First Day Podcast

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Laura MacDonald, CFRE, Founder and Principal of the Benefactor Group. Laura discusses the critical role endowments play in fostering long-term financial resilience for nonprofits. She emphasizes that endowments, distinct from operating reserves or rainy-day funds, are strategic investments in which the principal remains untouched while annual draws (typically 4–6%) provide a steady revenue stream. With $12 trillion poised to transfer through generational wealth shifts, she highlights the unprecedented opportunity for nonprofits to secure their futures through planned giving and estate gifts. Laura dispels the myth that endowments are exclusive to large organizations. Instead, she advocates for any nonprofit with financial maturity, reserves, and strong donor relationships to consider building an endowment. She underscores the importance of aligning organizational leadership behind this long-term strategy and notes that en