Summary: - New research from Effective Altruism Australia reveals philanthropic funders claim to prioritize evidence but give based on emotional connection — pair your data with story

• Nonprofit PRO highlights how fundraising caution is costing organizations real dollars — your donors may be waiting for the right ask
• Harris Poll data shows only 1% of older Americans prioritize philanthropy in wealth transfer plans, but younger inheritors are 3x more likely — start next-gen cultivation now
• Nonprofit Quarterly identifies five distinct generosity profiles among American donors — understanding motivation matters more than demographics
• The 2026 Giving Challenge in Sarasota raised $16.7 million in 24 hours through collaborative community fundraising

Links: - Inside Philanthropy — The Data Is In: "Effective" Philanthropy Has an Evidence Issue: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/the-data-is-in-effective-philanthropy-has-an-evidence-issue

• Nonprofit PRO — Nonprofit Donor Solicitation: Cost of Caution: https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/nonprofit-donor-solicitation-how-caution-may-be-costing-you-donations/
• The Nonprofit Times — Transfers Of Wealth Might Be Excluding Nonprofits: https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/transfers-of-wealth-might-be-excluding-nonprofits/
• Nonprofit Quarterly — Why Americans Give: New Research Finds 5 Distinct Profiles for Generosity: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/why-americans-give-new-research-finds-5-distinct-profiles-for-generosity/
• Community Foundation of Sarasota County — 2026 Giving Challenge Results: https://www.cfsarasota.org/press-release/2026-giving-challenge-results

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — The evidence gap in "evidence-based" giving and donor solicitation practices
• 3:30 — The great wealth transfer reality check
• 4:30 — Why donors give: five generosity profiles
• 5:45 — What changed this week: closing the intention-action gap
• 6:45 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:30 — Good in Action: 2026 Giving Challenge raises $16.7 million
• 8:15 — Sign-off

Summary: - Nonprofits remain highly trusted, yet donor participation continues a decade-long decline — trust alone isn't reversing the trend

• New research from the Chronicle of Philanthropy identifies five distinct generosity profiles that can transform donor communication strategies
• Charity Navigator overhauls its rating system to better capture mission effectiveness — time to audit your profile
• Matching gift campaigns outperform standard appeals 2-3x when urgency is genuine, not manufactured
• Rhode Island's 401Gives campaign raises over $5 million in 36 hours, led by Foster Forward's relationship-first approach

Sources & Links: - NonprofitPRO — "Why Fewer Donors Are Giving to Nonprofits": https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/fewer-donors-are-giving-to-nonprofits-and-trust-may-not-be-the-problem/

• Gulf Coast Community Foundation — "New Dynamics Emerging in Today's Giving Landscape": https://gulfcoastcf.org/article/new-dynamics-emerging-in-todays-giving-landscape
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy — "Why Americans Give: New Research Finds 5 Profiles for Generosity": https://www.philanthropy.com/news/why-americans-give-new-research-finds-5-profiles-for-generosity/
• Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy — "Christian Women Are Shaping the Future of Generosity": https://philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu/news-events/news/_news/2026/christian-women-generosity-2026.html
• The Nonprofit Times — "Charity Navigator Updates Key Ratings System": https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/charity-navigator-updates-key-ratings-system/
• Network for Good — Year-End Giving Guide (matching gift research): https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/year-end-giving-guide/
• Brown Daily Herald — "Record-breaking 401Gives fundraising campaign raises over $5 million": https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2026/04/record-breaking-401gives-fundraising-campaign-raises-over-5-million-for-local-nonprofits

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:40 — The Participation Paradox: trust isn't the barrier to giving
• 3:15 — Why Donors Give: the psychology of urgency and matching gifts
• 4:30 — What Changed: Charity Navigator's ratings overhaul
• 5:30 — The Bottom Line and three action items
• 6:30 — Good in Action: Rhode Island's record-breaking 401Gives campaign
• 7:45 — Sign-off

Summary: - New research from DAF Giving 360 reveals donors are fundamentally changing how they use donor-advised funds in response to 2026 tax law changes, with over $234 billion sitting in these funds nationwide

