Latest / We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits / 134. Philanthropy Trends: Breaking Down the Giving USA 2021 Report - Elizabeth Abel

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134. Philanthropy Trends: Breaking Down the Giving USA 2021 Report - Elizabeth Abel · We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

• 0:01
  Jonathan McCoy: Hey, I'm john.
• 0:02
  Becky Endicott: And I'm Becky.
• 0:03
  Jonathan McCoy: And this is the we are for good podcast.
• 0:06
  Becky Endicott: nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.
• 0:15
  Jonathan McCoy: We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
• 0:23
  Becky Endicott: So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropist, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
• 0:34
  Jonathan McCoy: So let's get started. Hey, Becky,
• 0:37
  Becky Endicott: welcome everybody.
• 0:39
  Jonathan McCoy: We're just beaming we are so smiley right now you just love meeting amazing, great human beings that love this space, that pour into this space that are lifting others. And that is one person that we're talking to today.
• 0:50
  Jonathan McCoy: It's Elizabeth, Jenna BFF, she
• 0:53
  Becky Endicott: is a long, less BFF she literally makes us pause in the intros to tell us what our little company has meant to her. And it's like holy smokes, my heart is already so full. And we just hit the play button. So I think we're in for a real treat today.
• 1:09
  Jonathan McCoy: So we're talking to a powerhouse today, a powerhouse of kindness, though, let's just say Elizabeth Abell, she is the corporate vice president of CCS fundraising.
• 1:17
  Jonathan McCoy: And I gotta be honest, every time we've talked to somebody that had a history with CCS is always the most incredible thing yet. But she leads a team there and has had incredible success leading collectively more than$250 million through different capital campaigns and initiatives. She is a powerhouse that is always talking and teaching. And you got to find her on social media because she will boost you, and she will educate you and she lifts diverse voices in our field. And so we feel so aligned on all those pieces. But really, she has, you know, spent her career investing in the philanthropy space, leading large scale fundraising campaigns and revenue goals, all from 5 million, which you know, if the low end is 5 million, she has a power of 5 million to over $1 billion. She also in her spare time is an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches fundraising and philanthropy, the donor journey. And I know we have so many, you know, mutual friends in this space. But she has got this beautiful family, living her life very full with traveling and hiking and tea drinking. So we're going to hear all the things from Elizabeth today. And I just honestly can't wait.
• 2:20
  Becky Endicott: She's amazing.
• 2:20
  Becky Endicott: She's from New York. And we are just so blessed that you're here. So welcome to the podcast, Elizabeth. Thank you.
• 2:27
  Elizabeth Abel: Thank you so much, john. And Becky, it is such a pleasure to be here. And I'm very much so looking forward to our conversation.
• 2:33
  Jonathan McCoy: Well, you are bringing you know, the goods today, the giving USA report recently came out, we're going to unpack that. But we're not going to start with the stats, we want to hear all about you what has drawn you into this space and kind of walk us through your journey of how you have become this really influential role in the philanthropy space, I'd just love to hear it.
• 2:51
  Elizabeth Abel: It would be my pleasure. So I have always had a very deep commitment to social justice and believe so deeply that philanthropy is one of the most powerful tools to drive social change. And from a very young age, I was involved in my local Jewish community. And I was thinking about, you know, how I started my journey. And it was actually when I was 16 years old, right after Hurricane Katrina had pretty much devastated New Orleans. And I went down with a group from our local synagogue to provide both, you know, basic human needs toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and also to provide a spirit and joy and a sense of community to people, men, women, children whose lives were effectively uprooted overnight.
