Fundraising expert Laura Hutyra, CFRE breaks down the GivingUSA data, the decline in donor households, and the practical steps nonprofits can take right now to cultivate a lasting culture of generosity.
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Charitable giving in the United States reached an all-time high of $592.5 billion in 2024. By almost every headline measure, that's a win. But underneath that number, a more complex story is unfolding — one that every nonprofit leader needs to understand and respond to strategically.
In a recent episode of 501(c) Drop, Leya Simmons, CEO and Co-Founder of BetterUnite, welcomed back Laura Hutyra, CFRE, President of M. Gale and co-chair of the Giving Institute's Generosity Committee. With over 20 years in the fundraising profession, Laura brought both the data and the practical wisdom to one of the most pressing questions in the sector: how do you build a culture of generosity that actually lasts?
Before diving into strategy, Laura grounded the conversation in a definition. A culture of generosity is a foundational, philosophical approach to how a nonprofit organization is managed — one that recognizes and honors the fact that the mission exists, in large part, because of philanthropy.
That means every person connected to the organization — board members, staff, volunteers, leadership — understands and embraces their role in the philanthropic ecosystem. And critically, it means centering donor relationships over donor dollars.
"We recognize that our donors' engagement is more important than the dollars that they bring in."
This framing alone is a meaningful reframe for many organizations that have drifted into transactional fundraising habits.
The 2025 GivingUSA report, which covers 2024 numbers, showed broad-based growth — 7 of 9 charitable sectors saw increases in giving, and the overall total of $592.5 billion reflected average year-over-year growth of roughly $13 billion over the past four years.
But here's the tension: research from the Lilly School of Philanthropy reveals that the percentage of U.S. households reporting charitable giving has dropped from over 65% (pre-2008) to just 46%. More money is flowing into the sector, but from a shrinking pool of donors.
Fewer people are giving more dollars every year. That concentration of giving creates fragility — and it's a direct argument for why the work of building a broad, engaged culture of generosity is more urgent than ever.
One of the most actionable takeaways from this conversation is that cultural change doesn't have to start at the top — though it's certainly easier when leadership is on board. Every professional in a nonprofit has a sphere of influence, and that sphere matters.
Laura shared an example from a museum she worked with that partnered its advancement team with its curatorial team in a new way — recognizing that both teams were stewarding relationships and could learn from each other. The result was a breakdown of departmental silos and a more unified approach to donor engagement.
"Just because another department doesn't do fundraising all the time, they have their own area of expertise that they can bring to the table."
A healthcare organization she worked with offers another model: rather than continuing to ask donors before stewarding them, the team paused solicitations for all but the most time-sensitive gifts and focused first on genuine stewardship — thanking, reporting back, and re-engaging. Board members and cabinet members were brought into that process, not just the advancement team.
The question of who owns a donor relationship is a cultural question, not just an operational one.
One of the most common frustrations Laura hears from development professionals is that their board "doesn't want to fundraise." Her response is consistent: most of the time, they haven't been asked in a way they could actually hear.
The assumption that board members are reluctant — or unequipped — is itself a barrier. Going into conversations with that bias limits what's possible. Laura's advice is to start with dialogue: bring the development committee into a conversation about what a culture of generosity means, where the organization currently is, and what one or two steps each person could take in the next month.
If resistance persists, make the business case. Report not just on dollars raised, but on the number of meaningful donor touch points, stewardship activities, and relationship-building moments. Show how those inputs connect to outcomes over time. And then: celebrate every win visibly and specifically. Recognizing a board member who helped cultivate a gift — in front of the whole team — reinforces the culture you're trying to build.
In an environment marked by economic uncertainty and increasing competition for private philanthropic dollars (particularly as federal funding cuts push more organizations toward private sources), lapsed donors are one of the most underutilized assets in a nonprofit's portfolio.
Anyone who has supported your organization in the last five to ten years is a far stronger prospect than someone who never has. Laura encourages organizations to re-engage with honesty and without over-polishing the approach.
"It's okay to address it and say, 'I'm so sorry it's been so long since we've been in touch — would you be willing to have coffee with me?'"
That kind of vulnerability builds trust. And trust, Laura noted, is exactly what's in short supply right now between nonprofits and donors.
Foundation giving was one of the standout increases in the 2025 GivingUSA report, driven in part by strong market performance in 2024. But beyond the numbers, Laura noted something more qualitative: foundations are increasingly looking for innovation in how they support nonprofits, including matching gift structures and collaborative partnerships between organizations.
Her advice is to not assume that a foundation that has funded the same program for years wants to keep doing exactly that. Open the conversation. Share what else is happening in your organization. Be curious about what they're excited about. The relationship is an asset — use it.
One of the most optimistic threads in the conversation was the engagement of younger generations. The Generosity Committee's recommendations specifically call out youth and philanthropy as a priority area — and the data is starting to support that focus in surprising ways.
Leya shared a striking stat from the Pulse of the Donor report by Stripe and Fundraise Up: TikTok drove 18% more recurring giving enrollments in 2025 than any other social platform. A platform primarily used by younger generations, driving recurring gifts.
