Nonprofit News: Navigating Support
At OCCF, we like to think of our nonprofit partners as our boots on the ground to make our community a better place, and we want to do all we can to support that important work. This year, we’re launching OCCF’s Nonprofit News where we’ll strive to provide timely, useful information, sharing grant opportunities, learning opportunities and – our favorite – strategies for ensuring sustainable support for organizations.
What will it mean to navigate nonprofit support this year?
To be sure, it won’t be dull! Already this year, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and while past performance cannot

OCCF’s nonprofit partners, fund holders and staff at our nonprofit distribution event.
predict the future, we would be well served to expect some additional disruption. The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits does an excellent job of keeping us informed. Sign up for their monthly Nonprofit Sector Connection. Additional changes may be coming to the tax code that could affect charitable giving similar to what we saw in 2017, which cut charitable giving substantially by increasing the standard deduction and thereby reducing incentives for charitable giving.
While it’s great to see your donors respond to your requests by sending a gift, the next level of giving allows you to meet your supporters’ needs in a more meaningful way that creates a partnership.
Ever the optimist, I believe that this affords nonprofits an opportunity to think differently about your case for support. Those folks that are dedicated to your cause, whether they are loyal volunteers, repeat donors or board members, likely wish they could give more, and you have the opportunity to show them how they can do exactly that with strategic gifts. While that kind of creative giving sometimes has a tax benefit, at the heart of major gifts and testamentary gifts is generosity and a desire to make a difference.
I encourage you to explore non-cash giving options and learn how to work with OCCF to meet your donor’s needs. While it’s great to see your donors respond to your requests by sending a gift, the next level of giving allows you to meet your supporters’ needs in a more meaningful way that creates a partnership.
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