• 3:35
  Elizabeth Abel: And at a young age, it was my first exposure to seeing what philanthropy can do, both from the Human Resources perspective, as well as from the personal relationships that you can build, stemming from a place of a collective vision to bring about a more just equitable, inclusive and joyful world. So at a very young age, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the nonprofit world. And it wasn't until I was getting my master's degree in nonprofit leadership that I discovered fundraising, and really the role of fundraising as the fuel in the nonprofits engine to allow us to build the tools and hire the talent and create the infrastructure that will position nonprofit organizations to achieve their mission and make the world a more just and equitable place. So I've had the privilege of hiking and traveling. But whenever I do so, I always make a point to focus on issues of human rights, Holocaust and genocide, education and women, specifically non Western women and their voices and uplifting others in society. And that's really where I get my energy and my fuel to do the work that I do every day. It's just really interesting when I hear stories about how people understand their purpose and their passion, and you can so succinctly, succinctly say, I'm here for women, and I'm here for social Justice. And that's where I allow my aligned my values. And I just think it's really wonderful that you figured out where your talents and your passion lie. And then you went in and did you went and activated and now you're teaching others. So I am just really endeared to your story.
• 5:16
  Elizabeth Abel: Thank you for going and just being an ambassador and being a volunteer, that's so wonderful.
• 5:22
  Becky Endicott: I think the thing that I think is so interesting about you is, you're working with so many clients across the country, maybe around the world, you're in all of these different shops and fundraising shops, you have different lenses into missions, how people are applying strategy. And I really want to focus on the current philanthropic landscape, because this is a brave new world that we are standing in right now we are coming out of COVID quarantine, we're going into reentry, the world looks in totally looks entirely different now. And so we want to talk a little bit about giving USA and the giving USA foundation in partnership with a lily School of philanthropy. And they put out this annual report. And I would love for you to kind of just walk us through the headlines because I think there are so many nonprofits out there right now looking around going What do I need to be pouring my energy into what is this report said and give us the high points?
• 6:19
  Elizabeth Abel: Absolutely, I would be happy to so as we all know it has been a big week in philanthropy with the release of the 2021 giving USA reports. And the headline is that the philanthropic landscape is on the rise between 2019 and 2020, we experienced a 5.1% growth in giving to reach a record breaking $471.44 billion invested into the marketplace.
• 6:49
  Elizabeth Abel: Let that number really sink in for a bit because it is that impressive. $471.44 billion. Not only is it a truly extraordinary figure, but it's actually the highest year of giving on record since giving us a began tracking this data more than 60 years ago. Now, in my opinion, what makes this figure that much more impressive is that 2020 was an unprecedented year in philanthropy. nonprofit leaders responded to a global pandemic, a widespread reckoning with racial and social injustice, a polarized political climate. And if that wasn't enough, we had a series of departmental disasters. And so overnight, nonprofit leaders and development teams had to pivot from these visionary plans for their futures to laser like focus on their daily operations, responding to the pandemic and really recalibrating their fundraising activity to meet the needs of their communities in what was a rapidly evolving and quite frankly, a scary environment. On a positive note, the stock market did rebound at the end of 2020. And that did drive a significant influx of giving. But I think we learned a lot from the events of the year.
• 8:01
  Jonathan McCoy: Is it true, Elizabeth, and I've not spent time with the report yet because I love the framework that you're dropping here. But that I just think of the mindsets of us in 2020. And it's like, so much of us go into like scarcity when so much changes. And so I love that the report is actually showing something different that it's like more money actually, you know, pushed out that I see that corporate giving actually went down for the first time
• 8:23
  Elizabeth Abel: you are correct corporate did go down. But I think at the end of the day, it is a reflection of the power that individuals have to drive philanthropy, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the uneven impact that philanthropy had across all sectors. So some sectors like education, human services, and advocacy did receive a significant influx of cash. But there were other sectors like arts and culture and healthcare who were not as fortunate and did experience some significant setbacks overall. But I think what we did learn, and then I would love to talk about individuals and the role that they play. But I think what we saw that if philanthropy is resilient in times of crises, and historically it has been the 2020 was, was not an exception.
• 9:04
  Elizabeth Abel: And so we saw donors, individual donors, specifically responding urgently and generously to the pandemic, and issues of racial and social inequality, because these challenges impacted them, their families, their communities in the country. And we saw them do so to an extraordinary figure of $471 billion.
