The 2024 Giving USA Report has been released which reports on charitable giving in 2023. Instead of writing about what’s in the report, I’d like to address whether a nonprofit chief executive or development director should even care.
There’s no point in pouring over figures and data if there’s not a compelling reason to. If I said charitable giving in 2023 totaled $557.16 billion in 2023 (true), why would that matter? What’s the benefit of knowing this statistic for a nonprofit and fundraising leader? There’s honestly not much to gain by knowing that number by itself.
So, should a chief executive or development director care about the Giving USA Report? YES. And, it’s not about the data necessarily. It’s about leadership.
Many nonprofit chief executives and development professionals struggle to find their footing. This could be an internal struggle like battling imposter syndrome and insecurity. It could be external challenges such as working with volunteers who micromanage the fundraising staff. In many cases, it’s both. This challenge is less common in other areas. There are fewer examples of this when you look at other departments such as accounting, human resources, and accounting.
Nonprofit organizations need strong leaders on staff as chief executives and development directors. Effective organizational leaders are constantly learning and spending time in thought.
“Leadership and learning are indispensable from one another.” President John F. Kennedy
There’s nothing magical about the Giving USA Report. There are other sources for learning and growing as a nonprofit leader. However, the Giving USA should certainly be on your radar as the primary annual report on charitable giving in the United States.
As we embark on the second half of 2024, here are a few simple questions to reflect on as an executive director or development director:
- What kind of leader does the organization need me to be?
- How often am I spending time learning, visioning, and thinking?
- What goals can I set that will help me focus on developing my leadership skills?
The ability to lead allows organizations to become more effective as nonprofit leaders and fundraisers. Nonprofit leaders need to be able to lead and develop a constructive partnership with the board. It’s okay not to have read every nonprofit article and attend every webinar. And, it’s okay to start from square one. We’ve all been there. Take this time
That doesn’t mean we should have the mindset of less than or an imposter. It means we should be solution-focused. And that requires learning, reading, thinking, and leading by example.
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born — that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” Warren G. Bennis
Are you struggling to find your footing or enhance your nonprofit leadership skills? We have the experience to support you and achieve your goals.
Simply email me at kenny@siglercrist.com to begin the conversation.
All the best,
Kenny Sigler, CFRE