I hope you are enjoying the spring, wherever you are.

Here in Central Texas we have had a good season of rain and the land is green. Yet, much of our state remains in drought. While not the focus of Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog – fundraising and communications – I wanted to digress for a moment.

Did you know, there is a website called Drought.gov? It is a product of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) of NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Many of us thought this incredibly valuable agency would not last under the current Administrative but thankfully, it has. Check out the Texas page and the Drought Monitor. There are 13.8 million Texas residents in drought areas, even with the recent most welcome rain showers.

I pointed out to a colleague in Corpus Christi, Texas – which faces a catastrophic water outlook – that Europe is a leader in water innovation, and they might partner with the EU (which has offices in Texas). There is great potential in such a partnership. I also believe a project I helped launch years ago, South Texas Natives, needs to be ramped-up: no more conventional green lawns in drought-prone regions of Texas, I say!

Back to my real work.

Did you know that Google remains the most-visited website in the world in 2026. YouTube, another division of Alphabet, ranks second. The infographic below is provided by Visual Capitalist. You can also download the infographic app, Voronoi. I find the app very helpful in spotting trends and addressing those in my nonprofit work.

I still find nonprofits reticent to get fully on board with YouTube. I am not sure why, really, as the facts almost demand that they do. It takes time to learn how to use YouTube, but once you do, like all the other platforms you operate, it is not difficult to manage. Follow the link for more eye-opening statistics, courtesy of MarketingLTB.

For basic YouTube suggestions, see my YouTube channel and the slide deck prepared for a webinar I offered to TechSoup members that shares hints about keeping your YouTube channel filled with content, while not constantly having to create entirely new videos. And be sure to view my “Shorts,” a category of YouTube video that has become wildly popular.

As an aside, one reason I use WordPress for my blog – and I have created several WordPress websites for nonprofits – is its fluidity with Google products.

A few years ago, NonProfitPro published an article by Paul D’Alessandro, “Why Wealthy Donors Are Distancing Themselves From Nonprofits” (2023). This observation remains timely in 2026.

Many wealthy individuals and families now prefer working through intermediaries, such as lawyers, donor-advised funds (DAFs) and donor advisories to handle their giving activities. You may have noticed you’re seeing fewer and fewer major and wealthy donors — and more and more of their intermediaries. It’s a pattern that’s developed over some time, and it’s becoming much more commonplace.

Paul includes a list of strategies for nonprofits given this environment, among them, “lean into technology,” “be more transparent than ever,” “engage proactively with donor advisory firms, DAFs and other intermediaries.” The path to major gifts is not quite as clear as it once was.

A funny (or perhaps not) experience I had recently regarding my work to gain an audience with major gift prospective donors: someone told me all one needs to do is to network, build relationships in person and the like. Get busy!

Now, I am known for being able to visit with major gift donors successfully and I have done so over 40+ years. I always enjoy that process (see the list of articles on my blog, “A Brief Account”). But I have found it more difficult the past few years. One must be patient. You might also enjoy my popular article, “Building Relationships with Professional Advisors.” Major gift fundraising has evolved: donors are more tech savvy than ever, they are more online than ever, they are more cautious, and more professional advisors are involved.

There is admittedly a limit to what a professional fundraiser can do in this environment. Be patient. Keep going.

Last, I noticed a shift in readership on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog. There is an increased interest in grant writing as a career, ethics, Baby Boomers and their social media use, and more. See the section, “Recent Top Reads” on the front page of my blog (scroll down and find it under the main menu). I became a major gift fundraiser by first learning how to write grants while attending graduate school. On my YouTube channel, I share a slide deck for a presentation on this topic given a few years ago that still holds true today.

Best wishes for your fundraising success!

You might want to read another insightful article from NonProfitPro about donor perceptions from earlier in 2026. At the present time, eyes are on a possible recession yet again, so we shall see how this plays out in the philanthropic sector. Still, there is hope.