• 9:28
  Becky Endicott: It's just really incredible. And just the dichotomy of all the dynamics is very interesting. I mean, I think most of us assumed the social services sector would be, you know, off the charts in terms of giving because it wherever you are in the world, there was the sense of upheaval within people's lives, and there was hunger, scarcity and people losing their jobs and we knew that we needed to pour in and I find the health care drop, very interesting because when you think about the needs of COVID and the demands that that put on our healthcare and frontline workers, I would have thought there would have been more poured into there. So I kind of want to double click on this individual donor, when you look at this report, and you look at kind of where the statistics are pointing moving forward, what sort of insights Do you see about how we need to be pouring into the individual? And we're, by the way, we're extremely passionate about this, because as we talked about, we talked about it all the time with Gabe Cooper, you know, the base of funding is eroding those average donors who make up the grassroots level of philanthropy is getting smaller. Is this a time where we can re engage them? Can we bring them back, and I would just love your thoughts on any of that?
• 10:44
  Elizabeth Abel: Absolutely. So we are continuing to see year after year is the significant role that individuals play in driving philanthropy. Now, of course, this includes your high net worth individuals whose gifts do comprise a significant portion of funding. Take Mackenzie Scott, for example, eight days ago, she gave another$2.7 billion to over 285 nonprofit organizations across the country, extraordinary. But I also don't want to lose sight of the millions of people, people like you and need people like our community members, or colleagues, who are donating to organizations and are doing so at a level that's meaningful for them for causes that they care about. And so when we look at that $471 billion figure that was invested in 2020, into the philanthropic marketplace, individuals collectively gave nearly 70%, they gave 324 million. And if that isn't as impressive as it is on its own, when you think about requests, which are technically segmented out, as well, as Foundation's, knowing that many of those foundations are family foundations, then you're really looking at between 80 to 85%, of total giving driven by individuals. So the question now becomes, why is this significant to our role as nonprofit leaders and development professionals, also, as fundraisers, we know that at the heart of our work is relationship building, and building authentic relationships, I really want to emphasize that so much, so much of the time, it's transactional, whether it's through an event or you know, click to donate. But I really do believe that the essence of what we do as fundraisers is building those authentic relationships. And so we need to focus on doing that in order to increase our revenue and to scale our donor base.
• 12:31
  Elizabeth Abel: Becky, you actually said it so beautifully during your annual giving episode. And back to basics. You said, as fundraisers, we know that our focus is on being the bridge between the donor and the organization. And that really resonated with me, because I feel it captures the essence of fundraising.
• 12:48
  Jonathan McCoy: But I love that you are, I always say this giving permission to focus on this area. And I think, you know, people that step into our field, we have a lot of people coming into the field that don't have the training, which is why we felt really passionate about basics. And I feel like you lean into this a lot on your social platforms to of just educating about trying to understand the core of how you do build relationships and create a development program. But what I think is key is that it always comes back to don't just do what's easy. And it may be easy to fill up this grant request.
• 13:19
  Jonathan McCoy: Because there's 10 questions, and I can fill in the boxes, there's never 10. So let's be clear. But it's step into these more uncomfortable ideals.
• 13:27
  Jonathan McCoy: Because if people could just commit to their relationships, that's where transformational giving is going to happen. And even times get hard. Those are the people that you can call and check on and they're the ones that are going to respond to you. So I love that the data is supporting their relational, because that's what we've all been saying and preaching.
• 13:46
  Becky Endicott: Oh, yeah. And I honestly think if I was a leader in a nonprofit right now, I just think about it. And I have compassion for these leaders right now who had a five year strategic plan that they were working on. And I don't know that you need to just completely scrap it. But we need to take a hard look at it. And if you are looking at this report, and you're looking at the data, it's informing that if you have a ton of strategy in the corporate side, and foundation side, it's like maybe we need to take a hard look at maybe paring that back and seeing how we can get out and talk to people. And let me just tell you, folks, if you know we talk about the long game all the time core value number two, but if you are playing the long game, if we can build relationships with individuals over a long period of time, then you can I mean that is the the big, hairy, audacious goal at the end where you are moving them up the spectrum and getting them into that plan gift it is so much easier to have a long term relationship with an individual than it is with a corporation whose values may shift. They may not even be sustainable year after year. And of course we want to work on getting a gift one on one from someone or you know, even if it's digitally versus By our table at the gala, I know that's always my back thing that I fall back on. But it's hard, it's hard to create meaning out of buying a table, you can be so much more personal when you actually get in there start to learn who your donors are. And if you're not doing it digitally, I am telling you right now, you are completely missing out on a whole new sector of potential donors who could really impact your mission.
