Three tips for keeping endowment giving strong amid economic upheaval

If you're looking at your endowment-building goals for 2025 and feel a wave of uncertainty wash over you, you are not alone. Charities everywhere are facing mounting challenges in 2025 as economic uncertainty, market volatility, and shifting donor priorities threaten endowment giving. The community foundation is here to help ensure that your endowment fund and efforts to grow it remain robust, which in turn fosters the stability of your mission.

Here are three forward-thinking, donor-centric strategies to consider right now to avoid losing momentum on your endowment-building efforts:

Focus on current donors

Retaining existing donors is more cost-effective and impactful than acquiring new ones, especially during economic downturns. Be sure to maintain regular, transparent communication with endowment and legacy donors, sharing real-time updates on how their gifts are making a difference. Express appreciation through personalized recognition, such as thank-you calls from board members, special events, or exclusive updates. You can also offer tailored engagement opportunities, such as site visits or meetings with people your organization has helped, to deepen donor connection and trust. In times of uncertainty, your donors want assurance that their contributions are well-managed and impactful.

Share compelling stories

Donors – especially those considering or maintaining endowment gifts – are increasingly focused on impact and results. To build and sustain trust, highlight specific stories and data that demonstrate the real-world results of endowment giving. Invite donor feedback and, where appropriate, involve them in discussions about endowment management or future priorities. Indeed, a 2023 survey found that 70 percent of donors consider transparency a key factor in their giving decisions. By proactively sharing information and outcomes, charities can reassure donors and encourage continued or increased endowment support.

Offer choices

Economic upheaval often prompts donors to reassess how and what they give. Meet your donors where they are right now by offering a range of planned giving options, such as charitable trusts, bequests, gifts of appreciated securities, or retirement assets, to accommodate donors' financial planning needs. At the same time, make giving as simple and flexible as possible, including digital platforms for recurring or micro-donations, and options for non-cash gifts. Related, consider designing your communications to provide personalized experiences, recognizing that different donor demographics respond to different messages and opportunities.

This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. 

For information about agency endowment funds, please contact Brian Reitz at breitz@akroncf.org.