Food banks have long depended on private donations from individuals to function, and the size of those donations followed trends that were consistent for years – until Covid-19 happened. The pandemic has elevated cash donations to a new, much higher level. RKD Group, a fundraising and marketing provider, analyzed donations…
Posts published in “Fundraising”
Food banks are riding the wave of a significant and durable increase in pandemic-related charitable giving. The fundraising and marketing provider RKD Group analyzed data from 72 food banks to find that fundraising revenue in second-quarter 2021 was a whopping 159% higher than 2019 levels (though down about 24% from…
A new report underscores the power of getting people to donate at the cash register. The report found that grocery retailer Albertsons Companies raised a whopping $67.9 million in one month by asking shoppers at all of its stores across 34 states to donate money while checking out. The money…
Fundraising is a big part of any nonprofit’s work. But what happens when the relentless drive to get money and please donors comes at the expense of an organization’s core values? That’s the question C. Nathan Harris posed to the Oregon Food Bank two years ago when he was interviewing…
As the head of Vermont’s only food bank, John Sayles was used to getting the occasional call from a big donor. But when he learned that the billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott wanted to hand over $9 million, he was stunned. The unprecedented gift was more than the Vermont Foodbank’s entire…
As it seeks to generate $250 million to end hunger in Maine by 2025, Good Shepherd Food Bank is pushing new frontiers in how food banks raise funds. The campaign, announced during the last week of January, stands out for both its size and scope. The goal is flat-out huge…
When Michael Sammon was handed his first supermarket loyalty card more than 30 years ago, his first thought was: “What a great way to supply funds to various local charities, starting with food.” With his background in computer repair and programming, Sammon understood instantly that the cards were powered by…
At the same time that food banks are responding to unprecedented demand for their services, they are also benefiting from a spike in donations, particularly from first-time donors. By one measure, food banks are experiencing new-donor growth of as much as 400% in response to the pandemic. The massive outpouring…
Under normal circumstances, the San Antonio Food Bank serves 60,000 individuals a week. At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, this number skyrocketed to 180,000, and has since normalized at around 120,000. To meet the demand, the food bank has also been sourcing food and raising funds at a rapid…