Laura's take: younger generations are already engaged in making a difference — they may just not have connected that impulse to nonprofit organizations yet. That's the sector's job. And when it comes to board leadership, she's clear: bring younger voices in as full decision-makers, not in junior or tokenized roles. Give them a real seat at the table.
When asked for her single most important message, Laura kept it grounded:
"Culture is contagious, and we can impact it as much as we can be impacted by it. Don't be afraid of culture change if it's needed within your organization."
Nobody starts with a perfect culture. The work is ongoing, and it's doable. Pick one conversation to have this month. Bring one new person into the philanthropic mission of your organization. Celebrate one win out loud.
That's where a culture of generosity begins.
Transcript Recording:
Leya Simmons (00:01)
Hi, welcome to today's 501c drop. I am Leah Simmons and it is my great pleasure to welcome you all. I didn't finish my introduction of myself. I'm Leah Simmons. I'm the CEO and co-founder of Better Unite. We host these 501c drops every single week so that you can have a finger on the pulse of what's happening in and among nonprofits. Also, hopefully some valuable insights and tips and I want to say secrets of the trade, but
A place that we can all get together and talk about what's happening. And today I'm so excited to invite back my friend, Laura Huitera. She is ⁓ a CFRE and president, is that right Laura? Laura, did I get that right? You're the president? The president of Gale Consulting out of Fort Worth, Texas. She's been in the industry for 20 years, over 20 years maybe, right? Just over, yes.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (00:45)
⁓ Thank you.
Just over, yes.
Leya Simmons (00:59)
I
know, right? At some point, who's counting. ⁓ But she is also in the Giving Institute with me and BetterUnite, as well as Gale. And she is a co-chair of, I'm going to get this wrong, the Generosity Committee. Is that right? I got it. Okay. We just renamed it the Generosity Committee, formerly the Generosity Commission. And she and her colleagues have done incredible work in looking at parsing and understanding data.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (01:14)
Yeah.
Leya Simmons (01:28)
around generosity and how it works. So what we're talking about today, cultivating a culture of generosity is just so right up her wheelhouse. And I'm just thrilled to have you, Laura, welcome.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (01:40)
Thank you. It's a pleasure. appreciate it.
Leya Simmons (01:42)
absolutely, of
course. Okay, so I vote we just dive right in if that's okay with you. I've got some questions that I would love to hear you talk about. I should mention as well that Laura presented on this topic at a better conference, Better Unites Conference back in September and it was a very popular topic.
⁓ And she and I have talked about this as well in an earlier webinar that had some technical difficulties, so we didn't get to air it. But we are here back and strong today. So I hope you're okay if we just kind of, like I said, jump right in.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (02:09)
you
Let's go for it. Sounds awesome.
Leya Simmons (02:16)
All right, let's
go. So cultivating generosity, that suggests like a long-term mindset around philanthropy as a whole. Can you start out just by giving us a definition of your definition of a culture of ⁓ giving or generosity and what that looks like in practice?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (02:36)
Absolutely. So for me, the idea of a culture of generosity is really a foundational, almost philosophical approach to how we manage nonprofit organizations. So at its heart, it's recognizing and really honoring the fact that as a nonprofit organization, we exist and in large part are able to ⁓ advance our missions because of philanthropy, because of generosity.
So a culture that really embraces generosity embraces that at all levels. So every person involved with the organization, certainly starting with board, with staff, with leadership, volunteers, understand their role in philanthropy. So it's understanding that that's a team sport that we all have a role to play. And ⁓ it's all about two relationships. So we recognize that our donors are
more important and their engagement is more important than the dollars that they bring in. So it's really focused on relationships, on engagement, and really embracing the fact that generosity allows us to exist in the first place.
Leya Simmons (03:43)
I think that that
is such a beautiful, not just sentiment and goal, frankly, but also reframe, as kind of how I'm thinking of it in the way that we look at these things. So what trends then from the latest GivingUSA report were you most interested in? The ones that stood out the most to you? ⁓ And I mean, maybe even speaking to the decline of everyday giving.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (04:08)
Exactly. So just to remind everyone with the Giving USA, it represents, I have my spiel down, it's the most comprehensive ⁓ report on giving in USA, in the USA. So it is planned and really implemented through the Giving USA Foundation, which is a part of the Giving Institute, but also with the Lilly School of Philanthropy. And this is important because the numbers that you shared,
There's more numbers and more research being done by the Lilly School in addition to what's in the Giving Institute, right? Beyond just what's put into the report every year. But that's part of my answer to your question. So in this last year, the 2025 report, which reported on 2024 numbers, what we really saw was broad based growth in giving. So overall, we were at $592.5 billion in charitable giving in 2024.
you know, over the 40 plus years. So we'll just look at the last 40 years and giving what we've seen by and large is an increase. So over the last four years, as an example, it would be $13 billion of growth year over year on average. Now we know there's been a few years where we've seen some dips like literally four years ⁓ out of the total, but that's really important that we're seeing this overall growth and out of the nine different sectors
Leya Simmons (05:20)
Mm-hmm.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (05:34)
that report their charitable giving. So the nine different areas, kinds of organizations that receive funds, seven received pretty significant increases in giving from the previous year. So it was broad based increase. Now, when we pair that with other research that the Lilly School of Philanthropy is doing, specifically looking at individual giving, what we're seeing the years from 2008 to 2020, so there's still more literally underway right now.
that less than half, so from 65 % down to 46 % of households in the country are self-reporting charitable giving. whatever, reporting back on if they support nonprofit organizations, less than half are saying yes, as compared to more than 65 % just before 2008.
