We’re celebrating 10 years of game-changing philanthropic data!

Watch the free virtual fireside chats, available now on-demand.

A Decade of Data-Driven Direction for Nonprofits

For the past 10 years, the Blackbaud Institute Index has tracked year-over-year trends in philanthropy and annual giving statistics—with the goal of empowering organizations to know their sector and raise more, faster. Over this time, the Index has grown to track over $51 billion from over 8,500 organizations in the United States! Each year this data informs the Charitable Giving Report, one of the most credible resources on fundraising performance in the social good community.

On-demand Virtual Fireside Chats

To celebrate, we invited some of our most trusted advisors, industry experts, and friendly faces to lead a series of virtual fireside chats! Catch up on the webinars, podcasts, and blog posts below to get exclusive insight from industry experts and perspectives on this decade’s most influential charitable giving trends.

Chuck Longfield Founder of Target Software, Inc. and Former Chief Scientist at Blackbaud, Inc. Rachel Clemens Chief Marketing Officer, Mighty Citizen Tim Kachuriak Chief Innovation & Optimization Officer, NextAfter

Benjamin Smithee CEO, The Smithee Group Roger Craver Editor, The Agitator Marc Pitman Bestselling Author and CEO, Concord Leadership Group Una Osili Associate Dean for Research and International Programs, Indiana University Lily School of Philanthropy

The Shifting Demographics and Perspectives of Donors
Speaker: Una Osili
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There is no doubt that the landscape is shifting—from the donors who are responding to the way they want to be engaged. Join us as we sit down with global philanthropy expert Dr. Una Osili to hear about her more than two decades of research in this area. She’ll share the lessons we should all take away from this extensive body of work and her predictions for the future.

Leadership and the Surprising Gift of Doubt
Speaker: Marc Pitman
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Leadership expert Marc Pitman helps high performers keep their edge, emerging leaders maintain their momentum, new leaders confront the demands of their position, and established leaders find fresh strategies. Marc will sit down with us to explore the concept of doubt and how it can be embraced as a framework for developing your skills and becoming an exceptional leader.

History of Direct Marketing: From Mail to Email and Beyond
Speaker: Roger Craver
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Get exclusive insights on the sgENGAGE blog

Roger Craver is a fundraising pioneer who’s helped launch and build organizations like ACLU, the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Amnesty International and dozens of other major organizations. Drawing on his deep experience as a direct response strategist and campaign organizer specializing in start-ups of new organizations and the renewal of older organizations, Roger will shine a spotlight on the emerging trends, talent, techniques, and technologies that he believes will help us all perform better tomorrow than we do today.

From Awareness to IMPACT: How Your Brand Can Drive Higher Value
Speaker: Benjamin Smithee
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Listen to highlights on the sgENGAGE Podcast

At The Smithee Group, Ben Smithee has been helping leaders and businesses dream bigger and achieve more. He’ll sit down with us to discuss how brand is the only thing that separates an organization from the “sea of sameness.” He’ll share his perspective of how a powerful brand allows an organization to drive higher value and cataclysmic demand—and unfortunately, it is the biggest thing lacking by so many organizations today. We’re excited for Ben to walk us through the components of brand IMPACT and what it means to create a relevant brand in today’s digital ecosystem.

The Value Proposition
Speaker: Tim Kachuriak
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Get exclusive insights on the sgENGAGE blog

Tim Kachuriak is obsessed with discovering what inspires people to give, and he has spent years testing theories and finetuning strategies that drive significant impact for organizations. We can’t wait for Tim to sit down with us to explore his most recent discovery—that most nonprofits are ineffectively communicating their value proposition and are losing donors as a result. Tim is an innovative thinker who’s quick on his feet, so grab a coffee and try to keep up as he dives into strategies for articulating your organization’s value proposition.

Achieving Marketing Maturity
Speaker: Rachel Clemens
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Get exclusive insights on the sgENGAGE blog

A 20-year veteran helping cause-driven organizations manifest their missions, Rachel Clemens, will join us to chat about her most recent passion: helping organizations achieve “marketing maturity.” Rachel will share how marketing maturity is the journey to an organization’s “best self.” Rachel will discuss why it matters, how to measure it, and what to do once your organization understands its level of maturity.

The Science of Philanthropy
Speaker: Chuck Longfield
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Listen to highlights on the sgENGAGE Podcast

Join us as the creator of the Blackbaud Institute Index, the renowned data scientist and philanthropy strategist Chuck Longfield, shares stories from his over 40-year experience in the field of philanthropy. Now retired, Chuck is allowing us to steal him from the golf course for a little while to sit down for a conversation with Steve MacLaughlin—lucky us! The two will discuss the lessons Chuck has learned along the way, and they’ll put their heads together about how these lessons can help organizations navigate the road ahead.