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.

For many nonprofits, one of the biggest fundraising challenges isn’t donor generosity, it’s donor confusion.

Donors want to help. They want to do the right thing. But when tax laws change, even well-intentioned supporters can feel unsure about how (or whether) their giving still “counts” when tax time rolls around.

That’s why the addition of the above-the-line charitable deduction for non-itemizers in 2026 is something every nonprofit leader and fundraiser should understand and communicate clearly to donors this year.

This change may not solve every fundraising challenge, but it could remove a common mental barrier for millions of donors who don’t itemize their taxes. And considering the IRS reports that 87% of tax filers take the standard deduction, chances are this change may affect a lot of your donor base.

Let’s break down what this change means, why it matters to your organization, and how to talk about it without sounding like a tax advisor.

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.

Year-end always feels like a sprint. Donors are busy wrapping up the year, inboxes are overflowing, and your team is doing everything possible to make the most of the giving season. 

But amid the rush, there’s still time to help your supporters make a real impact, and even save a little on their taxes while they do it!

The truth is, many gifts in December are made in the final stretch. In fact, roughly 10% of all charitable giving for the entire year happens in the last three days. And although those donors definitely want to help your cause, they are likely making those gifts to lock in tax benefits for the year.  

That means every message you send, every story you share, and every opportunity you highlight between now and December 31 can make a difference. 

So while there’s not much time left on the clock, there is time to be strategic. Here are three smart giving moves your donors can still make before the end of the year, and how your nonprofit can help them do it. 

Many fundraisers think of cash when it comes to donations, but there's another valuable asset many overlook: gifts of stock. 

And no, we’re not talking about livestock! 

For savvy donors and nonprofits alike, stock donations present an incredible opportunity for giving that benefits both parties.

In this article, you will learn how stock donations benefit your nonprofit, the types of donors to focus on for this type of gift, and the tax advantages (and considerations) for both your organization and the donor.

Major gifts are almost always built on trust, timing, and strong relationships. 

But before a donor ever has coffee with you, they usually visit your website. 

And when they’re doing their research, often comparing multiple organizations they care about, they go back to your website again. What they find there can either build confidence… or quietly raise red flags. 

If you want to attract transformational gifts, your website needs to work with you, not against you. In this article, we'll explore 6 ways your website might be hurting your major giving program, and how to fix them.

Major donors often provide the largest gifts to your organization, making them a vital part of your long-term fundraising strategy (especially if you're working toward building or growing an endowment).

While economic conditions may shift, your mission and your community’s support remain steady. According to Fortune, some giving may slow during a recession, but people still give to the causes they care about. Susan Hirschman, Director of Wealth Management for Schwab Wealth Advisory, puts it best: “No matter what the market is, people will always give to charities.”

It’s easy to focus on maintaining relationships with your current major donors—and you should! But if you're thinking about long-term financial sustainability through an endowment, it’s equally important to expand your network of support. There are donors out there who are aligned with your mission and ready to invest in your future—you just need to invite them in.

We’ll help you get started with three of our favorite best practices for identifying, cultivating, and stewarding major donors.