So what that means is we're seeing increased numbers coming in, but we're seeing fewer households, fewer people giving. So fewer people are giving more dollars every year. So there's a lot that we could really look at for, know, how are people reporting their giving? Is there something beyond the traditional nonprofit organization? All of that we could look at, but at the end of the day, we are really seeing the shrinking number of people that are supporting nonprofit organizations.
which really goes to, for me, part of the necessity of really embracing a culture of generosity beyond any one particular organization.
Leya Simmons (07:06)
So with that, final part of the sentence kind of makes me rethink my next question, which was how like so
And I know we're gonna go into this a little bit more, but how can nonprofits respond to that data? So if there's an increase overall, then that means that fewer people are giving more, right? That would be the super simplistic way to say that. And how would you suggest nonprofits respond to that data?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (07:36)
Right. Well, I think there are a few things. So the Generosity Commission that you mentioned, so I'm part of the Giving Institute Generosity Committee. Back a year and a half ago in September, the commission released its overall recommendations and findings around generosity in the sector. And there were nine major recommendations that came out for everyone, frankly, but definitely for different people in the nonprofit sector to consider.
Whenever I think about being in a nonprofit, so those that are staff, ⁓ development professionals, board members, I like to start with ourselves. how, literally, what can I be doing? So that's where I love to talk about this culture of generosity because within our own organizations, we can do things that embrace generosity.
to help get more and more people understanding that we ourselves are a nonprofit. What does that mean? What do we do with the support and how important that it is? But on a broader scale, there are many things that organizations can be doing to work. As an example, one of the recommendations is working with local funders. So foundations, family foundations and community foundations.
Leya Simmons (08:48)
Right. Community
foundation, was wondering that too, yeah.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (08:53)
and how can they be leaders in the industry to bring together partnerships and things like that. So the mind automatically goes to how to can nonprofit organizations ⁓ continue to, but also even maybe more strongly leverage relationships and partnerships with other organizations and their relationships with their community foundations. And how can we really be working for the overall good of increasing generosity.
Leya Simmons (09:19)
And to me, that is also a reframe where as opposed to just thinking linearly about my one organization and importantly, thinking about creating or cultivating a culture of generosity within my organization, immediately thinking to step outside of it and create those connections, I think is for me anyway, talking to a lot of nonprofits is really itself a reframe. ⁓ So you have also worked across different sectors prior, I guess to well,
I know now with mGail, you certainly work with many, many different organizations and many different verticals. ⁓ But you, in your previous experience, worked with zoos and in education and in different places as well. ⁓ What examples or practical steps have you seen organizations that you have direct ⁓ relationships with take to really
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (09:51)
Sorry.
Leya Simmons (10:14)
kind of, I'm now gonna use words I'm not sure is exactly right, but embed that culture of philanthropy into an organization's DNA.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (10:22)
Sure, sure. So my thoughts on that, I first and foremost, just like with any sort of effectiveness of an organization, it really does require the buy-in and embracing that at the top level of the organization. So whenever we think about board members, as an example, your top board leadership.
getting to that level of embracing it. Now, that doesn't mean, however, that it has to necessarily start with the board if it's not already there. What I love about a culture, any culture, is that we are for sure impacted by the culture in which we're around, but we also have the opportunity to impact that culture. So what I like to really talk about with my clients is the fact that as a nonprofit professional,
you have a sphere of influence within your organization. So we can embrace and really lean in to the culture and ways that we can lead that out. So where I have seen that be really most successful is where we really think strategically about those that we can influence and leading by example in that way and building partnerships. ⁓ an example, and if we need to dive into another example later, but an example,
Leya Simmons (11:28)
Yeah.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (11:36)
⁓ that comes to mind is a museum that I worked with recently that really built a culture of generosity by really partnering their advancement team and the curatorial team in an all new way. So as an opportunity for the different teams to not be so siloed and recognizing that they're both doing some of the same things or stewarding relationships. So how can we...
Leya Simmons (11:50)
⁓
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (12:02)
be strategic in that and recognize that advancement has a role to play in it. And so does the curatorial team. And what does that look like? Let's learn from each other. So by really opening up silos, by building bridges, by being really willing to train and to coach others, but also to be coached and to be trained by others and recognize this as a two-way.
a two-way street, ⁓ just because another department or other people in an organization don't necessarily do fundraising all the time, they have their own area of expertise that they can bring to the table and we can talk about and really dive into the role of philanthropy in both of those different areas. Does that make sense?
