Per the post today from someone at a nonprofit asking if a foundation the nonprofit had been contacted by was "for real" (the foundation DOES appear on Candid, formerly Guidestar, but there's scant info).

If a foundation or someone that says they want to donate to you is asking for an annual report or a program report to evaluate you regarding a grant, that should be public info on your web site, which you can direct them to.

If your nonprofit or NGO is asked by any new donor for your bank account info, do NOT give it. Not until you have done a GREAT DEAL of due diligence. Any legitimate donor will be fine with that.

NEVER pay a fee - a "registration' fee or a "tax" or a "processing fee" or whatever for a donation. NEVER.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has warned that scammers, posing as wealthy, interested, first-time donors, send large fraudulent checks, often five figures or more, to nonprofits, unsolicited. But then these donors quickly request a partial refund from the charity, claiming a mistake. The nonprofit issues the refund, the scammer vanishes, and the original donation check bounces, leaving the nonprofit with a significant financial loss.

This article details how the scam works.

With so many scams targeting nonprofits, claiming to be a foundation or a wealthy individual with a donation for the nonprofit, your nonprofit needs protocols before accepting a large, unsolicited donation. For instance, in response, ask for:

• The foundation's or the person's physical address.
• How they heard about you and what activity you engage in that got their attention.
• The foundation's web site address - or a reason why they do not have such.
• The foundation's most recent 990.
• The name of two nonprofits the foundation funded in 2025 or 2024 or even 2023, that you could call yourself and find out if this is a legitimate gift.

Also tell this person that all donations are final and cannot be refunded. If they are scammers, you are likely to never hear from them again.

If the are legit, they will be fine with all of that.

But if you don't hear from them, pass their email on to the State Attorney General for wherever it is they say they are registered. If they don't provide that, pass it on to your state's attorney general.

Deposit checks QUICKLY and make sure they have cleared before you count that money as a for real donation.

With all that said - I have worked at nonprofits that did receive large, unsolicited gifts from individuals. It does sometimes happen. In one case, the person called and talked to the receptionist, just asking all sorts of questions that she could easily answer (the info was all available on the web site). When the gift showed up, he referred back to this phone call. But in both cases, the donation wasn't "for real" until that check cleared.

Your thoughts?

Hello NP friends,

I received an unsolicited email this morning in our general email inbox from an American Charitable Foundation. The subject line was Financial Opportunity for (my organizations name). the email did have an Ein and I do see that when I search charity navigator the EIN does come up but I still feel unsure, especially since there are so many scams out there.

Has anyone ever had any emails from them, funding from them or any relationships?

Thanks, a nervous development director

Hi Everyone,

Full disclosure.

I am the founder of Impact Collage, a for-profit company.

After learning that most donors donate only once to a nonprofit’s mission, I started exploring why and wondered whether it could be linked to donors, especially smaller ones, who might have felt their donation was transactional and didn’t make much of an impact. Smaller donors typically get a thank-you email, but no public recognition, and may drift away. Also, traditional donor walls usually have room only for major donors, and they sit in lobbies that most donors never see now that donations come in online from across the country.

What if nonprofits didn’t have to set a giving threshold for public recognition? Smaller donors could also receive public recognition they would value and in a cost-effective way for the nonprofit.

With that in mind, I built Impact Collage, a platform that lets nonprofits recognize donors of all sizes on their website with a virtual donor wall featuring donor photos, names, messages, and an optional link to their social media profile.

Donors can easily share their public placement on the wall with their own networks, increasing organic visibility and social proof for the nonprofit's cause.

My aim is twofold: to make smaller donors feel seen and valued, and to help nonprofits grow donations over time from supporters who feel more connected to their cause and to each other.

https://impactcollage.com

I would love to hear what you think about the concept (Good or Bad :) ) and answer any questions you have.

Thank you for your time.

A blog about the current state of trust between the public and the nonprofit sector and how Americans understand, perceive, and relate to philanthropy in its various forms. 

https://johnsoncenter.org/blog/public-trust-in-transition/