• 15:22
  Elizabeth Abel: I couldn't agree more. And so in this course that I teach, it's actually called the donor journey. Because we believe in this cycle, you bring people in, you cultivate them, you engage and educate them. And then by the time they make a gift, they're so excited to do so because they're championing your mission. And then they become ambassadors and multipliers of your fundraising efforts. And you kind of bring them along on that journey again. But what I really do want to emphasize is that every gift matters, and every gift makes a difference. And so if you believe in the mission of an organization, then you should make a gift that's meaningful to you. Because that gift will be meaningful to the organization and it will move them one step forward to their longer goal, whether it's, you know, creating a more just an inclusive and equitable world for all or solving some of the most pressing social issues of our time. And so I do think this idea of the donor journey and making gifts that are meaningful to you, as you grow in your philanthropy, your giving will grow. But it just starts with one gift.
• 16:20
  Jonathan McCoy: Okay, you're preaching to as she is fans over here, I'm sure like a lot of listeners, I feel overwhelmed when this report comes out. And so I'm looking for a guide. And I feel like CCS does such a great job at putting together this philanthropic landscape report, would you share a little bit about that and how our listeners can get involved with that project?
• 16:35
  Elizabeth Abel: Absolutely. So if you're like me, and you geek out to this data, then you will love the annual CCS philanthropic landscape report, which will be published later this summer. This is my favorite report of the year, essentially, a compiles both giving USA data and data from across the industry to offer a snapshot of the state of philanthropy today.
• 16:58
  Elizabeth Abel: Specifically, it offers a deep dive on individual foundation and corporate giving. And this year's report discusses key themes in philanthropy, like diversity, equity and inclusion, and the impact of the pandemic on the philanthropic landscape.
• 17:46
  Elizabeth Abel: So the report will become publicly available for free download later this summer. I am unabashedly bias, and that I truly think the data and insights are so timely and relevant. But you can pre register for your copy now, and I hope you enjoy the report as much as I have. And she's a contributor.
• 18:02
  Jonathan McCoy: Of course, so casual, she's so humble
• 18:04
  Becky Endicott: brag, because she won't thanks to it. So I want to give our listeners like some actionable insights now that we have this information, and you know, knowledge is power, what can we do about it?
• 18:14
  Becky Endicott: So, after hearing about all this data and the current landscape of philanthropy today, what advice would you kind of give to our listeners about how they can move forward creating these really strong cultures of philanthropy within their own organizations?
• 18:29
  Elizabeth Abel: So I have three things that I would share for nonprofit leaders and development professionals. And I would say, first, that it's important to have your forward thinking vision for the future that drives your work, but really ground that in what I would call your fundraising fundamentals. So we'll talk about three things. First, we'll talk about the importance of refining your case for support and your messaging to reflect the current environment. We'll then pivot to the importance of engaging and activating your volunteer leaders and board members as fundraising ambassadors, and then tie it all together with cultivating an organizational culture that's focused on community empathy and inclusion.
• 19:05
  Becky Endicott: Oh, my gosh, last one is so good. I mean, they're all good notes, pullover,
• 19:11
  Jonathan McCoy: this is going to be too good.
• 19:12
  Becky Endicott: Yeah. Okay, let's break it down. Okay, let's
• 19:16
  Elizabeth Abel: jump right in.
• 19:16
  Elizabeth Abel: So as we know, your case for support is a persuasive appeal with a compelling rationale to give to your organization, and importantly, a clear articulation of impact.