Leya Simmons (12:43)
Absolutely, it does. What was coming up for me was, I hear all of the time, and you and I both work for for-profit companies, so we always hear that culture flows from the top. That's just kind of this drum beat. And it's obviously very true for nonprofits, but...
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (12:58)
room.
Leya Simmons (13:02)
unpacking what you said, I'm hearing that it is also something that can be infused at many different levels and that the breakdown of, like you said, the silos is a really key component to that. That's very, very interesting to me as well because I, you know, sometimes I think that it feels only like the culture flows from the top kind of thing, you know, and that instead...
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (13:09)
That's the-
Leya Simmons (13:28)
So let me follow up with another question then. you ever advise or have you ever advised that an organization to really kind of bring that culture of generosity into and throughout the organization that they either revise some of their core values or maybe even a mission statement or kind of feed that piece in?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (13:51)
Yes. really what I would say is what we have done is to the point of the board leadership, culture does come from the top, but it's not always perfect anyway. So there's an opportunity. And one thing that we can do, if you don't have that culture of generosity or philanthropy, I there's different ways that we can, but we've worked with clients and actually come in and done this kind of training and talking about what does this mean? And really it's facilitating dialogue.
between the different people involved. And so yes, a natural part of that sometimes is to get the conversation going. Let's look at our mission. Let's look at our values. ⁓ Where do we align? Where do we not? Where are we not embracing a culture of generosity? But I do think you have to get to a core foundation of understanding first that we recognize and are going to embrace this. And then we can look at those things.
⁓ So I would say while culture comes from the top, absolutely this is much easier to do. It's easier to break down silos whenever your board is fully on board with this, but there are things that can be done to bring your board along if it's not embraced there so that we can really lean in and start moving in the right direction.
Leya Simmons (15:06)
Do you have, so you've mentioned a little bit the museum, but do you have other kind of examples at the ready ⁓ of somebody that's, or an organization that's moved from a more transactional, transaction-based fundraising model into that broader cultural ⁓ shift?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (15:13)
Yeah.
Well, one thing that comes to mind was a healthcare organization that I worked with. And I wouldn't go so far as to say they were transactional. I don't know that that's completely accurate, I would say there wasn't necessarily the culture within the department of truly stewarding donors long-term.
Leya Simmons (15:34)
Right. Don't love that word.
Hmm.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (15:48)
And
when we really looked at it, so a sign to me that you may not embrace the culture of generosity is how often you are asking for gifts versus thanking for gifts and really reporting back. if we're only ever asking, are we really, not are we really grateful? I'm sure we're grateful, but are we, is that translating to the donors? And so in your description or caveat there, I would say perhaps that could feel a little more transactional to their donors.
Leya Simmons (15:58)
⁓ interesting.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (16:16)
And so what we did was like, let's hold right now. Who are the people that really need to be solicited over the next two or three months because their gifts are due, the need is there. We're gonna move those along the way that we need to, but everyone else, let's really look at how have we stewarded them? Have we properly thanked them and reported back before we even consider going back for an ask? And so it required a lot.
of work and time. And part of that though, importantly to this overall culture was it wasn't just on the advancement team. We looked at who owned some of those relationships and is this an appropriate ⁓ thing for perhaps a board member or cabinet member, the development committee to come in and to be a part of some of this stewardship. whenever, just answering your question, what comes to mind really is stewardship.
and kind of those long-term relational aspect of a culture of giving to where let's embrace that ⁓ as part of our program.
Leya Simmons (17:21)
I, to me, that's actually a really beautiful example of pulling others into, you know, the breaking down of the silos so that you can accomplish that full, ⁓ the full organization having some impact on the philanthropic relationships, I guess is the way to put it. So what, ⁓ like, so you've mentioned that, you know, the board is very key, really essential. How can nonprofits, what are some tactical things that they can do
⁓ to ⁓ really engage the board and the frontline staff and to keep the messaging and the effort as a unified front.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (18:03)
Sure. ⁓ I would say for tactical things, really look at what your own culture first. So if it's not a culture of generosity, how would you describe your culture? And then let's look at, ⁓ if we want to get to a culture of generosity, then what are some things? So everything from how we communicate with our donors first, with beyond that, with our team members.
Leya Simmons (18:16)
Right?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (18:28)
And I would say making sure that communication is always two way is really important to me philosophically as part of a culture of giving is we're not talking at or sending messages to, we're having true conversations and we're really learning from each other. So I would say a real tactical thing would be sit down with your development team and let's talk about like literally the first thing maybe let's talk about a culture of generosity where we are and where we want to be.
and what are one or two things that each of us can do within the next month to help. ⁓ I would also really encourage a tactical thing to increase communication with donors. A lot of times, ⁓ especially over the last couple of years, we've had some really unique challenges facing nonprofit organizations. We've had a lot of fun, right? ⁓ And things happening. Don't be afraid to continue the conversation and talk with your donors. We don't always have to have
Leya Simmons (19:17)
Put them out.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (19:26)
all of the answers. We don't have to have all of the solutions at any given time, but sharing about where you are is really, really important. So picking up the phone and calling a donor is a step in advancing your culture of generosity because you don't have to be calling to ask for anything or to give them an update, but to ask how they are and to share how things, know, certainly we want to have talking points, but we don't have to have all the answers. We can just share how things are going and how, and ask the question on how we can, we can serve them as well.
