A study released by Give.org reinforced that charities' commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important to donors. Of particular relevance to planned giving efforts are the following findings from the study:
Donors will stop giving if a charity’s culture is unsupportive of diversity. Of the donors surveyed, 41 percent indicated that they would stop supporting a charity if they discovered that the organization’s culture discriminates against the people it serves.
“Culturally insensitive images and language” are also red flags for donors, and 34 percent of those surveyed said they would cut off support if they saw evidence of an organization’s insensitivity.
Board composition is important, too. Of the donors surveyed, 17 percent said they would no longer support the organization if its board is not diverse.
Especially as you are evaluating your planned giving strategies for your organization’s long-term health, make sure that your messaging around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is accurate and compelling. The diversity of our communities will continue to grow, and forward-thinking philanthropists will want to be confident that your organization is poised to effectively serve future generations.
The community foundation would be happy to help your team work through the diversity aspects of your planned giving program.
For example, certain donors may wish to establish a field-of-interest fund or designated fund at the community foundation to provide long-term support for your organization provided that diversity criteria are met.
The community foundation can serve as a neutral third party to monitor those criteria and help your organization be successful. This technique might very well help you capture a major or planned gift that a donor would not be willing to make outright.
This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.