In late March, the New York Times broke a story that was music to my fundraising ears:  Philanthropist Ann Ziff made a gift of $30 million to the Metropolitan Opera – the largest single gift from an individual in the organization’s history.  That should be enough, right? 

Wrong.

The. Gift. Is. Unrestricted.  

Why is this significant?

Because contributions of this size – and at some organizations, even contributions a tenth of this size – are often earmarked for capital project and naming rights.  And in general, restricted contributions are usually not expendable all at once; they are both paid out and spent over time, or in the case of endowments, only a portion of the interest can be spent in a given year. 

While a $30 million contribution will also likely be paid out and spent over time, the way in which it is spent is the wow-factor.  That $30 million will not name a building, endow a conductor, or commission a new opera.  It will be spent to offset the Met’s $300 million operating budget, and to help recover its $4 million budget deficit. 

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It’s here.  Hanukkah ends on Friday, Christmas is right around the corner, retail stores are bursting at the seams with holiday shoppers and seasonal staffers.  Our mailboxes and inboxes are clogged with coupons and catalogs,  and our bellies with far too many cookies.

It’s the hap-happiest season of all.  Just ask a fundraiser.

Chances are that you’ve noticed that in December, nonprofits take center stage.  And for good reason.  From St. Jude’s celebrity-studded, tear-jerker ads to the Salvation Army’s industrious bell ringers, nonprofits understand that the holidays provide a prime opportunity to tug at your heartstrings.  Nonprofits know that now is the time to ask for a year end contribution or remind you that a donation in honor of a loved one is the gift that truly keeps giving.  And of course, with a December 31 deadline for getting your tax deduction, charities have an unparalleled opportunity to literally cash in on the end of the year.

But does all of this year-end goodness come at a cost for the rest of the year?

Don’t get me wrong.  There is not one nonprofit in the world that doesn’t absolutely love and appreciate – and often count on – the influx of support and generosity that comes with the end of the calendar year.  For many nonprofits, however, the number of donations received during the month of December is disproportionate with the rest of the year.

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