Leya Simmons (19:55)
I mean, I think that's actually just very good advice for all of us, given the environment that we find ourselves in, right? That there's so much talking at through, this is really what social media is as well, is just you talking at people and the conversations are what lack in that. So I just think that's really wonderful advice across the board, even in our daily lives, maybe. ⁓ Is there anything that you would warn against in that process, that, you any pitfalls that you see?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (19:58)
Thank
think making any assumptions is ⁓ a mistake. Again, not trying to be. But that's part of that. It really probably is right tied to that two-way communication. We don't want to make any assumptions. And always being willing to learn. I I talked earlier about the partnership that needs to happen among people. And I'm speaking really frankly.
Leya Simmons (20:28)
Again, wonderful life advice.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (20:48)
⁓ Whenever I work with a lot, I work mostly with fundraisers, fundraising professionals, and assuming that other team members perhaps don't want to be a part of fundraising or philanthropy, that perhaps they don't know their role, that perhaps they're nervous about it, or that we need to teach them how to do it. I think what I've consistently heard ⁓ after going through some of these exercises and talking and facilitating conversations with groups is,
They know more than you think and you might have more to learn than you think. So being ready to say this is more than just training other team members, it's learning from them. And then last, I would say not celebrating. That is a huge pitfall in my opinion. It sounds simple, but whenever we experience success in a nonprofit organization, take the time to celebrate. Take the time to do it because we all, mean, every...
Leya Simmons (21:41)
Take the win.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (21:45)
professional I know in the sector, right? Feels like we have such big goals. We have so much to do. We should be getting those gifts. We should have that kind of success. Nice, let's keep going. Let's try even more. That's all great and good, but take the moment, celebrate, celebrate your team. It's an opportunity to ⁓ really reflect that culture of generosity and others around you. So if you have a board member that was part of a really good cultivation point.
Leya Simmons (21:45)
total.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (22:11)
cheer them on, give them praise in front of everyone, that's important. So it's also just good for our ⁓ souls to get to have those moments of thanks and gratitude. And so I think that that's actually something that nonprofits could learn a little bit more how to do is to be grateful for ourselves and appreciative and take the time and then keep going.
Leya Simmons (22:34)
I so you're.
On your second point, I can tell you that I personally made that mistake or go into conversations when I was a frontline fundraiser, went into the conversations with my board members and frankly anybody under the assumption immediately assuming that they probably didn't want to fundraise and that they definitely did not know the next steps to take. I mean, in the defense of people in development departments, you do hear that a lot. but you're absolutely right that that is a very biased
approach, a very biased way of talking to people. that's really wonderful advice. So the GivingUSA report reflects
some of those changes you mentioned in donor behavior and given today's unique situation as you described it for nonprofit organizations. Honestly, since you and I talked last Laura, you know, we've got a different economic situation happening in the world right now as well. There's also these shifting demographics that we talked about at the Giving Institute all the time. How do you suggest that nonprofits adapt their messaging and their strategies so that
they can reconnect with lapsed or even nervous donors.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (23:49)
That's a great question and I have a few different thoughts. ⁓ I would say first is, ⁓ you know, it's interesting and this goes about assumptions, but we work with many nonprofits who are mostly receiving private philanthropic funding, not necessarily government funding. And so as we've had even more over the last couple of years, some of the cuts that we're talking about, I've had my own clients say, well, that really doesn't impact us.
Leya Simmons (23:52)
Okay.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (24:18)
But there's a reality that we all need to that it'll be helpful for us and perhaps everyone on this listening in is doing this. ⁓ But that's increasing competition. So the reality is there ⁓ are finite funds. If there are cuts being made in one area, it's going to seep into others because we're going to be competing with more organizations to get the private philanthropic dollars.
Leya Simmons (24:29)
100%.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (24:42)
So just from a business standpoint of what we know the cost to bring in a new donor versus a current donor, but also more so because it's the right thing to do, which is part of that culture of generosity, treating and really caring for not just current donors, but lapsed donors is a great way to begin to protect ourselves during times of uncertainty.
anyone that has supported you in the last five to 10 years as an organization is a better prospect than someone that never has. So let's go back and you know what? It's okay to reach out and if you see in your base that someone hasn't been, know, hasn't been cultivated the way that you would like, it's okay to address that and say, you know what? I'm so sorry it's been so long since we've...
Leya Simmons (25:14)
Brand new, absolutely.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (25:32)
been in touch with you, but you know, this is a focus for me and let's, would you be willing to have coffee with me? I mean, just open the door and ⁓ be ready to have.
Leya Simmons (25:40)
That's such a trust inspiring
way to approach somebody too, right? Like if you're admitting being vulnerable enough to say we didn't do this exactly the way I'd like, let's start. I I feel like that's a, I immediately would trust somebody a bit more with that approach. I know, right?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (25:44)
Get
especially if it's true, you know, I mean, you don't need to apologize if
it's not true, but if it's true, let's own that. And you said the word trust. I, I think that is a lot of what we're hearing right now is there is a distrust between nonprofit organizations and donors, prospective donors. So how do we build trust? I mean, that could be a whole other topic, which might be a great podcast all around, around trust.