• 19:25
  Elizabeth Abel: Essentially, donors want to know why we need their support, and how they can help us achieve our mission. And so in light of the current environment, it's important that we reevaluate our case messaging and our narrative to ensure that what we're saying is timely. So the question that I'm asking everyone to answer is, how is your mission meeting this moment? How has the pandemic impacted your ability to carry out your work? How has the nation's reckoning with racial and social injustice change the way that you're doing your work and communicating your work with the community? And so really crystallize your vision to get people excited about the work that you're doing? And to kind of stake your claim and why the work that you're doing is essential to our community right now. And then next, think about how you're communicating your case to key constituencies to ensure that your message resonates with your key donors and most importantly, inspires them to give. Wow, okay,
• 20:23
  Becky Endicott: I need to pause right there. That was so great.
• 20:26
  Becky Endicott: And honestly, I think one of the most important things that you said that I don't want anybody to miss, is you have got to crystallize How the pandemic has impacted your ability to deliver your mission. The pandemic has impacted us all in some way. And your donors need to know how they need to know the current landscape of what the organization looks like right now, the challenges that you're facing and how they can pour into it. If I mean, I think everybody probably has some sense of an elevator speech of a case for support. But it's like if you don't have that sort of bookended at the very end of why our vision is changing, moving forward, you're really missing out. And I think it's such a great opportunity to get people excited. And to say, this is where I can actually get my pet charity, back on track. This is where I can pour into it, where I can make a bigger difference, because there's a gap, what an opportunity to share that. So that was an excellent one and vision.
• 21:24
  Jonathan McCoy: I mean, you can't hold that back. I mean, I think especially after 2020 people want the aspirational like, where are we going after this? How are we picking up the pieces, and we can be torchbearers of that of building this new world, you know, that's, that can solve some of the horrible things that we've all stepped through in the last 18 months together. So just loving this and
• 21:44
  Becky Endicott: going.
• 21:45
  Elizabeth Abel: Alright, well, so once you have your vision, you need people who can champion that vision and communicate that vision. So that leads us to the importance of our board members and volunteer leaders and how we can activate them as multipliers of our fundraising efforts. And I would also say that this concept is especially important for smaller grassroots nonprofit organizations who have smaller development teams, yet, they still have a robust pipeline and multiple competing priorities that they need to accomplish in a pretty deadline driven environment. So I think of board members and volunteer leaders as the greatest asset to your fundraising efforts, why they champion your mission, they engage their networks, and of course, they provide you with generous financial support. So think of your volunteer leaders as multipliers and give them homework, tell them to communicate your mission to the broader community through an event or one on one meetings, have them connect you with potential leaders or funders within their network or host small dinners or parlour meetings on your behalf. I think one of the easiest ways to engage volunteer leaders is through your stewardship efforts, have them make Thank you calls or handwritten notes, those touch points go such a long way. And when we're sitting in our development office, and you have to either make a solicitation or write a thank you card, we're always going to go to the fullest cetacean. And so sometimes his stewardship falls, falls off our to do list.
• 23:00
  Elizabeth Abel: And of course, your volunteer leaders and fundraisers are your major donors. So it's important to recognize them for their leadership and generosity. But I think regardless of the ways in which you do leverage their diverse stories, and skills and expertise, it's important as well to make sure that they're prepared. So take some time to train them, provide them with the tools and the language that they need to be successful. And you will see they will go out and do some pretty amazing things on your behalf.
• 23:30
  Jonathan McCoy: You're so right, people just they want to know how they can be successful and how they can help the organization. So I love that you're challenging us to find creative ways to do that. Just just really drinking this up.
• 23:41
  Becky Endicott: And I will just say is, you know, a recovering major gift officer, it's like, I don't want anyone to think that pouring this energy into your board members, your volunteer leaders is is something that's a waste of effort in terms of trying to get in front of their network, it is cultivation of that individual as well. The more that they feel armed with your messages, the more that they're extremely clear on the things that you need. They're empowered, they're thinking about how can I pour into that there's such small and easy ways that you can use these volunteers and their passion to do good. And at the same time, not only are you activating others to come in and join, you're cultivating your very engaged prospect as well. So that was an excellent one. I'm ready for number three.
