Mary Anne Welch

(3/25/24)
3M Foundation has shut down. Future grants will be awarded through 3M’s corporate giving program.

The 3M Foundation was established 70 years ago. It was one of the first corporate foundations in the U.S. and very well respected in the corporate community. For the last 30+ years, 3M corporation has awarded philanthropic grants through both its foundation and a related corporate giving program.

Historically, the corporate giving program’s grants were more business influenced (STEM, colleges, employees), while the foundation was more focused on arts, human services, and community development.

In 2021, the corporation shifted the foundation’s giving to also focus on STEM and related fields. At the same time, the foundation announced it was no longer accepting unsolicited requests for funding. Then, when the foundation filed its most recent 990 PF (2022), it reported that it was filing its final report, ending operations and turning over its last year’s funding ($11.4 million) to the St Paul and Minnesota Foundation.

3M’s community website reports the company’s most recent total giving (2022) for both programs was $31 million ($11 million from the foundation and about $20 million from the corporate giving program). No word on 2023 giving yet. Please note there are also in-kind donations and other types of giving.

From now on, the corporation will award all its grants and scholarships only through the corporate giving program. We anticipate total 3M corporate giving will decrease in the near future and we wonder if the company may close its giving program for a while. That’s not surprising given the financial problems the corporation has been experiencing for the last few years.

The new 3M CEO, William Brown has experience with corporate giving programs and may want to reorganize the company’s giving programs. We’ll let you know.

Excerpt from The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Three seasoned fundraisers share proven tactics — and real examples — to help you adapt your big-gifts strategy to the current climate and maximize results.
By Lisa Schohl
FEBRUARY 13, 2024

1. Focus on midlevel donors.
…because oftentimes, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 is more accessible than higher-end major gifts, and people are more inclined to maintain their giving to an institution in that regard.

2. Identify gaps in your donor pool.
… such as communities that might have a natural connection to your cause but aren’t yet giving.

3. Diversify your board.

• Ask corporate partners to recommend company leaders who care about your organization’s mission and might be interested in serving on the board.
• Consider donors who demonstrate passion for your work.
• Create a “young patrons’ board.”

4. Tap into big donors’ networks.

5. Maximize your board.

… set clear expectations for their annual giving and involvement in fundraising from the get-go, including asking them to sign a board member commitment form where they could indicate their interest in helping with specific types of donor outreach, such as visits, hosting a gathering, or sponsoring an event.

6. Streamline your donor communications.
… Automate as many processes as you can to help ensure that all donors get attention throughout the year, while freeing up fundraisers to focus on building relationships with big donors and bringing in new supporters.

7. Be vulnerable.
… you don’t want to be existential, but it’s OK to be honest and open with donors about your nonprofit’s need.

8. Highlight gifts to inspire more giving.

9. Use matching gifts to boost results.

10. Prioritize donors who have DAFs or family foundations.
…start by mining the donor database to identify individuals who have given in one of these ways. Don’t wait until November or December to talk with DAF donors- that is when many are focused on adding money to their DAF, rather than distributing it.

Arabella Advisors on 2024 Philanthropy: What, Who, and How

Arabella Advisors is one of the nation’s largest grantmaker, donor and nonprofit organization advisors in the areas of giving and fundraising. So much so that recently, several ultra-conservative observers have been comparing AA with Soros, the Obama Foundation, and other progressive mega-organizations.

Because of their size, innovative funding mechanisms, and connections with powerful progressives, Arabella has a great handle on giving and getting trends. They recently issued a report on What Gets Funded, Who Gets to Decide, and Vehicles Used for Funding in “The Giving Year Ahead: Trends in Grantmaking and Philanthropic Engagement for 2024“. All interesting. Their predictions on what gets funded:

• Democracy and civic engagement
• Reproductive health and justice
• Artificial intelligence and public interest technology
• Climate change mitigation

No big surprises here. But the article provides a great and simple analysis of what to expect, and most importantly, what language to use if you’re pursuing these interests with funders.

Other 2024 Predictions

Philanthropy futurist Trista Harris  tells us that “traditional strategic planning is a thing of the past” because the future is too unpredictable. Here’s her list:  Trista’s 2024 Philanthropy Predictions

Here’s what The Chronicle of Philanthropy says we’ll see in the coming year:

• A.I. will be the future of work (and they say that doesn’t have to be bad).
• Race-based foundation grants will be the next test of the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision.
• Donor-advised funds are changing philanthropy – will 2024 see new regulation?
• Trust-based philanthropy will need to start showing impact.
• Shorter workweeks, time off, and DEI training are helping retain workers.
• Federal climate funds are plentiful — but nonprofits should move quickly.

Northwest Area Foundation has changed its mission to reflect a commitment to put justice at the center of its support of Native Americans, communities of color, immigrants and refugees, and people in rural areas. President Kevin Walker says thriving requires more than material prosperity and barriers cannot be overcome by focusing through only a poverty-reduction lens. “We stand alongside changemakers in our eight states and 76 native nations and fund work that leads to racial, social, and economic injustice.”

Read Walker’s letter

Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx owner, Glen Taylor, is gifting assets valued at $172 million to the Taylor Family Farms Foundation, to support people in southern Minnesota and rural communities across Minnesota and Iowa. The foundation will work in partnership with three nonprofit organizations: the Mankato Area Foundation, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, and Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

Taylor’s donation comprises parcels of farmland located in Minnesota and Iowa. Income generated by the farmland will be distributed to the three partner foundations for continuous reinvestment in the region where Taylor grew up and raised his family.

 

Read about it at the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

Google Ad Grants is a philanthropic initiative by Google that provides nonprofit organizations with free advertising credits of up to $10,000 per month on the Google Ads platform. The program allows nonprofits to display their ads on Google Search results pages, potentially reaching millions of people interested in their causes. Essentially, it’s an in-kind donation from Google to help nonprofits raise awareness, attract volunteers, and drive donations.

Nonprofit Tech for Good published a guide written by the Co-founder of Webup! – a Google-certified digital marketing agency focused on the Google Ad Grants Program, where he delve into the Google Ad Grants program, discussing what it is, who is eligible, the application process, creating your first campaign, and going through a Google Ad Grants policy checklist to make sure your account is compliant and would not be blocked.

Read the guide