Samwise Nonprofits and Charities Newsletter
Friday, June 19, 2026
Report: Only 3% of Eligible U.S. Adults Donate Blood Despite 62% Meeting Criteria
A new report from America’s Blood Centers and the Association for Blood Donor Professionals finds only 3% of Americans who are eligible to donate blood actually do so, despite 62% of the U.S. population meeting eligibility criteria. The research covers 2023 data — the most recent available — which counted approximately 6.54 million donors, a 0.1% decline from 2021. Researchers also tracked growth in donor diversity: Black or African American donors increased 37.6%, Hispanic or Latino donors rose 8.5%, and Asian donors grew 7.8% over the period. The report highlights a persistent gap between donation eligibility and actual participation across the nonprofit blood services sector.
Sources: The NonProfit Times
Study: Naming Rights Top Donor Recognition Rankings as Healthcare Campaigns Scale Up
A study by Twin Point Insights and the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, drawing on 58 hospital and health system campaigns across the U.S. and Canada, finds naming rights for physical spaces are the most impactful form of donor recognition, cited by 91% of respondents. The report, “Donor Relations and the Post-Campaign Period,” examines how recognition practices must evolve as fundraising campaigns diversify to include programmatic, endowment, and community health priorities. Authors say healthcare facilities must provide acknowledgment that reflects the scale of each donor’s investment. The findings carry implications for major-gift fundraising across the broader nonprofit sector.
Sources: The NonProfit Times
FoodCorps Cut Its Budget by 45% After Federal Funding Collapsed. A Foundation’s $1M Bet Changed Its Trajectory.
FoodCorps, a national nonprofit advancing child nutrition through school food programs, lost its primary federal funder — AmeriCorps — after 14 years, as the Department of Government Efficiency terminated those grants. Facing a 45% budget reduction, FoodCorps narrowed its flagship program from 56 communities to 15, launched a Kindred Fellowship for school food practitioners, and partnered with Teachers College at Columbia University on a nutrition microcredential. The Healy Foundation, which had previously given $20,000 to $50,000 gifts, stepped in with a $1 million grant over four years. Writing in the Chronicle, both leaders describe the partnership as a model for trust-based philanthropy under pressure.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
A $100M Fund for Black-Led Nonprofits Fell Short of Its Goal — But the Movement It Sparked Continues
A fund that set an ambitious $100 million goal to support Black-led nonprofit organizations fell short of its target despite early efforts to replicate a successful regional model, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported June 16. Modeled on the California Black Freedom Fund, which attracted buy-in from more than a dozen donors and foundations, the initiative could not sustain similar momentum after seed funder Open Society Institute Baltimore shut down. The Chronicle finds the shortfall has not extinguished the broader movement: advocates continue to press philanthropic institutions for larger, sustained investments in Black-led organizations, and new grantmaking vehicles for that purpose remain in development.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Supreme Court Rules 9–0 That Demands for Donor Records Chill Free Speech Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a New Jersey attorney general’s subpoena demanding donor records from a crisis pregnancy center organization unconstitutionally chilled the right to free speech and association. Writing for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch stated that “demands for private donor information inevitably carry with them a deterrent effect on the exercise of First Amendment rights,” drawing a comparison to the historic 1958 NAACP ruling. The case, brought by First Choice Women’s Resource Centers of New Jersey, was remanded to federal district court. The ruling has broad implications for nonprofits that face state regulatory investigations involving donor disclosure.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Playbook: Treat Younger Donors as Ambassadors First — and Watch Giving Follow
Gen Z and Millennial donors are skeptical of traditional fundraising appeals, more likely to find causes through social media than direct mail, and less motivated by tax incentives than by personal connection, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy playbook published June 15. The guide advises nonprofits to treat young supporters as ambassadors first and financial contributors second. Evan Ehlers, CEO of food-rescue nonprofit Sharing Excess, reports that after adding Apple Pay as a giving option, the organization’s online donations surged by more than 200%. The playbook urges fundraisers to prioritize long-term relationship-building over immediate gifts from younger donors.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Grant Consultant: Call Program Officers Before Submitting — Replace Fear With Curiosity
Nonprofit grant consultant Jan Rodusky argues that organizations approach funder conversations with too much fear — waiting until after a rejection to call a program officer, when a pre-submission inquiry could save significant time and resources. Writing in The NonProfit Times, Rodusky says calls before a grant submission should be driven by self-directed curiosity rather than a need to win approval. She recommends that nonprofits demonstrate research into the funder’s website, Form 990, and other data; ask open-ended questions about organizational fit and priorities; and treat the call as a relationship-building opportunity rather than a pitch. Rodusky is principal of Venn There Grants Consulting in Florida.
Sources: The NonProfit Times
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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