Fundraising, Arts & Technology
Ian Hawthorne
DAF Punks Part Two: Beyond Simple Giving, A New ...

With little success in larger-scale government oversight so far, it begs the question: how is the marketplace for DAFs changing and innovating in the response to these singularizing criticisms? Is the market listening and self-correcting as a way to preempt such legislation? Given the broad variety of DAF sponsor organizations, it is evident that the field, while large, is not a monolith and deserves to be measured at its innovative margins. Newer sponsors have revealed themselves to be particularly aware of the controversies yet remain focused on the opportunities these accounts provide and are demonstrating new approaches to DAF sponsorship aimed at greater payout rates and democratization of their platforms.

DAF Punks Part Two: Beyond Simple Giving, A New Model for DAFs
Fundraising, Arts & Technology
Ian Hawthorne
DAF Punks Part One: How Tech-Fueled Disruptors ...

While institutional philanthropy is in a boom-time, foundations have not monopolized such growth. The renewed interest in donor advised funds (DAF) since the pandemic has triggered meteoric growth in the amount of assets stored in DAFs, with recent figures showing over $229 billion stored across 2 million DAF accounts, receiving roughly $86 billion in annual contributions, and granting nearly $52 billion in 2022.

DAF Punks Part One: How Tech-Fueled Disruptors are Reshaping the Role of Donor Advised Funds
Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Surveys
Samantha Sonnet
What Are Museum Professionals Saying About ...

The use of generative AI (GenAI) tools is becoming increasingly prevalent in marketing, particularly for smaller organizations or nonprofits seeking innovative ways to engage audiences and improve workflow efficiency. This article dives into data collected through a survey that was sent out to museum professionals in Pittsburgh and Cleveland to better understand how and if they are utilizing generative AI tools in their marketing strategies.

What Are Museum Professionals Saying About Generative AI for Marketing?
entertainment, Artificial Intelligence
Hannah Brainard
April News: Entertainment Industry Divided on ...

This month, music and film are at the forefront as each battles with the future uses for burgeoning tech. While AI-generated film visuals seem to be coming up short, progress toward realistic AI-generated music is starting to send shockwaves. On the consumer side, music streaming tools are being released to allow more listening experience customization. Across the industry, artists are celebrating ways that some these new tools can enhance their work, while speaking out against potential impacts on jobs, compensation, and creative freedom.

April News: Entertainment Industry Divided on AI Tools
Artificial Intelligence, Marketing, Social Media
Samantha Sonnet
How Generative AI is Impacting Digital Marketing

Generative AI (GenAI) has become increasingly integrated into marketing and communication careers, and even our daily lives, with the rise of various text-to-image, text-to-video, & text-to-text tools. As digital marketers find new and innovative ways to keep up with the trends, and specifically GenZ in a quick-changing popular culture scene, how are they reacting to the rise of GenAI?

How Generative AI is Impacting Digital Marketing

Fundraising

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Twitch: Fundraising Platform and Streaming Service

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Twitch: Fundraising Platform and Streaming Service

Whether you have heard of the social gaming platform called Twitch or not, it is definitely something to keep on your radar for potential uses for fundraising and audience engagement. Founded in 2011, Twitch began its business focusing on video gaming, however in 2015 it added a creative channel where “streamers” could specify their artistic content. Recently, Twitch has been highlighted as a premiere location for raising significant funds from dedicated fans who are moved by a cause. In fact, last year Twitch raised $75 million for 100 different charities. With the advent of creative content streams, it seems unusual that the nonprofit arts sector is not engaging with current and future audiences and donors on the site.

Emerging Digital Fundraising Pathways: Survey Results & Recommendations, Part 5 of 5

Emerging Digital Fundraising Pathways: Survey Results & Recommendations, Part 5 of 5

As we conclude our series on Emerging Technologies for fundraising, we are excited for the opportunities facing the arts sector. As noted in early parts, digital giving is growing at a faster rate than individual giving overall, thus it is critical for fundraising professionals to develop or continue to engage in new digital pathways. The findings and recommendations from the national survey are below with our full report available here or for download in the publications section linked above and organized by content category.

Emerging Digital Pathways #3 of 5 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Emerging Digital Pathways #3 of 5 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Peer-2-Peer (P2P) campaigns are used often among the non-arts nonprofit community in the United States. 87% of  Millennials and Generation Xers are willing to use peer-to-peer for their giving. P2P is a digital fundraising platform that strengthens the relationship between donors and arts organizations. It is an interactive platform where donors can be more actively engaged with their organizations and share their contributions with their peers. If arts organizations want to build deeper relationships with donors, they should try to include P2P in their fundraising plan.  The following article explains how.

Digital Fundraising with Text Messaging, Part 2 of 5

Digital Fundraising with Text Messaging, Part 2 of 5

According to the 2018 Global NGO Technology Report, over "15% of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide regularly send text messages to donors and supporters." In addition, "43% of those NGOs use a Text To Give service for SMS fundraising." These trends continue in the United States, with the mGive Foundation's 2015 Text Donation Study finding "that for 46% of donors, giving via text is a preferred method." The most popular SMS campaigns tend to favor urgent crises, with over 65% of donors giving via text supporting disaster relief organizations, followed by health institutions and human services organizations. This particular study also referenced a "Giving Gap" where people who responded that they strongly favored using text as a method of donation rarely followed through with that wish. This led mGive to conclude that "it is likely that many donors are not being given ample opportunity to make text donations."

Given this evidence, there is a want from donors for text-based giving that is not being fulfilled. Here’s how your organization can learn to meet this demand.

Emerging Technology for Fundraising: Part 1 of 5

Emerging Technology for Fundraising: Part 1 of 5

Fundraising is a critical component of almost every nonprofit arts enterprise.  This spring, the Arts Management and Technology Lab commissioned a national benchmarking analysis and survey of arts organizations on four emerging digital fundraising pathways:  Text message / SMS giving, peer-to-peer portals, Facebook nonprofit tools, and mobile auction apps.   The following kicks off a 5 part series that highlights the findings.  This article offers specific statistics on fundraising with subsequent pieces providing details on the individual pathways and a summary of the national survey's findings.

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Nonprofit Technology Conference #18NTC

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Nonprofit Technology Conference #18NTC

NTEN's annual conference is always a special treat. Vendors and attendees all focused on making the world a better place while investigating the appropriate role technology plays in that transformation.  With 144 sessions plus keynotes, Birds of a Feather lunch tables, Ignite talks and pre-conference workshops, to say the conference is robust is an understatement.  The following are my main take-away from the conference, but if you are curious for more, be sure to check out their social channels with hashtag #18NTC.

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How Do You Compare in Digital Fundraising?

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How Do You Compare in Digital Fundraising?

AMT Lab is researching emerging digital fundraising tools so that arts organizations can, hopefully, take a bigger part of the 14% increase in online giving. With $380 billion dollars of giving in the USA in 2017 and more people than ever giving online, the future of fundraising is changing before us.  And don't be fooled -- the majority of the online donors were older than 49 years old.  To understand how the arts can maximize current and emerging fundraising opportunities, a benchmark of what is happening in the field today is underway.

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Highlights of 2017 and a mini-preview of what is to come

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Highlights of 2017 and a mini-preview of what is to come

2017 took AMT Lab researchers into the worlds of robots, smart cities, augmented reality, bias reducing technologies, digital advocacy, and so much more.  The following offers a highlight and a small preview of what's to come in the 2018.