• Stanford Social Innovation Review's "Beyond the Mega-Gift" conversation highlights a strategic pivot away from mega-gift dependence toward diversified, small-donor revenue models
• 73% of donors say knowing how funds are used is critical to their giving decision, and transparent organizations see 53% higher donor retention
• Three action items: assess your DAF engagement strategy, conduct a donor concentration analysis, and improve transparency in donor communications
• Good in Action: UT San Antonio's 48-hour Giving Day shows how time-bound campaigns build community belonging alongside fundraising totals

Links: - DAF Giving 360 Research on Donor-Advised Fund Trends: https://www.dafgiving360.org/press-release/donor-volunteer-trends

• "Beyond the Mega-Gift" — Stanford Social Innovation Review Author Conversation: https://ed.stanford.edu/events/beyond-mega-gift-ssir-author-conversation
• UT San Antonio Giving Day: https://news.utsa.edu/2026/03/ut-san-antonio-giving-day-kicks-off-48-hour-celebration-of-community-impact/

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:30 — DAF evolution and the 2026 tax landscape
• 2:45 — Beyond the mega-gift: the small-donor renaissance
• 4:30 — Why donors give: transparency and retention
• 5:30 — What changed this week: convergence of two forces
• 6:30 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:15 — Good in Action: UT San Antonio's 48-hour Giving Day
• 8:15 — Sign-off

Summary: - AI is transforming fundraising personalization, but organizations without governance frameworks risk eroding donor trust

• Mid-level donors ($500–$5,000) represent massive untapped potential — retaining one equals acquiring 10–20 new small donors
• Social proof increases donation likelihood by 30%, especially when donors see people like them giving
• Federal policy shifts require proactive monitoring and compliance planning
• A Texas food bank boosted mid-level retention 40% by creating a dedicated engagement track

Sources Mentioned: - NonprofitPRO — "Nonprofits Risk Eroding Trust Without AI Oversight": https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/nonprofits-risk-eroding-trust-without-ai-oversight-research-shows/

• AFP Global — "Flip the Script: Donors Down, Dollars Up Through Mid-Level Retention": https://afpglobal.org/flip-script-donors-down-dollars-through-mid-level-retention
• Nonprofit Risk Management Center — "The Fundraising Risk Issue, Spring 2026": https://nonprofitrisk.org/resources/the-fundraising-risk-issue-spring-2026/
• Maryland Nonprofits — "Federal Policy Updates Impacting Nonprofits": https://marylandnonprofits.org/2026/03/27/federal-policy-updates-impacting-nonprofits-what-you-need-to-know/
• Shang & Croson — "A Field Experiment in Charitable Contribution" (Economic Journal / ScienceDirect): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272709000863

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction

• 0:30 — AI adoption and the trust tightrope / Mid-level donor opportunity
• 3:30 — Why donors give: the power of social proof
• 4:30 — What changed: federal policy shifts
• 5:45 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:00 — Good in action: Texas food bank sustainer circle
• 8:00 — Sign-off

Summary: - Two new reports reveal how board governance failures are fueling nonprofit staff burnout and directly undermining fundraising capacity

• Gift bunching strategies are helping organizations maintain 87% of projected revenue ahead of 2026 tax changes
• A Gen Z donor calls out the nonprofit sector for misunderstanding their generation — they want authenticity and impact, not apps
• Identity-based giving research shows donors who see generosity as part of their self-concept give 2-3x more over their lifetime
• Cornell University's Giving Day proves that peer champions, not technology, drive record-breaking results

Sources & Links: - Inside Philanthropy / Nonprofit Finance Fund, "The Heart of the Nonprofit Sector": https://nff.org/insights/inside-philanthropy-covers-nffs-new-report-on-worker-well-being/

• Ohio Society of Association Professionals, "Burnout in the Nonprofit Sector Is Often a Governance Problem": https://www.ohiosap.org/news/burnout-in-the-nonprofit-sector-is-often-a-governance-problem
• Nonprofit Pro, "Gift Bunching for Nonprofits": https://www.nonprofitpro.com/how-nonprofits-can-use-gift-bunching-to-navigate-the-2026-charitable-deduction-changes/
• Women's Philanthropy Symposium 2026, Indiana University: https://events.iu.edu/philanthropy/event/2053887-womens-philanthropy-symposium-2026
• SPMCF, "Women Are Reshaping Philanthropy": https://spmcf.org/blog/women-giving-growth
• Chronicle of Philanthropy, "What Nonprofits Get Wrong About Gen Z Donors Like Me": https://www.philanthropy.com/opinion/commons-huseman-genzmyths-0326/
• Philanthropy.org, "Planned Giving and Endowment Strategy: Questions Nonprofits Avoid": https://philanthropy.org/the-endowment-questions-many-nonprofits-never-ask/
• Cornell News, "Record number of Giving Day 'champions' fuel fundraising success": https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/03/record-number-giving-day-champions-fuel-fundraising-success