Leya Simmons (26:16)
Another webinar, absolutely.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (26:19)
But part of that is the communicating early and often it's asking and checking in. It's reporting back even whenever we don't love what we have to report back. You still have to say it out loud. And, and, and what that can do is not just build trust, but build real buy-in and partnership with your donors, with your volunteers to say, you know, here's what we're working on. Here's what we've experienced.
Leya Simmons (26:30)
The numbers aren't our favorite, we still say them out loud.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (26:45)
And here's how we're moving forward. And what are your thoughts on this? mean, talk about just really opening up something for conversation and engagement. So again, a culture of generosity says that a donor's engagement is more important than the dollars that they're giving. So let's engage them and recognize there is, again, a business benefit, right? Like down the line, we do think this will increase their giving, but even if it didn't, it's the right thing to do.
Leya Simmons (27:15)
So are there, were there, was there anything within that GivingUSA report? And admittedly, we are kind of coming up not too far from getting the next GivingUSA report, but for 2025 report, again, on 2024 numbers, was there anything in there that just really surprised you that you were just not expecting to see or honestly anything that confirmed stuff that you were like, yep, absolutely, this is exactly what we're seeing at MGAIL.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (27:26)
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know that I saw anything that was completely surprising. I don't know what...
Leya Simmons (27:46)
It was really
kind of a continuation of a trend. mean, right? Yeah.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (27:50)
And
I think just given the last few years, seems so surprising. We can't predict, let's just, kidding. Kidding, kidding. But I will say that it was nice to see some things that I do think affirm what we have been saying. And part of this goes back to foundations. So foundation giving, like, know, I'm getting seven out of nine of the different sectors received.
Leya Simmons (27:56)
Yep, nothing can surprise us.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (28:17)
the different giving sectors increased, pardon me. ⁓ So foundation giving was a part of that that increased significantly. And whenever we really dove into why do we think that is and what are we seeing happen, part of that is the obvious that, you know, 2024 was a fairly strong market economy and many foundations are spinning off, you know, a percentage that they're committed to giving. So we're gonna see that increase after good years. And so that's excellent.
But part of that too is more anecdotally around the partnership that we see and the unique ways that foundations are hoping to serve nonprofits. And so for me, this really is an example of that culture of giving to go into conversations with those foundations that are supporting you to, ⁓ again, not making assumptions, but where there may be unique opportunities. So whether that's partnering between nonprofits or
just looking at more innovation and how we serve and being ready to, if a foundation has supported you for many years in the same thing, I understand the temptation to continue to ask for that thing, but have a conversation about it, let them know other things that are going on because we're seeing foundations want to be more innovative with how they support. This could be, ⁓ we see a lot that might do like matching gift type.
Leya Simmons (29:16)
Boom.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (29:39)
things so that may or may not be the right solution for everyone. But just again, having that conversation, we're seeing foundation support continue to go up and reason to believe that they're being more innovative in how they support.
Leya Simmons (29:51)
And I believe, I think you've talked about this in the past to me, Laura, as well, that foundations also, you've experienced them encouraging the collaboration amongst nonprofits as well.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (30:05)
I mean, those that I know the best or I'm kind of interviewing quite often, especially here in Texas, have certainly conveyed that to me. And I think it's a theme. I think it's broader than that, but absolutely. And both the partnership and wanting regular communication.
Leya Simmons (30:24)
Gotcha. So what do you think?
So there's doubtless out there listening to us, an organization that feels like you and I have both experienced kind of just stuck, know, not sure the next step to take. Would you, what would your advice not knowing anything about this pretend organization, but ⁓ given the, given what you're, know, you're kind of encouraging towards that culture of philanthropy or generosity in the organization, what would be a next step that an organization could take immediately within the next month to begin that process?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (30:57)
Yeah, I think I don't want to say the same things over and over. So I've talked about the importance of from the top and being able to train on what this and opening yourself up to dialogue around what that means with each other. But in addition to that, I would say a good thing would be, OK, thinking about the top, is there a committee?
Can I first then take this beyond just my team to perhaps a development committee or an advancement committee to really have these conversations or maybe it's not we feel appropriate to necessarily dive into what's a culture of generosity or philanthropy but literally bringing that to play around here are the different ways, here's a reminder of the ways that we ⁓ receive funding and what our needs are and how we build our case and how we operate.
So what I have found nine times out of 10, whenever I hear from someone that their board doesn't want to help in fundraising, frankly, just, I'm gonna say they just don't, but they might not understand what that looks like or they truly haven't been asked.
Leya Simmons (32:06)
They
haven't been asked us to think of the same exact thing. Not really in the way that they could hear it. It's what you were just saying. Yeah.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (32:10)
Exactly. ⁓
So that's another thing that comes to mind that could be a very tangible and you know organizations that I've worked with that have thought you know who are really those that we can really begin to influence at our leadership level and it may be a smaller committee that makes sense to kind of bring a little bit more to them.
