- October 22, 2018
- Posted by: The Partners
- Category: Philanthropy Counts
Published May 29, 2013
Tedesco & Political Contributions
When I look at the results of wealth screening, I pretty much discount gifts made to election campaigns. My attitude is pretty much— so what!
I’ve learned otherwise. Let me tell you what Jay Frost has uncovered. He’s a Partner in the firm.
Jay tells me about a study that Bill Tedesco (CEO of DonorSearch) conducted. He examined two million records which represented about $5 billion worth of philanthropic gifts.
When I look at the results of wealth screening, I pretty much discount gifts made to election campaigns. My attitude is pretty much— so what!
I’ve learned otherwise. Let me tell you what Jay Frost has uncovered. He’s a Partner in the firm.
Jay tells me about a study that Bill Tedesco (CEO of DonorSearch) conducted. He examined two million records which represented about $5 billion worth of philanthropic gifts.
Tedesco’s study identified the top five indicators of philanthropy as:
1. Having made gifts of $5,000 or more to another organization,
2. Serving on a nonprofit board,
3. Giving to federal election campaigns,
4. Owning real estate valued at $2 million or more, and
5. Being an SEC insider/business executive.
Jay kept peeling back the layers. He discovers that lifetime giving of $10,000 or more to political campaigns is a marker of wealth.
But here’s what is truly fascinating. Lifetime giving of $15,000 or more to political campaigns bares nearly a 1-to-1 correlation to the same donor making a five-figure or larger gift to a charitable organization. And add to that—these gifts are often in a six or seven figure range.
This has certainly changed my way of thinking. It should change yours, also.
Jay emphasizes there is a 1:1 correlation between political giving and philanthropy. You need to understand who in your donor pool has made contributions to their favorite candidates. And you should be tallying their lifetime election campaign giving, too.
A mere 6% of the U.S. population has given a single federal election campaign contribution of $250 or more. Of the U.S. population, 99.9% has never made a single contribution equal to $1,000. This means that you really need to keep your eye on those election gifts.
I have become a convert.
– Jerry Panas