Approximate Timestamps: - 0:00 — Introduction and episode preview

• 0:35 — The hidden crisis: staff burnout, board governance, and fundraising capacity
• 2:30 — Gift bunching strategies ahead of 2026 tax changes
• 3:30 — Why donors give: identity-based giving
• 4:45 — What changed: Gen Z donor calls out nonprofits; planned giving insights
• 6:30 — The bottom line and three action items
• 7:30 — Good in Action: Cornell's Giving Day champions
• 8:15 — Sign-off

Summary:

• America's top philanthropists gave $22.4 billion in 2025, but much of it flowed to DAFs and foundations rather than directly to operating nonprofits
• One-third of U.S. nonprofits report disruptions from federal funding cuts, with two-thirds reliant on government sources
• New 0.5% AGI floor on charitable deductions changes the giving calculus for mid-level donors starting in 2026
• Foundations are considering increasing payout rates beyond minimums — a signal of new funding opportunities
• Gloria Vargas, a Florida waitress, has served 270,000 meals to homeless individuals since 2012

Sources & Links:

• Chronicle of Philanthropy — Major Donor Giving Analysis: https://www.philanthropy.com/news/money-donated-to-and-awarded-from-foundations-and-donor-advised-funds/
• Forvis Mazars — 2026 State of the Nonprofit Sector: https://www.forvismazars.us/getattachment/3ec27fe9-c655-4e7e-879d-fb04b7690fa8/2026-State-of-the-Nonprofit-Sector_Funding-Your-Mission.pd
• Windham Brannon — 2025-2026 Tax Planner: https://windhambrannon.com/blog/2025-2026-tax-planner-key-insights-for-a-changing-tax-landscape/
• Wayne County Community Foundation — Women and Philanthropy: https://www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/10/women-and-philanthropy-four-insights-to-inform-your-practice
• Center for Effective Philanthropy — Current Context Survey: https://cep.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CEP_Current-Context-Survey-2025_Foundations_final.pdf
• Inside Philanthropy — Toplines March 14, 2026: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/toplines/toplines-march-14-2026
• Good News Network — Gloria Vargas Story: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/waitress-has-fed-270000-meals-to-homeless-floridians/

Timestamps:

• 0:00 — Intro
• 0:30 — Major Donors, Federal Funding Disruptions & New Tax Rules
• 3:30 — Why Donors Give: Women and Philanthropy
• 4:30 — What Changed: Foundation Payout Rates & AI in Philanthropy
• 6:30 — The Bottom Line: Three Actions for This Week
• 7:30 — Good in Action: Gloria Vargas and 270,000 Meals
• 8:30 — Outro

If you lead fundraising at a nonprofit, or you're the executive director, or you sit on the board, you know the pressure never goes away. Great year? The clock resets in January. Land a major gift? You're already wondering what happens if that donor can't give next year.

This episode introduces the State of Good Report podcast and why it exists: to help nonprofit leaders fund their mission in a landscape that won't sit still — shifting donor behavior, disrupted government funding, changing foundation priorities, and new data every month.

Every week, host Mike Rusch and the team at Pure Charity help you work through three questions at the heart of sustainable nonprofit growth:

1. How do I fund this work?  Tracking giving data, research reports, and economic indicators so you don't have to.
2. How do I partner with donors?  The psychology behind why people give and how to deepen those relationships.
3. How do I care for the donors I already have?  Because the average nonprofit loses over half its donors every year, and it's fixable.

Each episode is under 10 minutes. No fluff, no jargon, just actionable intelligence you can use immediately.

Read the full written report (with all links and sources): go.purecharity.com/state-of-good

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter: go.purecharity.com/state-of-good

New episodes every Tuesday.