Donor-centered fundraising has driven the last quarter-century of philanthropy. For many schools and universities, Annual Giving is the first step in a journey towards transformational philanthropy; a parent or alum makes a choice to support, and as the amount increases, their choices become more specific and directive. At the same time, Annual Giving is also often a lifeblood for the institution, providing essential funding for daily operations. Leadership often counts on this funding to make a nonprofit's budget whole each year, and having an unrestricted source of giving provides the greatest flexibility. What happens when an organization moves from having just one Annual Giving option, the default "Area of Greatest Need", to giving donors the choice to direct their Annual Giving to an area they care about the most?

In Fall 2023, Hong Kong International School made the change to move from "unrestricted" to "restricted" Annual Giving. In this session, explore some of the considerations and challenges of moving from one to many Annual Giving choices.