofit’s stability and sustainability. As YPTC’s nonprofit financial management guide explains, “When you’re in survival mode, you might spend every dollar that comes in. To be sustainable, make sure you’re building an operating reserve. This can help provide a safety net during times of uncertainty, economic downturns, or other adverse circumstances.”

However, donors might wonder why or how you’re generating enough funds for a reserve in the first place. They might ask themselves: “Does this organization truly need my contributions if they already have enough extra funds leftover to put in reserve?”

To help you balance building your reserve and retaining donor support, this guide offers tips for advancing your reserve strategy while reinforcing donor confidence.

Many nonprofit boards spend the bulk of their fundraising conversation on one question: how do we bring in new donors? It makes sense. New donors feel like growth. They show up in board reports as a number moving in the right direction.

But that focus can overlook a bigger opportunity sitting inside the donor base you already have. According to Neon One's 2026 Recurring Donor Report, which analyzed transaction data from more than 4,000 nonprofits, the average lifetime value of a recurring donor is $7,288, more than double the $3,607 lifetime value of a one-time donor. Recurring donors also stick around far longer, giving an average of 7.5 to 8 years compared to 1.5 to 2 years for one-time donors.

Keeping supporters continuously engaged between major fundraising campaigns is a modern challenge that many nonprofit teams face. As a result, digital connection has become an increasingly important strategy for long-term retention and advocacy.

When donors contribute to your nonprofit, you want to honor their contribution and your mission by stewarding it responsibly. However, nonprofit financial management can be challenging, especially if your team currently lacks the bandwidth or expertise to complete the many associated duties effectively.

Capital campaigns are an opportunity to scale your nonprofit, whether you’re raising funds to launch a new program, open a new location, construct a building, or complete another major project. However, growing too fast can threaten your stability. For fundraising professionals, this often manifests in fears that focus on a capital campaign will divert donations away from their annual fund.

Fortunately, nonprofits can maintain or even grow their annual funds while hosting a capital campaign. Doing so requires the right strategies, technology, and potentially even professional consulting services.

In this guide, we’ll explain how a capital campaign can impact your annual fund, and what your nonprofit can do to ensure that impact is positive.

Think about your most faithful $50-a-month donor. They’ve given for years, through every appeal and every Giving Tuesday, and likely gotten no tax benefit for it. Not because their gift didn’t count, but because, like 90% of filers (as of tax year 2022), they likely take the standard deduction.

Make-A-Will Month is an annual initiative that happens every August. It is designed to raise awareness about the importance of creating a will and planning for the future. It’s a time when individuals are encouraged to take stock of their assets, reflect on their legacy, and ensure that their final wishes are legally documented.

For nonprofits, Make-A-Will Month presents a unique opportunity to engage with supporters in meaningful ways, secure long-term funding, and build stronger, more lasting relationships. By actively participating in a Make-A-Will Month campaign, your organization can take a significant step toward ensuring its sustainability and continued success.

Want help getting ready for Make-A-Will Month? Canopy has a free Make-A-Will Month Toolkit you can download to get started and maximize the impact of your campaign.