Leya Simmons (32:28)
So you kind of get that ambassador on your cause working for you. say we've taken some steps, but now we are facing some internal resistance, which I can imagine, right? Like anytime there's change, there's always, not always, but there often can be some sort of resistance. What would you say to that organization?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (32:30)
Exactly. I love that. Yep.
Well, I think at that point, you do perhaps have to make more of a business case. ⁓ Yeah. And I would say consider the ways that we can control what a report on the numbers looks like. If you're taking a report into a board, then lead by example and start reporting on things that aren't just dollars. If that's something that you're currently doing, how can I then maybe report back on the number of touch points that I had this month?
Leya Simmons (32:55)
Like look at numbers.
Yeah.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (33:19)
and how that has impacted the numbers. So yes, you have to show the case around like a business case if someone's not convinced that, you know, on that philosophical foundational level, there's something we need to be really having everyone understand their role. So then just take in the numbers and where you are and the impact, more people owning relationships, more people doing touch points. What does that look like and how does this impact? And then I would just say,
It's turning around whenever that's happened, calling it out for what it is, an example of it, cheering, saying thank you, showing the direct impact, and then showing what this could look like down the line. ⁓ And one thing that I will say, you asked earlier about kind of this, where we are in the world with our economy, with fundraising and with nonprofits, and I didn't mention, but scenario planning. And I think that's something as well.
that can be ⁓ a way to show to a board different scenarios based on where we are, if we invest in this way or whatever thing that we're considering doing because we feel like embracing a culture of generosity requires that of us, show what that scenario could look like. ⁓ So that's just another thought is if people aren't feeling it, aren't getting it, you have to show the numbers, show the case for it. And then,
Leya Simmons (34:12)
huge.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (34:37)
If all else fails, you go do it. Show them what you did. Show them what happened. And we gotta keep doing this.
Leya Simmons (34:43)
Yeah, and just like I love that idea of just shifting the narrative around what comprises generosity. It's not just ⁓ or even philanthropy, it's not just dollars. It's so much more in the whole relationship. I do think that that's a piece that doesn't get talked about with board members quite ⁓ often enough is that full spectrum of the relationship that exists there.
So then, given your seat on the Generosity Committee, what is your vision for the future of nonprofit generosity? What do you think is ahead of us?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (35:19)
question. ⁓ There are other pieces that I didn't get to speak to that I will now because it is what makes me optimistic about the future and that's youth, youth and philanthropy. And that's a big recommendation that came out of the Generosity Commission's report is engaging the younger generations. And, you know, we hear a lot of opinions about one generation or another.
Leya Simmons (35:24)
Please.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (35:45)
But the reality is we are seeing engagement in those younger generations. It just might not look the same. It might not look like a way that we recognize it, but they're doing it. mean, how many ⁓ kids and teenagers, youth are out there really passionate about making a difference. They might not yet have a direct tie in their head between making a difference and nonprofit organization, but I think that's our job.
and the nonprofit sector to connect those dots and to, it's also within homes, but that's part of our job ⁓ is to, and embracing generosity and really perpetuating this idea is to teach younger generations. So it is whenever I see those dots connecting with younger generations and that I get the most excited because I think they're good. Like we're gonna get there. ⁓
So overall, I feel very positive about where we're headed. But that's not to say that...
Leya Simmons (36:50)
To your point actually
Laura, just read, was reading ⁓ Pulse of the Donor is a report by Stripe and Fundraise Up, some partners of Better Unite, so I was reading it decently, thoroughly. And let's see, let me get this right.
TikTok was responsible for the greatest number of recurring giving enrollments in 2025 by 18 % compared to all other social platforms. And I feel relatively sure that TikTok is primarily much younger people. And that's recurring giving too. So that blew me away. I was like, I would never ever, ever, that's why it stuck with me so well, that number, because it's just, I would never have guessed that. And it speaks exactly to your point.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (37:04)
Okay.
And I have ⁓ worked and counseled nonprofits in bringing in younger generations in ways that make sense. And one thing that I will say is not only bring them into support as volunteers, but bring them in as decision makers. So not necessarily children. I don't know about that, but younger generations that are qualified to serve on a board, don't make junior level positions for board members. Bring them in.
⁓ Let's really honor that and think about diversity of a board with age as well. don't necessarily ask them to speak on behalf of their generation, but hearing from them and their spheres of influence is really, really important.
Leya Simmons (38:10)
great fun.
Absolutely, give them a full seat at the table in other words. So what then, is there anything else that gives you hope looking forward in the philanthropic world?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (38:19)
Exactly.
Well, what gives me hope, you know, personally is also the work that I see and I'll speak to as an example, the Generosity Committee and the Giving Institute, Giving USA, you know, we are dedicated to not just reporting back, here's the numbers, but really inspiring philanthropy and generosity. And being, that's just one kind of area where I get to be around colleagues and people in the nonprofit sector who are in it.
to really see change and to see this growth. And I'm inspired by that. And I see that also then on, you know, in the nonprofit side with the organizations that I work with and those leaders in the community. So I'm sorry I've lost your question, but I'm inspired by.