• 24:27
  Elizabeth Abel: All right. So I actually think this is the most important thing that we can be doing right now in our organizations on our teams. And that is cultivating a culture that is focused on community empathy, and inclusion. So as nonprofit leaders, I believe that we are role models, and that we should be leading our teams by examples, really any leader for that matter, not limited to nonprofits. But I think it's especially true in a sector, like the nonprofit sector, where so much of our work is reacting to current events and the climate because we are seeking to address some systemic issues that need need to evolve. And so what I've learned from COVID, among many things, is the importance of leading with humanity. And at the end of the day, we are each human beings with our own goals, our own lives. And it's important that we break down this barrier that technology has created and get to know the people that we're working with.
• 25:22
  Elizabeth Abel: You know, we have no problem building authentic relationships with our donors, but we should also do so with our teams. And I think it's so important to develop and recruit and retain teams. That are committed to these values committed to values of diversity, equity and inclusion, where every single member of your team feels accepted, valued, empowered, supported to be their best selves and go out and do their best work. And the thing that I'm always encouraging colleagues to do is to take the time to celebrate wins. I think this goes such a long way in building morale and community within a team, both fellow celebrating individual accomplishments and collective team wins. You really anchor your your team in a sense of commitment to that long term vision and a celebration of every step that you take along the way. And I think in today's environment, where we've been kind of isolated and siloed in our thinking about how to reemerge, I think that reemergence should be anchored in a sense of community and authentic relationships that we build with one another.
• 26:26
  Jonathan McCoy: I agree, I keep coming back to this idea of torchbearers and I just feel like nonprofits could be this, I mean, we should be on the front lines of having teams and missions that are representative of the communities that we're serving. As we step into this, we should be living out the values that we're trying to perpetuate in the world through our mission. And I think you've just turned on a beautiful place to start ash love the idea of celebrating your team and allowing people to be seen and heard. And thank you for going there. Because I think we don't do enough of that.
• 26:54
  Becky Endicott: The short version, the cliffnotes version of all of that is be good to people. Because your donors, be good to your staff, you know, just even if you're virtual right now, and you can't actually physically be together, there are ways to engage, to celebrate, to check in to say, How are you doing, how's your family, I mean, I just think if you are caring about the person, at the end of the day, they're going to get so much more enrichment from their job, they're going to want to pour into missions, they're gonna feel seen and empowered to lift their voice, new ideas, there is nothing bad that could come from investing in your team, and making sure that you're looking around. And I don't want anybody to miss that you said, we've got to make plans to elevate people through the ranks, we want them to grow, we want to invest in their growth as a professional, their continuing education and their training, because that is not only going to fuel them as an individual, but it's going to pour more into the sector. So Bravo to all of that I love this breakdown, it is incredibly smart strategy moving forward.
• 27:57
  Jonathan McCoy: Elizabeth, you've given us such a framework to move forward. I know, you know, you kind of hinted toward you being drawn into this space, I would love to hear if there is a story, maybe a philanthropy that has really resonated with you, you get into work with so many wonderful missions, and you're involved in so many different things. What's something that really has stuck with you?
• 28:15
  Elizabeth Abel: You know, I've been thinking about this question. And I don't think it's necessarily a single moment, but rather a series of moments that have defined my own journey throughout philanthropy, that really center on philanthropy as a vehicle to drive social change. And you know, this journey has taken me around the world to India and Cambodia and South Africa and New Orleans.
