2024 holiday wish list: nonprofit edition

What do nonprofit staff wish for most for their organizations this holiday season? To find out, at the start of the Giving Season we ran a LinkedIn poll, with three choices—more unrestricted funding, less paperwork for grants, and to reduce burnout—plus a write-in option. Here’s what you told us, along with a few articles that offer a deeper dive into each of the items on this nonprofit wish list: 

#3: Less paperwork for grants (14%) 

We know nonprofits are often overburdened by long, complicated, customized grant applications and reporting that require hours and hours of staff time—even for small grant amounts. We also know some grantmakers are taking steps to reduce the burden on nonprofits by streamlining their application and reporting processes or even eliminating written requirements. Here are some perspectives on the need to reduce grantee burden and efforts to do so: 

Grant application and review practices for more equitable and inclusive funding. The first of five best practices for fair funding outcomes? “Simplify the grant application.” 

Where are we seeing sustained changes in grantmaking practices to reduce grantee burden? The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s Elisha Smith Arrillaga highlights the progress seen since 800 foundations pledged to “loosen or eliminate the restrictions on current grants.” 

Reimagining grantmaking with data collaboration at scale. Another way to reduce paperwork is for grantmakers to ask applicants to share demographic data in their Candid nonprofit profiles instead of requiring them to provide it in each application.  

And if the paperwork requirements can’t be reduced, can nonprofits use generative AI for grant writing?  

Where do foundations stand on AI-generated grant proposals? Candid’s 2024 Foundation Giving Forecast Survey asked whether funders had received AI-generated grant applications and whether they accept, or plan to accept, such applications. The responses may surprise you. 

To bot or not to bot: Using generative AI in grantwriting. Here are the basics: what generative AI is, how it can be useful in a grantwriting context, and how to use the content it generates with caution. 

Beyond efficiency: A human-first AI adoption strategy. Beth Kanter and Allison Fine highlight the human risks of over-reliance on AI tools and offer guidance on ensuring the technology is used to benefit staff. 

#2: Reduce burnout (28%) 

The need to address nonprofit staff burnout and ensure their well-being has seen increased attention this year, and it was top of mind for nearly three in 10 respondents. No doubt the burden of paperwork is a part of it. What other factors are driving burnout, and how can we eliminate them? 

Why we’re all burned out and what to do about it. Research suggests individuals in “helping” or “caregiving” professions—which apply to many nonprofit staff—are particularly susceptible to burnout. In addition, nonprofits are expected to do more with less, writes Candid’s associate vice president for research, Cat Clerkin, Ph.D. 

Success and wellness tips for Black fundraisers. This article encourages Black women fundraisers—who are “socialized to endure hardship, to shoulder burdens silently, and to continue regardless of personal cost”—to prioritize their well-being, not only to sustain themselves as effective leaders but also to strengthen their organizations’ work.  

Setting work-life boundaries when working from home. Despite the flexibility working from home affords, it can also cause burnout if you’re expected to be always “on.” Here’s how you can set healthy boundaries. 

#1: More unrestricted funding (55%) 

With more than half the votes, #1 on the nonprofit wish list was more unrestricted grant dollars. This is not a new trend; for decades, nonprofits have been calling for vital multiyear general operating support. Many funders loosened grant restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s a central component of trust-based philanthropy. Yet, nonprofits still struggle to secure general operating support (GOS). What do we know about recent trends in unrestricted funding? 

4 things we learned about foundations and general operating support. According to Candid’s 2023 survey, 90% of respondents awarded unrestricted funding in 2021 and 2022, allocating about 30% of overall grant dollars to GOS—but definitions of GOS and ways of tracking varied greatly by foundation.  

Investing in capacity building: The vital role of general operating support for BIPOC-led nonprofits. This article illustrates how GOS is a critical investment—“not only to strengthen organizational infrastructure but also to foster innovation and drive meaningful impact.” 

What could equitable investment in Black nonprofit leaders look like? One essential investment would be providing multiyear unrestricted support to organizations led by Black leaders, not just mentoring and/or leadership development programs. 

Fewer restrictions, greater impact: How Candid shifted to unrestricted support. In 2023, Candid asked our funders for unrestricted support for projects we believed would make the biggest impact for the sector at large. CEO Ann Mei Chang and vice president of influence Aleda Gagarin explain how it paid off and how other nonprofits might make similar asks. 

The common thread: A wish for more equitable practices, with respect for fundraisers

The “write-in” items in the comments included “A better understanding of the purpose and motivation to put in place a ‘working board’” and “Respect for the professionals that are raising funds.” Most of you likely would have answered our question: “All of the above!” And what’s the common thread across these wishes for the sector? Perhaps centering nonprofits’ and their staff’s day-to-day needs—through an equity lens. By reducing grantee burden, ensuring inclusive grantmaking practices that address those with limited access to grant dollars, acknowledging the hard work of fundraising, and preventing burnout—we can help the sector do the mission-driven work of building a more just society.