Nonprofit financial leadership looks different in today’s market than it did just two years ago.

We’re now in a falling-rate environment. Bank savings accounts that once felt competitive are yielding less. Meanwhile, thoughtfully constructed investment portfolios continue to offer stronger long-term return potential.

For nonprofit leaders, this raises an important question: is your money working as hard as your mission?

To help organizations think more holistically about financial resilience, we developed the RISE Framework, a practical approach to strengthening your funding model in any economic climate.

RISE stands for Raise, Invest, Steward, Endow.

In this blog post, we’ll provide you with a self-assessment of this new financial framework to see where your nonprofit may have potential to better fund your mission for the long-term.

R - Raise

Sustainable funding starts with how you raise capital.

Modern donors don’t just give cash. They give appreciated stock, crypto, and grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs). In fact, non-cash gifts are often some of the most tax-efficient and generous gifts donors can make.

If you aren’t equipped to accept them, you may be unintentionally limiting generosity.

Self-assessment question: Do you currently have the technology and internal processes in place to easily accept non-cash gifts like stock, crypto, and DAF grants?

Raising well means removing friction and meeting donors where they are financially.

I - Invest

Once funds are raised, what happens next?

For many nonprofits, excess cash sits in a checking or savings account earning minimal interest. In a falling-rate environment, that approach becomes even less strategic.

Thoughtful investing doesn’t mean taking unnecessary risk. It means aligning portions of your reserves with time horizon, liquidity needs, and return objectives.

Idle cash slowly loses opportunity. Invested cash can support future programming, growth initiatives, or strategic stability. 

Self-assessment question: Are your cash reserves segmented by time horizon (short-, mid-, and long-term), or is most of your capital sitting in low-yield bank accounts?

Investment strategy should reflect intention, not inertia.

S - Steward

Stewardship is more than thanking donors. It includes how you manage and protect the resources entrusted to you.

Strong stewardship requires clarity around liquidity needs, board oversight, and an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) that guides decision-making.

When markets shift, organizations without a framework often react emotionally. Organizations with a policy respond strategically.

Self-assessment question: Do you have a board-approved Investment Policy Statement that clearly defines liquidity needs, risk tolerance, and oversight responsibilities?

Financial stewardship is leadership in action.

E - Endow

Finally, resilient organizations think beyond the next campaign.

Endowment structures, whether true endowments, board-designated (quasi) endowments, or term funds, create long-term sustainability. They allow your mission to generate funding from invested capital, not just annual fundraising cycles.

Endowment strategy is no longer reserved for billion-dollar institutions. Smaller and mid-sized nonprofits now have more accessible tools to build sustainable funding engines.

Self-assessment question: Have you explored whether an endowment or board-designated reserve could strengthen your long-term financial resilience?

Endowment thinking shifts your organization from surviving year to year to building generational impact.

Rise With Intention

The RISE Framework isn’t about chasing returns. It’s about aligning financial strategy with mission sustainability.

In today’s rate environment, leaving capital idle may feel safe, but it can quietly limit future impact. Our team at Infinite Giving is here to help your nonprofit to:

Raise strategically
Invest intentionally
Steward responsibly
Endow sustainably

Because fundraising keeps you going. Funding, done well, helps your mission last.

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DISCLOSURE
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Infinite Giving Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Infinite Giving Advisory Services, Inc. and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Our firm may not transact business in states where it is not appropriately registered, excluded or exempted from registration. This content is solely for informational purposes.  Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

Investors’ experiences may vary from the content. Nothing in this presentation constitutes investment advice, performance data, or any recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. Infinite Giving manages its clients’ accounts using a variety of investment techniques and strategies, which are not necessarily discussed in the commentary.

Individualized responses to persons that involve either the effecting of transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made without registration or exemption. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Infinite Giving Advisory Services, Inc. unless a client service agreement is in place. Donation services provided by Infinite Giving Technologies, Inc.

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