FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- America's nonprofit organizations are facing a donor exodus — and are desperate to find a solution as the nation's charitable giving patterns change.
Giving Trends That Are Shaping Outcomes
Increasingly older, middle-income donors — the backbone of charitable giving for decades — are reducing or dropping their support, while younger people prefer to give directly to causes or individuals, often bypassing established nonprofit organizations entirely.
The shift is part cultural, part generational — but also a result of donors "craving true connection that many organizations simply aren't able to offer them," said Andrew Olsen, newly-promoted president of national fundraising company DickersonBakker.
"Amid this seismic shift in fundraising, we have the solution — a movement for change," said Olsen, whose promotion puts him at the center of the company's new approach to combine "talent, strategy, relationship fundraising, and direct response."
Introducing: A Better Way
The company has realigned its leadership team to "reimagine the entire concept of fundraising, providing a dynamic experience for forward-thinking ministries and other nonprofits," Olsen said.
The top-level re-set gives DickersonBakker a highly competitive innovative edge. As head of client strategy and day-to-day operations, Olsen will work alongside Chief Executive Officer Derric Bakker, architect of the company's growth strategy. Additionally, to integrate sales, marketing and fuel rapid expansion, Kat Landa, CFRE, CSD, has been promoted to Chief Growth Officer.
An Industry That's 'Hungry For Change'
"The nonprofit sector is hungry and calling for change," Bakker said. "We saw this coming years ago and began designing a solution for the future of fundraising. We're focused on helping nonprofits treat every donor like a major donor."
With nonprofits struggling to combat disappearing donors and revenue, and grappling with how to integrate emerging technologies like AI into their business models, swift change is a necessity, Olsen said.
Squeezed middle-class finances, declining church attendance, growing distrust of institutions, and higher expectations among younger people have all contributed to falling donations and declining donor participation.
In a national study of 300-plus nonprofit leaders conducted by DickersonBakker, nearly half agreed that retaining existing donors should be their organization's top priority — but pressure to bring in revenue often drives other priorities.
Nonprofits willing to make changes, however, are seeing results.
Several organizations partnering with DickersonBakker have significantly increased their donor retention rates by as much as 35%, bucking the national trend.
"This is not just because they made some tactical adjustment," Olsen said, "it's due to transformational culture change, and that's led by the organizational leadership."
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DickersonBakker has been dedicated to offering expert consulting services to nonprofit clients for close to four decades. The consulting firm has garnered a notable reputation by assisting thousands of organizations in raising billions of dollars through capital campaigns, fund development, agency services, executive search, and grant services. With hubs in North Carolina, Texas, and Indiana, and with a servicing team spread throughout the country, DickersonBakker has formed partnerships with nonprofit groups all over the United States and extended its services to Canada and other countries overseas. Visit www.dickersonbakker.com for more information.
SOURCES: DickersonBakker and PRNewswire.com.
For Media and Other Inquiries Contact:
Kat Landa
800.382.0094 (x568)
klanda@dickersonbakker.com
