National Philanthropy Day (NPD), celebrated annually on November 15th, is one of the most important dates on the nonprofit calendar. NPD is about recognition, celebration, and appreciation. It's the nonprofit sector’s equivalent of the Oscars, driven primarily by local chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
Understanding what NPD is all about allows your organization to use the day as a powerful stewardship opportunity that builds long-term loyalty and encourages a deeper culture of giving. This emphasis on gratitude builds on our post from last week regarding the use of predictive analytics for end-of-year stewardship.
National Philanthropy Day, or NPD, is a day set aside to acknowledge and honor the vital impact of generosity: the giving of time, talent, and treasure. that strengthens our communities every single day.
The celebration is spearheaded globally by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Rather than individual nonprofits running their own campaigns, the day is typically marked by AFP chapter-hosted luncheons, conferences, and formal awards ceremonies that publicly recognize outstanding donors, volunteers, foundations, and corporate partners in their region.
This is a day to shine a spotlight on the heroes of your community, making it the perfect time for your organization to align its communications with a message of gratitude.
The first step to fully leveraging National Philanthropy Day is engaging with the official celebration happening in your area.
Local AFP chapters are actively searching for stories and nominations to fill their award ceremonies. By partnering with them, you can elevate your most deserving supporters to a regional spotlight, providing a level of recognition you cannot offer alone:
National Philanthropy Day provides the perfect prompt to review your data and create a tiered recognition plan that ensures no key supporter goes unthanked.
While the official awards go through AFP, you can leverage the day for your own external communications. Use your CRM and wealth intelligence data to strategically identify who deserves a shout-out on November 15th, focusing on those who have made a transformational impact through sustained engagement and giving.
Data enrichment tools provide context that goes beyond basic engagement scores. By combining your internal records (gifts made, volunteer hours logged, event attendance) with data points like wealth screening, career intelligence, and propensity modeling, you gain a comprehensive view of your supporters.
This analysis helps you prioritize recognition for those who:
Important Note: Recognition should always reflect the total impact of an individual: time, talent, and treasure. While wealth data helps prioritize those who can make the largest financial difference, true philanthropy includes the volunteer who logged the most hours and the advocate who mobilized their network. Use the data to add depth to your selection process, ensuring you celebrate impact across all spectra of giving.
Consider promoting these supporters in your organization’s communications, such as a dedicated blog post, a social media highlight series, or a special video, to help foster a culture of public recognition. This visible reward system is crucial, as it motivates other supporters to give to their full ability, knowing that their contributions will be seen and valued.
November marks the beginning of the end-of-year event season. National Philanthropy Day serves as an ideal platform to announce and promote upcoming recognition that will be honored at your own Galas or annual events.
Use NPD to:
By strategically using National Philanthropy Day to thank and celebrate, you reinforce your organization’s core values, deepen donor relationships, and set a powerful, positive tone for the crucial year-end fundraising season.
Ready to combine Windfall’s wealth and career intelligence with predictive AI? Contact us to see how leading nonprofits are maximizing donor recognition at scale.