• 28:39
  Elizabeth Abel: And throughout these experiences. For me, it's been the people that I've met, specifically the women who I've met, whose stories of strength and resilience and perseverance against some very challenging situations that I can't even imagine. Those are the stories that have impacted me and the role that philanthropy can play in elevating these people who are doing everything they can to support their families. So for me, it's access to education, it's, it's human rights, it's genocide, education, it's not necessarily a single moment, but a compilation of experiences that have for me been where I get my energy and my own commitment to kind of serving as a vehicle through philanthropy to I hate the term make the world a better place, because it is so cliche. So for me, it's making the world a place where everyone feels valued and appreciated, and not only loved but where they can, where everyone can experience joy. And so whether it's through advancing health care, or advancing access to education, or strengthening commitment to faith, whatever that is, and whatever, wherever people are, whether you're a small grassroots organization seeking to scale your programs, or your large advocacy or higher education institution that has a solid anchor and wants to really pursue these big bold ideas. For me, philanthropy is that vehicle to drive the change that we all want to see in the world.
• 30:15
  Becky Endicott: I feel like Elizabeth is our sister from another mister. We are so aligned and I'm gonna throw you a curveball question because I just feel your passion so much in this space. I mean, there are very few people that come in here and say I am very passionate about genocide.
• 30:34
  Becky Endicott: Education. And it's not something that people talk about, and we should be talking about it, it is 2021. The fact that we are even dealing with cultures that have genocide is mind blowing. And so my question to you, Miss social justice impact warrior is I would love for you to just tell me, one of your favorite nonprofits that you love their story. You love their mission, we love to elevate a mission of an organization that someone may have never heard of who is doing incredible work. Tell us one of your favorites. And why
• 31:05
  Elizabeth Abel: this is very, very hard. And I don't believe in playing favorites. However, if you are forcing me to pick an origin, I think is meaning the moment it would probably be a DL, which is also known as the anti defamation league. And ADL is on the frontlines combating anti semitism, extremism and cyber hate for everyone. And as someone The reason I am so committed to Holocaust and genocide, education is because my family does have a personal connection to the Holocaust. And that has ultimately been for me, the seat of my career in philanthropy. And so when I had the opportunity to collaborate with the leadership of ADL on a pretty extraordinary campaign in Charlottesville, in the aftermath of Pittsburgh, it was particularly meaningful to me to be in the room with the leaders who are addressing an issue that not only affects many communities, but it affected my own. And this was the first time for me where my professional role and my personal commitments and values aligned. And I not only had the ability to raise a pretty extraordinary amount of money with this organization.
• 32:19
  Elizabeth Abel: But I developed some very special relationships, I learned so much more than I ever thought I would about issues of white supremacy and cyber hate, which is a huge problem. And at the end of the day, I felt like I was personally moving the needle in a way that I never thought I would. So again, not picking a favorite, but for sure an organization whose work I think is relevant to not just the Jewish community, but the African American community, the LGBTQ community. And again, going back to this idea that philanthropy drives social change, and meaningful social change, because of the work that organizations on the frontlines are doing.
• 33:05
  Becky Endicott: Elizabeth, I mean, I had goosebumps when you were telling that story. And I have goosebumps was simultaneous like heartbreak. But I just want to tell you, thank you one for opening up and telling that story. Because philanthropy and giving is deeply personal. And when we connect our heart to the things that matter most to us, it has deeper meaning and purpose. And I am just sitting here, listening to the ways that you have poured into something that has generationally affected your family. And I just think about you pouring your gifts in, and the legacy that you honor of your family that came before you and how you are changing the world in a better way, and the way that you have shown up to give the gifts that you have. So I just want to thank you for that. And I positively love that we brought up the anti defamation league on this podcast, because we haven't yet in their extraordinary organization. I couldn't
• 34:02
  Jonathan McCoy: agree more. And it just makes me think like all of us listening need to find a charity if you don't have that, that speaks to your life into your values into your heart and invest there. I mean, we talk so much about the strategies to get other people to give. But I think your personal connection, there is what moves the needle here on this story of like you're investing your time, your life in your own treasure into it. And I think that's just beautiful. Thanks. Thanks for opening. Thank you so much. You know, we asked everybody, what is your one good thing? And that could be a hack or a secret to your success? Or just a piece of advice? What is that one? Good thing for you, Elizabeth? I went back and forth on my one good thing. So I'm gonna split it into two small groups. Do it, do it? I love
• 34:45
  Elizabeth Abel: from a tactical standpoint, my one good thing is just being hyper organized. I don't think I could do what I do if I didn't live by my calendar for nonprofit leaders who have so many competing priorities.