Leya Simmons (39:17)
That was
exactly what gives you hope and it totally gave me chill bumps because you're right. love I mean sitting at these giving Institute meetings or fundraising effectiveness project or these groups like you're so very right that it is not just a okay parsing the data while that's an important part of it. It's very much around like okay and now what?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (39:29)
Yeah.
Leya Simmons (39:34)
and what can we do and how can we move the needle? I mean, would argue these giving institute and giving committee have been around for a long time. I would don't know how we could measure it, but I have to think that those entities are, yeah, well, there's a way, but those entities are responsible for some of this growth that we see.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (39:47)
I'm not it.
So I think so. I also want to point to the local, you know, AFP, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, ⁓ all these organizations that bring together fundraising professionals, nonprofit professionals, those are the platforms to have these kinds of conversations, but even at a higher kind of thought leadership level. But I love your so what? Like here's where we are, but like, what are we doing and how can we work together?
Leya Simmons (40:02)
singing that to.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (40:21)
⁓ so I'm inspired whenever I'm in those meetings and hearing and seeing what people are really doing and how they're serving each other. And, ⁓ one last thing I'll say is I had a super inspiring moment. I was at icon for AFP last, I believe that was last year and, and, know, there's a lot of things happening in the world and almost every session that I was in with, you know, large numbers of.
Leya Simmons (40:39)
It's like a full year ago now, it's about to happen again.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (40:49)
professionals coming together is most speakers were said, know, okay, we're going to cover our content, but first let's check in. How are we doing? What's going on? And what's going on with you and your organizations? And ⁓ that was really amazing to see people being there for each other. And, and, and that gives me hope whenever I think about some of the challenges that we have. mean, there's no shortage of hearts. There's no shortage of
people in grit and ready to do the hard work. And there's no shortage, in my opinion, of the philanthropists that are willing to put ⁓ the money there as well, kind of where their mouth is, so to speak. ⁓ I think that we just gotta get them engaged and understanding. Yeah.
Leya Simmons (41:33)
That's it.
I'd love
that honoring the humanity of our nonprofit, the development directors, the executive directors of everybody in the sector, because like you said, as much as we're not hesitant, but we forget, frankly, just because we're moving on to the next thing, we forget the celebration. Sometimes we also forget the people that are in the room. So that always lifts me up to hear that that's happening as well. Okay, so here's our last question. And so if you had one thing that you could say, make sure that everybody
listening today took away from what you've said or from the Generosity Committee or anything else, what would that one thing be?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (42:08)
Yeah.
It's so ⁓ trite, but ⁓ culture is contagious and we can impact it as much as we can be impacted by it. So don't be afraid of culture change if it's needed within your organization. That's my main message. Nobody's perfect. I love this idea of a culture of generosity is something I'm obviously very passionate about.
does mean sometimes that our culture within our own organization isn't quite there, that is okay, nobody's perfect. There's work to be done and you can do it.
Leya Simmons (42:51)
That is such an inspiring message, Laura, because it does, it seems like a daunting task. And just to break it down to, and you can do this, take a simple step. That is so key, I love it. Well, thank you so much, Laura, for sharing your insights and the insights of the Generosity Committee with us. I am thrilled. Do you have a web address for the report or that you could put into the chat while I talk about what's coming next?
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (43:16)
Yeah, let me look for it.
Leya Simmons (43:17)
I know, sorry,
I just totally sprung that on Laura just now. I apologize for that. But it is the Generosity Committee and the Giving Institute and Giving USA. You can also Google search any of those terms and learn a whole lot more about these organizations and what we're all doing. Again, Laura, thank you so much. I just can't thank you enough for spending some time with us today. I will talk to you now about...
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (43:20)
We do.
course.
Leya Simmons (43:40)
Joining us and here is Laura's information as well as better unites and mine if you have other questions Please feel free to send an email reach out to us if you're watching the recording support at better unite comm will definitely make sure that every
question or inquiry gets over to Laura and her team at mGail. And if you're interested in joining us again for the next 501 C drop, is next Tuesday. They're always on Tuesdays at 1.30 PM Central. Next Tuesday is April 7th. Sorry, I had to look at that because today's March 31st. So April 7th at 1.30, I am going to be joined by my friend, Kerry Martin with Unitas Brokerage for turning fixed costs.
into flexible funding, a new approach to unrestricted revenue. That seems like a mysterious topic, but what we're actually talking about is insurance and the insurance you carry and a kind of new and innovative way to potentially turn some of that into revenue for your nonprofit. So please scan the QR code there. If you would like to join us or go to betterunite.com, click our resources button and go to webinars. You're always able to join us from there as well.
Laura, again, thank you so much for your time and for your insights. I so appreciate you. Absolutely. All right, everybody. This was another wonderful session of the 501 C drop. I hope you will join us again and I look forward to seeing you all. Let's go do some good.
Laura Hutyra, M. Gale (44:57)
Thank you
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