Post-Covid Fundraising models should focus on the collective efforts of all donors, big and small, rather than just wealthy donors

Traditional fundraising in the United States can be summed up like this: organization stacks Board of Directors with a combination of wealthy individuals who can personally write big checks or people who have access to corporate and foundation dollars who can write even bigger checks. The organization then panders to these people exclusively hoping to highlight their “giving” in an effort to get them to give more money or influence others to do the same. A recent article published in “Non-Profit Hub” outlines this traditional method of building and sustaining a charitable brand.

Jacqueline Nickelberry, cofounder of the Global Gift Registry, argues that this top-down fundraising model is outdated and not sustainable in a post-covid and post-racial awakening America. Philanthropists should be figuring out ways to introduce new supporters meaning millennials, first-time givers and smaller donations. Diversifying financial support will also decentralize power. When an organization solely relies on a major donor for funding then that donor has undue influence over the operations and management of the non-profit. Over time, organizations find they are no longer worried about their constituency meaning who they are supposed to be helping but rather, are now fixated on keeping this one donor happy.

In contrast to the traditional way that organizations fundraise, the Global Gift Registry has created a micro-philanthropy model that is similar to the way multi-marketing companies operate. We enlist the help of “Hostesses” to lend their name, purchase gifts and then spread the word to their networks to do the same. Our average donation is less than $200.00. These compounded efforts of small donors add up fast. For example, in 12 days, our Chicago Registry for the Primo Center raised $20,000.00. We call it a “gavalanche!”