Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket -- Especially Now

It’s Easter season, so naturally, I’ve been thinking about eggs. But not just the metaphorical kind.

At our house, we’re getting ready for the Easter Bunny to make his big appearance. In about a week, that wascally wabbit will be hiding eggs all over the place for our six-year-old to find—around the house, out in the yard, you name it.

And before you ask, yes, we’ll be using the plastic ones. The real deal? They’ve gotten so expensive, they might as well be gold.

But that old saying—don’t put all your eggs in one basket—has been bouncing around in my brain for another reason lately. It’s one of those phrases that’s almost too perfect for what I see happening with a lot of nonprofits right now.

Here’s what I mean: too many organizations are still leaning heavily on just one or two sources of funding. That could mean an overdependence on a single government grant, one corporate partner, or even a major annual event that brings in most of the year's revenue.

And while that might work for a while, all it takes is for that one source to dry up—and suddenly, the whole mission is at risk.

We’re seeing this right now, especially with organizations that rely on government funding. The political climate is unpredictable, and public dollars just don’t feel as dependable as they used to. Even when the funding does come through, it's often delayed or comes with more red tape than ever before.

So what can you do? Well, here’s the good news: if your organization is still meeting its mission, there’s no better time than now to start (or grow) your individual giving program.

I know that might feel a little counterintuitive. When things get shaky, the natural instinct is to tighten up and wait it out. But I’ve learned—both personally and professionally—that these kinds of moments are actually when donors are most willing to listen.

When a crisis hits—especially one that’s easy to understand—people want to help if they can.

Think back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Practically everyone felt the impact, whether it was through the illness itself, losing a job, or just trying to keep a small business afloat. People got it. And you know what? Those two years turned out to be the best on record for individual giving.

The nonprofits that clearly communicated what they needed—and why—were the ones that saw the biggest gains.

As someone who led an advancement department in higher education, I can speak from experience here. During that time, I made the decision to invest more heavily in our annual fund. We increased our mailings, we expanded our mailing list to include more of our alumni, and we launched an emergency hardship fund for our students. Those moves made a huge difference: our Foundation increased its average annual revenue by 50 to 75 percent.

I still think about what might have happened if we hadn’t taken action when we did.

So if you’ve been putting off your individual giving strategy—waiting for the timing to be “right”—consider this your nudge to go for it. If you’re still doing good work (and I know you are), now is the time to educate your supporters, grow your base, and diversify the way you bring in dollars.

And if you’re not sure where to start, that’s where we come in.

At Rescigno’s, we help nonprofits like yours build strong, sustainable individual giving programs—whether you’re starting from scratch or just looking to take things to the next level. From donor segmentation and annual appeals to stewardship strategies and list-building, we’re here for all of it. Give us a call at (708) 974-2600 or shoot me an email at colin@rescignos.com. Let’s make sure your eggs are exactly where they should be—spread out, supported, and safe.