At Infinite Giving, we want to equip nonprofits with one of the most overlooked but most impactful ways to grow your fundraising: non-cash donations. Cash gifts are just the tip of the iceberg. Major donors hold the majority of their wealth in assets, not in checking accounts.

Did you know the average online credit card donation is just $128? However, the national average stock gift is over $8,000! At Infinite Giving, we’ve processed millions of donations with the average stock gift donation of $33,000. Additionally, the average crypto gift is $10K+, and the average donor advised fund (DAF) gift is $12K+.

So when if your nonprofit is still only asking for cash donations, you're actually tapping into their smallest bucket of the donor's capacity to give. But when you make it easy to donate stock, crypto, or DAFs, you can unlock a much larger opportunity. Especially if you can make it as easy and frictionless for your donor as possible.‍

Let’s set the landscape:‍

First, giving is down. Most of us already feel that. Individual giving has decreased by 13.4% in the last two years and of course large amounts of government funding has dried up just this year. The majority of nonprofits reported increased demand for services, and 42% of nonprofits report inadequate finances, and 68% plan to cut programs within the next two years.

So what does that mean for our industry? Well, we all know nonprofits are the ones to help our communities in crisis and we step up to fill the demand. This means we have to get creative. We have to find new pathways for giving, look for major gifts that you may not have considered or felt were out of your reach, and of course have the infrastructure in place that will encourage donors to give you those major gifts.

The good news? It may be more attainable than you think. Here are some supporting stats:

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Non-Cash Giving is Growing

Over the last decade, non-cash charitable contributions increased by 135%. Donors are ready! You just need to make the ask. Nonprofits that receive stock gifts in addition to cash raise 55% more overall. Plus, donors can avoid paying up to 37% in capital gains taxes when giving appreciated stock. That’s a win-win: more for your mission, and more savings for your donor.
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Now, we are going to really dig into understanding (and asking for) these non-cash, highly tax efficient donations. Mostly referring to stock, crypto, and DAFs. Maybe you’ve never received a stock gift, or maybe you have but you want them to grow and the process is cumbersome. At Infinite Giving, we make it as frictionless as possible. Ideally, you'll walk away with tactical next steps to help grow your giving.

Getting Started with Non-Cash Donations

In order to get started with accepting non-cash gifts, you need a brokerage account. With a nonprofit brokerage account, your organization can invest funds, accept stock donations from supporters, and more.

It's important to have this brokerage account and a process in place before making the donation request, as this gives your donors the confidence that you know how to steward their gifts.

Sending those funds to the appropriate accounts, sending the receipts with the right details, having the right documentation afterward for your accounting purposes, you name it, all of that should be in place for donors to feel confident that you are capable of wisely managing their asset gift.
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One horror story we heard is when a high net worth donor wanted to give about a $250,000 in stock to a nonprofit that they supported. Unfortunately, the nonprofit did not have their process set up, nor was timely in their communication.

Long story short, the donor lost confidence that the nonprofit knew how to liquidate this stock gift, and steward it properly going forward. Unfortunately, the donor ended up not sending them the funds and took his stock gift elsewhere.

This is why one of our biggest priorities is to give donors the confidence that when they're sending these major gifts, your nonprofit knows how to steward them. Check out more information for how to accept stock donations.
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Why Stock Gifts Are Better Than Cash

So why are stock gifts often better than cash for both the donor and the nonprofit? Three reasons:

• Donors avoid capital gains taxes
• Doesn’t affect monthly cash flow
• Donors are more willing to give from assets

This is why stock gifts are 62x larger than the average cash donation. Getting that brokerage account in place is definitely going to be the main thing that you want to do first. Once you actually get those stocks, that's when it's on you to make sure that they get liquidated.

Something important to note, especially if you're thinking you can self-manage this process internally with your team instead of using a service like Infinite Giving. When the donor does actually send the stocks over to your brokerage account, it can be tricky to keep track of those stock pledges. Imagine if you're expecting 10 shares from Bob, 5 shares from Karen, and 20 shares from Jay. These are more complex situations that we can manage for our clients to liquidate the stock gift and provide the donation receipts.

Hear more in our webinar replay from "Understanding (And Asking For) Non-Cash Donations"
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Educating Donors + Making the Ask

Donors can’t give what you don't ask for; therefore, it’s up to your team to educate your supporters about stock, crypto, and DAF giving, especially those high net worth individuals. 

If they're not finding the information on your donation page that you accept non-cash gifts, it’s not published on your website, or in an email, your donors will have no idea that these tax-efficient options are available.

How do you bring up larger asset gifts in donor conversations in a way that feels natural? This is one of the most common questions we’re asked at Infinite Giving. The answer is to make it a part of your giving culture, repeat it often, frame it in a way that reminds them it HELPS donors and your organization as well.

‍Here’s how a nonprofit should educate their supporters about stock, crypto, and DAF giving:

1. Open communication - our clients that we see do the best with non-cash giving are the ones who are not shying away from talking about it with donors.  Do not wait for a donor to ask about stock gifts, because usually they won't.
   
2. Display non-cash giving prominently on your website - Infinite Giving’s donation page makes it easy to see “More Ways to Give” with stock, crypto, DAFs, and even endowments
   
3. Email updates - especially during Giving Season, consider spotlighting a new way of giving, such as either stocks, crypto, or DAFs and pick one for each month. We help supply our clients with marketing communications explaining the benefits of gifting those asset types. 
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Final Thoughts

Always think about fundraising as storytelling. Get creative about how you can make donors the heroes of their own narrative. Your donors are holding their wealth in assets, and they’re looking for smart, generous ways to give. They just need you to help guide them on the journey to making a bigger difference.

With the right tools, messaging, and brokerage setup, you can receive these gifts seamlessly and grow your fundraising significantly.

If you’re ready to get started, or want help with your brokerage account, donor materials, or investment policy, Infinite Giving is here to support you. Schedule a complimentary call now.
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