• 34:56
  Elizabeth Abel: We're always thinking about our fiscal year end. And so it's so important to work backwards from our goal and to leverage our calendar as a tool to do so. I think that's my pretty, pretty basic, one good thing, but I would say the one good thing that has brought me meeting recently I read a book by Lydia finat, who's an executive at Christie's here in Manhattan, called the most powerful woman in the room is you. And Lydia has what's called her strike method. She's a leading nonprofit benefit auctioneer here in Manhattan and she has a gavel that she brings down before every single auction And it's kind of become her thing, right? It's where she gets her energy goes off the gavel. And so I've been thinking about what's my strike method? And what is that thing for me, that gives me energy. And coincidentally, a colleague at ADL several years ago, came back from a weekend away. And he, he gave everyone needs little crystal stones. And the stone has a word on it. And everyone got a very specific word. And my word was fearless. And so for me, this stone has become my one good thing. It has been with me, literally in the labor and delivery room and in my pocket during big meetings and presentations and hard conversations that I've had to have. And it's been my one good thing. And when I think back to this idea of what's your strike method, it's what's your one good thing? What's that thing that brings you energy and brings you confidence and purpose enjoy? Oh, my gosh, I love this.
• 36:31
  Becky Endicott: Okay, Elizabeth, you have a rabid fan base growing within this room, possibly now in the world, tell everybody how they can connect with you. And where to find you on socials. And john was right in the early beginning of this conversation. If you're friends with Elizabeth on social, she will love on you and you will feel so boosted by her.
• 36:49
  Elizabeth Abel: So I think I've shared that my mission is really to inspire and empower you with the knowledge and tools to elevate philanthropy so that you can drive meaningful social change. And if 2020 has taught me one thing, it's really been the importance of being bold and thinking creatively how I can use my own authentic voice for good. And so building on my expertise as a philanthropy consultant at CCS as a fundraising instructor at pan, and now leveraging my new perspectives. As a mother, I have created this professional Instagram account for nonprofit leaders and development professionals who are seeking to build a thriving career in the social impact sector. You can follow me at Elizabeth Bernie Abel, where I post regular nonprofit industry insights, fundraising, best practices and action oriented tips for success. So if what Becky john and i have discussed here today resonates with you, if you're interested in learning more about me or about CCS, I would also mention that our philanthropic landscape report is something that might be of interest to you, it will be publicly released this summer, and you can pre register for it.
• 37:50
  Elizabeth Abel: Now. It's on our website. And it is a really great combination of both giving USA data as well as data from across the sector to really unpack some of the important things that we've talked about today. But regardless, we'd love to continue the conversation, feel free to reach out to me directly on social media or via email through the CCS website. But I would love to do what I can to support you and your organization as you seek to elevate philanthropy and serve your communities.
• 38:18
  Jonathan McCoy: We've loved this conversation. Thank you so much for saying yes to us and being here.
• 38:22
  Becky Endicott: And good luck in all the things new mothering, taking on the world solving crises and teaching us all how to level up. It's been so insightful, and I've learned so much.
• 38:34
  Unknown: Thank you.
• 38:37
  Julie Confer: Thanks for listening to today's conversation with Elizabeth diving into the current philanthropic landscape and how you can lean in today. You probably hear it in our voices, but we love connecting you with the most innovative people to help you achieve more for your mission than ever before. We'd love for you to join the good community. It's free and you can think of it as the after party to each podcast episode. It's our own social network and you can sign up today at we're for good comm backslash Hello. One more thing if you love what you heard today, would you mind leaving us a podcast rating and review? It means the world to us and Your support helps more people find our community.
• 39:07
  Julie Confer: Thanks, friends. I'm our producer Julie Confer and our theme song is sunreef by Rumi boys. Boom thanks for being here.