It is the number of donors, not the amount of money that is beginning to concern some of your favorite non-profit organizations. A study published by Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy shows that less than half of American households donated to charitable organizations in 2018, which is down from 66 percent when they first started in 2000. The pandemic, declining trust in some organizations, and the growth of crowdfunding have all fueled the decline. Despite this, Door County Community Foundation President and CEO Bret Bicoy says the amount of money being raised is actually going up because the wealthy are donating more to their favorite causes. Bicoy wonders what will happen if the donors of today go away.

Becoming more relevant with what they do and how they market themselves are two ways Bicoy believes non-profits can attract more donors in the future.