Blog
July 28, 2025
The latest Giving USA report tells us that charitable giving remains stable, but if you’re leading a nonprofit organization, you might be wondering why that stability isn’t reflected in your own donor file. You’re not alone. Across my recent work with a large federated nonprofit organization, I’m seeing a troubling disconnect between national giving trends and the reality many organizations face: declining individual giving despite what the headlines suggest.
The Portfolio Reality Check
Through my comprehensive Fundraising Enhancement Program with this enterprise nonprofit, I’ve conducted deep-dive portfolio analyses across diverse markets—from major metropolitan areas to regional markets nationwide. What I’ve discovered is that while overall charitable giving may appear stable at the macro level, individual organizations are experiencing significant challenges that require immediate attention:
- Donor attrition in key segments that isn’t being offset by new donor acquisition
- Stagnant average gift sizes that haven’t kept pace with inflation or organizational needs
- Underdeveloped major gift pipelines despite serving communities with demonstrated wealth capacity
- Limited data analytics capabilities that prevent organizations from identifying and addressing giving pattern shifts
The Individual Giving Paradox
One of the most concerning trends I’ve identified is the erosion of individual giving programs across local affiliates. Despite serving communities with strong philanthropic capacity, organizations are seeing:
- Board members who aren’t engaged in fundraising activities
- Volunteer-to-donor conversion rates that fall well below potential
- Alumni and program participant networks that remain largely untapped
- Major gift cultivation processes that lack systematic approaches
Consider This
One affiliate serves over 20,000 participants annually with revenue exceeding $5.5 million, yet struggles with an underdeveloped individual giving program. Another operates in one of the nation’s wealthiest metropolitan areas but hasn’t fully capitalized on the market’s philanthropic potential due to weak board engagement and limited planned giving infrastructure.
The Data Tells the Story
What makes this particularly concerning is that these challenges aren’t isolated to struggling organizations. I’m seeing revenue growth limitations even among affiliates with strong donor bases and established community reputations. The issue isn’t capacity—it’s strategy, systems, and a systematic approach to donor development.
Through my portfolio analyses, I’ve identified that organizations often lack:
- Comprehensive donor demographics analysis to understand their giving base
- Predictive modeling to identify growth opportunities
- Systematic tracking of giving patterns and attrition
- Targeted solicitation strategies based on data insights
A Strategic Response
This is where Attain Partners’ approach becomes essential. Rather than relying on broad industry trends or hoping that “stable giving” translates to your organization, we believe in taking a comprehensive, data-driven approach to revenue portfolio analysis.
Our approach encompasses:
Portfolio Analysis and Assessment
Comprehensive review of your current fundraising portfolio, in-depth analysis of donor demographics and giving patterns, gap analysis of existing fundraising strategies, and identification of untapped funding sources and opportunities.
Strategic Framework Development
Creation of customized growth targets and performance metrics, development of donor pipeline management processes, implementation of data analytics for targeted outreach, and design of systematic cultivation and stewardship protocols.
Capacity Building and Training
Major gift training curriculum tailored to your organization, board, and volunteer engagement strategies, staff development in donor relationship management, and long-term sustainability planning and implementation.
Your Revenue Portfolio Needs Professional Assessment
The disconnect between national giving trends and individual organizational performance is a call to action. While Giving USA provides valuable sector-wide insights, your organization’s success depends on understanding the specific dynamics of your donor base, your market, and your fundraising capacity.
Through my recent work, I’ve seen organizations identify growth potential they didn’t know existed, implement systematic approaches that dramatically improve donor retention, and build sustainable revenue streams that support mission expansion.
The Time for Analysis is Now
Don’t let national statistics mask the reality of your revenue challenges. Whether you’re experiencing the individual giving decline I’m seeing across the nonprofit sector, or you suspect your organization isn’t reaching its fundraising potential, a comprehensive portfolio analysis can provide the insights you need to make strategic decisions.
Ready to examine your revenue trends with a trusted partner?
Attain Partners offers the comprehensive assessment your organization deserves—one that goes beyond surface-level metrics to understand the underlying dynamics driving your fundraising performance. Let’s work together to ensure your revenue portfolio is positioned for sustainable growth, regardless of what the headlines say about sector-wide giving trends.
Contact us today to schedule your Revenue Portfolio Analysis and discover how Attain Partners can transform your fundraising approach.
About the Author
Sterrin Bird is a global fundraising leader and transformative figure in the nonprofit community, universally recognized for her nearly three decades of exceptional dedication to philanthropy. Her expertise spans the future of fundraising, building robust teams, and mastering the art of relational fundraising. With a keen focus on breaking down silos and fostering human-centered change, Sterrin excels in leveraging technology in support of mission outcomes and is an advocate for utilizing AI for fundraising innovation.
Prior to her tenure as a development officer, Sterrin catalyzed growth as a development consultant for three notable international consulting firms, where she blossomed into a cross-functional leader. In 2010, she founded her own consulting practice, orienting her approach around uncommon coaching and leadership mentoring. Throughout her multifaceted career, Sterrin has orchestrated over three dozen capital campaigns across the globe, cumulatively raising more than $5.5 billion, securing her reputation as a global fundraising leader.
In her professional journey, she has held pivotal leadership roles at prestigious nonprofit giants such as Duke Medicine, the University of California, the American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, and United Way. Sterrin also spent four years as the in-house nonprofit expert with the global team at Salesforce.
Sterrin holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is also a True North Leadership Fellow and was named to the Advisory Council of Rogare, a fundraising think tank in the UK at the University of Plymouth.
Her extensive experience with C-suite executives, nonprofit directors, and leadership across complex organizations speaks to her ability to exceed funding objectives while leading teams and managing the ever-changing nonprofit industry. A distinguished cross-functional leader, Sterrin navigates the intersection of fundraising, marketing, brand positioning, and program advancement with ease.
Originally from Short Hills, New Jersey, Sterrin now calls the Bay Area home, living with her two children, Thomas and Mary. She is a prolific public speaker and is also deeply invested in her community, she sits on the board of Maimoni Valley Preserve, One Life Counseling, and the Young Men’s Service League, embodying the spirit of engaged and impactful citizenship.
