In the Midst of the Mother of All Tipping Points, What Tips Philanthropy?

By Lori Cloninger Sweeney, MEd Regional Director, Providence Foundations of Oregon

The term “tipping point,” introduced by Malcolm Gladwell in 2000, has been applied to everything from economic crises to climate change since his bestselling book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference was published. And, of course, COVID-19 is the mother of all tipping points. With every surge, we wondered anxiously how COVID-19 would affect our world sociologically and economically; with vaccination, will fundraising be forever changed? When it comes to fundraising, I see “tipping points”— even a pandemic-induced tip—as one of the most hopeful aspects of working with major gift donors, a fulcrum that tips donors to give when life-changing circumstances like COVID-19 occur in their lives. I don’t believe donor tipping points can cure poverty, but I do believe that events in our donors’ lives change the way they think about their own philanthropy. Sometimes it is a series of small changes that become significant enough, but it can also be a transforming experience like this pandemic that changes the way donors view their own philanthropy—and to what organizations they might make donations.

And, for me as a fundraiser, these tipping points have buoyed me through a long career, as the relationship-building and critical conversations I’ve had with donors manifest themselves in gifts when tipping points occur. Moreover, I’ve become schooled in looking for these critical moments in donors’ lives, in anticipating and planning for them, to the benefit of the organizations for which I work.

You and I see these changes in our donors’ lives daily. What are they?

Well, life and death, right? Losing a spouse or a child can completely change the way a donor thinks about legacy, the disease that led to the loved one’s death, heck, even the tax consequences of widowhood. Certainly, these are tender times, ones where, as fundraisers, we have to step thoughtfully and empathetically. However, realizing that, at these times, philanthropy could be healing is authentic fundraising. Gift officers can come alongside donors and families, initiate a crucial conversation, and show how a loved one might be remembered. The tipping point of loss marks a time of remembrance and healing—and impactful philanthropy for the organizations we serve.

I got a call in November one year from a mother whose son had died by suicide in September, wanting to learn more about the mental health research my organization did. The first thing I asked her was if she was ready to talk about this topic now. I told her honestly that I wanted to honor and not exacerbate her grief. She and her husband were strong in their belief that donating from their family foundation would make a difference for others, lessening the sting of their own son’s death. During the visit with researchers, the gift conversation, and even the stewardship process, I checked in with them frequently about their grief. I remember meeting them at their car when we unveiled the named fund they created, to tell them that if they felt uncomfortable at any time, to let me know, and we would step back. The father took pictures every step of the tour, chronicling their journey of remembrance and toting home the poster touting the fund with the son’s picture. I learned how healing philanthropy could be in a time of grief.

Spouses often want to honor their lost partner. As fundraisers, we can help facilitate a legacy endowment or an annual ritual and see the benefits for both our organizations and our donors. Augmenting a patient care program or changing the trajectory of a disease helps a donor realize they are changing experiences for others, an empowering notion. I regularly send flowers on a spouse’s birthday or date of death, with an empathetic note that I remember too. These cultivation touches often lead to discussions about how best to honor the lost spouse and are an opportune time to talk about estate giving. I visited a gentleman who had memorial gifts for his beloved wife directed to our senior care program, and when I visited him the first time, he told me the story of their life together, including her death, where our care was exceptional. He was a thoughtful and religious man, and when the long conversation led to estate giving, I asked him to consider designating his IRA to our hospital. He made the designation a couple of months later and was so pleased when I arranged for his care team to come to his house to thank and pray with him.

It doesn’t take a crisis like COVID-19 for people to feel grateful for their healthcare. A new diagnosis or health emergency are reasons grateful patients give. Philanthropy gives hope in the face of a daunting diagnosis. When healthcare organizations come alongside exemplary care and a plan, patients remember. Again, approaching this tipping point in a family’s life often involves the counsel of a physician partner and an authentic approach offering a chance to make a difference. These points in our lives are powerful—we know it from our own experiences, and we can authentically have critical conversations with our donors to help them prioritize their philanthropy.

Births (especially of grandchildren), momentous birthdays, divorce, marriages,

and other family events can also tip donors to or from your organization. Thoughtful fundraisers anticipate these events and work to integrate philanthropy into the family event equation. Did you send a note to the new grandparents with a reminder of the value of

your hospital’s children’s programs? Astute gift officers keep an eye out for these events in their donors’ lives as a springboard for a gift conversation. I worked with a donor couple who gave to their family endowment annually on their wedding anniversary, honoring the work they did together as a couple but spurred by the wife’s chronic illness. Once I noticed this pattern, I asked them to make a multiyear pledge and name the endowment in their estate.

But what about economic tipping points?

Of course, we all know economic times do affect giving. But there are a host of smaller, impactful financial events that can occur for donors and change the way they think about their philanthropy.

Retirement is a big tipping point. Most people reassess their estate and financial planning when they retire. Volunteering becomes important. The success of adult children is measured and calculated into the funds available for giving. Donors have more time for experiential engagement, like lab tours or wellness seminars. Retirement is a critical moment for determining philanthropic priorities for the rest of our lives. Remember when a lackluster board member retired, got deeply engaged, and made a principal gift to your organization? Tip it to retirement!

Inheritance, especially from a cherished family member a donor may want to honor, can be a lever for a named gift or the establishment of an endowment. I worked with three daughters whose father had been a grateful patient. I had approached him about an estate gift, but he had never confirmed his intentions. When he died, I sent my sympathies to the family and approached the daughters about a named endowment to honor their father; they all contributed from their inheritances. Amazingly, turning 70 ½ is becoming a transforming tipping point. I was astonished when our own financial advisor counseled us to have a plan to “change up our philanthropy” when we could donate directly from our retirement assets. This tipping point is so common—and often gets an informational assist from an advisor—that I regularly query donors about their age and their knowledge of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). A gift officer can have two critical conversations, particularly with single donors: (1) the benefits of a QCD gift and (2) designating their retirement assets for a charity. The “season of the 70s” is a pivotal time for donors to think through their philanthropic priorities; gift officers should be attuned to birthdates!

Among all the other financial transactions important in our donors’ lives, a liquidity event like selling a business can transform how a donor views philanthropy. Some donors open a donor-advised fund (DAF) at this time and have another asset to access for giving. Others think through their highest philanthropic priorities and establish funds directly at organizations. I worked with a retired physician who finally won a patent settlement, and he thoughtfully established endowments at organizations who had cultivated him during his long litigation. Their philanthropy was a chance for him and his wife to celebrate perseverance and values.

Because almost any donor can be a major donor through a bequest, I remember tipping points

cultivating almost any prospect. Revising estate plans (which researchers tell us occur at ages 38, 68, and 80) means that I look for those agerelated tipping points when working with donors (and what are they doing at these ages? Having children, retiring and losing a spouse, right?). You can plant a seed during a gift conversation that flowers later into a confirmed bequest or estate proceeds.

Gift officers who are cognizant of these life occurrences, who care about life’s tipping points, and come alongside donors, will reap benefits for their organizations and augment their daily work with these hopeful philanthropic triggers. I have found tipping points to help me sustain my enthusiasm for fundraising and initiate authentic conversations around these momentous life experiences.

Instead of scary pandemics fostering uncertainty, tipping points in fundraising can lead to good outcomes we can applaud.

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• Grateful Patient Programs • Outside List Acquisition • Renewal and Lapsed Recapture • Donor Recognition • Stewardship and Cultivation Efforts • Multi-Channel Integration • Mid-Level Programs • Planned Giving Lead Generation • Emergency Response • Donor-Advised Fund Strategies

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