Podcast Summary
Podcast: Nonprofit Leadership Podcast
Host: Dr. Rob Harter
Guest: Brian Crimmins, co-author of The Generosity Crisis
Episode Title: Are We Facing a Generosity Crisis?
Date: September 14, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the critical question: "Are we facing a generosity crisis in America?" Dr. Rob Harter welcomes Brian Crimmins, co-author of The Generosity Crisis, to explore the downward trends in traditional charitable giving, why these changes are happening, and what nonprofit leaders can do to reverse course. The discussion focuses on data-driven trends, the evolving definitions of generosity, the influence of mega-donors, the rise of personal giving platforms, and practical strategies for nonprofit leaders navigating these shifts.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Origin and Purpose of The Generosity Crisis
- Background Story
- Brian’s collaboration with Nathan Chappelle originated from their professional relationship and mutual concern for the philanthropic sector.
- The seed for the book was planted during numerous conversations about declining donor participation, even as overall giving appeared to rise.
- COVID created an opportunity to focus on writing the book.
"A friendship that, that connected around our love for our sector led us to writing the generosity crisis." – Brian Crimmins [06:42]
2. Defining the Generosity Crisis
- Downward Trend in Traditional Giving
- Traditional giving (writing checks, online donations) is declining rapidly.
- 68% of American households were giving 15 years ago; now it's down to 48%.
- If this trend continues, traditional philanthropy could “cease to exist in this country in 49 years.”
"If it continues on the trajectory it's going, downward, traditional philanthropy would cease to exist in this country in 49 years." – Brian Crimmins [06:57]
- Competition for Connection
- Nonprofits are not just competing with each other, but increasingly with companies offering social good through their products (e.g., Patagonia).
3. How Giving Has Changed: The Mega-Donor Effect
- Mega-Donor & Crowding Out Phenomenon
- Giving appears stable only because a small number of mega-donors (e.g., MacKenzie Scott, Bill Gates) are making billion-dollar gifts.
- Without those top gifts, the charitable sector would see much sharper declines.
- "Crowding out" effect: When a high-profile donor supports a cause with a massive gift, everyday donors may step back, doubting the value of their own smaller contributions.
"If the wrong five people didn't give... we actually would have dropped. ...We write in the book a concept called the crowding out effect." – Brian Crimmins [12:39]
- Missing Gifts
- Estimated 22 million fewer gifts in the most recent year compared to the previous.
- Crowdfunding and personal giving platforms (GoFundMe) are siphoning activity that used to flow through nonprofits but are not reflected in official giving reports.
4. Personalization and Radical Connection
- Transactional vs. Personal Approaches
- Fundraisers must shift from transactional (big, impersonal appeals) to deeply personal engagement to maintain donor loyalty.
- Crowdfunding is popular because it's hyper-personal and direct—mirrored in how Gen Z expects to give.
"If I am not radically connected to an organization, I would go so far to say I'm basically not connected." – Brian Crimmins [16:00]
- Radical Connection Framework
- The book's central solution: Foster 'radical connection'—a deep, two-way relationship between donors and organizations.
- Connection must go beyond affiliation to a place where the donor and the nonprofit truly “know each other.”
"A radical connection can't be a one way street... It's like, I know you and you know me." – Brian Crimmins [18:40]
- Data and AI
- Using data and AI technologies can help identify, nurture, and sustain radical connections at scale, much like old-fashioned major donor work but expanded across the donor base.
5. Role of Government and Corporations
- Cross-Sector Solutions
- Major social problems require partnerships between nonprofits, businesses, and government.
- Young donors increasingly see companies—not nonprofits—as the engines of social change, making collaboration essential.
"Younger folks... when asked who can actually solve our problems... those under 25 years of age answered companies." – Brian Crimmins [22:53]
- Leveraging Strengths
- Government often supplies the largest grants, corporations bring innovation and research, and nonprofits have grassroots knowledge and mission-driven passion.
6. Practical Advice for Nonprofit Leaders
- Communicating Your Niche and Impact
- Nonprofits should articulate not just what they do, but the proportion of the broader problem they are solving—providing context for donors, funders, and partners.
- Taking a step back to provide the “30,000ft view” can lead to stronger cases for support and more impactful partnerships.
"Context to me is the simple but not so simple way of answering your question... if the government says really, you're really having that much success... why don't we give you a government grant to double it?" – Brian Crimmins [26:51]
- Focus on Loyal Donors
- The most committed and “radically connected” donors are critical—retention matters more than ever.
- During crises like COVID-19, this group proved to be the backbone of sustaining organizations.
- Organizational Commitment
- Fundraising and donor connection is not just a development team issue—it must be embraced at the board and organization-wide level to be successful.
"It is no longer the challenge that the development and the fundraising teams are facing, good and bad. It's no longer their issue. It can't be. It has to be an organizational issue." – Brian Crimmins [34:01]
7. The Next Generation of Donors
- Gen Z and the Future of Generosity
- Gen Z, despite having less financial capacity, shows willingness to give even in challenging times.
- Their definition of generosity is broader and more direct, often bypassing traditional nonprofits.
"I'm very bullish on the next generation being even more generous than our generation, and it's how they're doing it that the not-for-profit world needs to go meet them where they are." – Brian Crimmins [32:58]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the impact of mega donors:
"If the wrong five people didn't give... we actually would have dropped. ...That's with those folks giving billions and billions of dollars." – Brian Crimmins [12:39] -
On the future of giving:
"Traditional philanthropy would cease to exist in this country in 49 years. So not that far away." – Brian Crimmins [06:57] -
On the core solution:
"We, we centered on two words called radical connection, which is the personalization is what you're, how you phrased it... If I am not radically connected to an organization, I would go so far to say I'm basically not connected." – Brian Crimmins [16:00] -
On the challenge for nonprofit leaders:
"It is no longer the challenge that the development and the fundraising teams are facing, good and bad. It's no longer their issue. It has to be an organizational issue." – Brian Crimmins [34:01]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [04:25] – Introduction and backstory of The Generosity Crisis
- [06:57] – Defining and measuring the generosity crisis
- [09:34] – Discussing traditional giving vs. new forms
- [12:39] – The mega-donor effect and its implications
- [16:00] – Personalization, radical connection, and the future of giving
- [22:09] – The role of government and corporations in social good
- [26:51] – Practical advice for communicating organizational impact
- [30:02] – New opportunities and hope for nonprofits
- [34:01] – The need for organization-wide focus on donor connection
Conclusion and Resources
Brian Crimmins leaves nonprofit leaders with a message of hope: while the data points to real challenges, organizations are capable of reversing these trends by focusing on personal, meaningful, and organizationally integrated approaches to fundraising and donor engagement.
Resources:
- Book: The Generosity Crisis
- Free book club guide and practical tools at GenerosityCrisis.com
- LinkedIn: Brian Crimmins
Final Takeaway:
Nonprofits must evolve by building radical, two-way connections with donors, leveraging organizational strengths, partnering across sectors, and embracing both traditional and emerging methods to sustain generosity in a rapidly changing landscape.