There’s always one. That organization whose success is the bar by which others judge your efforts. Maybe it’s another school in your athletic conference or in your state. But does that make it a suitable benchmarking target?

With the potential for major donors to shift away from endowment giving to avoid federal taxes and ensure that their contributions will be applied fully to an organization’s mission, this a great time to reconsider our approach to stewardship for donors who make current-use versus endowment gifts.