Here’s an update on GGWash’s 2021 budget, and how you can help

For nonprofits, 2021 is a strange year to be dreaming big. The evolving pandemic creates so much uncertainty around not just how to fund nonprofit work, but how to do that work at all. The prospect of another day of Zooms gives no one the zoomies.

But at GGWash, we’re dreaming big anyway, because we feel a renewed sense of urgency.

The pandemic has exacerbated all of the housing and transportation inequities that were built (by design) into our region’s built environment. Climate change is accelerating before our very eyes (as I wrote this, yet another flash flood warning popped up on my phone. Do we even have regular old rainstorms anymore?).

In our reporting and our policy work, we want to rise to meet these challenges. That requires big vision backed up with, frankly, big dollars to get the work done. First step, complete: We’ve got the vision.

Now, I want to share a bit about our current financial situation, why I’m optimistic, and how you can help.

Financially, 2021 has not been an easy year for GGWash. Our projected expenses exceed our projected revenue. This isn’t a surprise; the team went into 2021 with eyes wide open. And thanks to a collaborative, successful fundraising effort, we’ve shrunk that gap by about 57% since March. We’re now facing a shortfall of about $86,000, or roughly 12% of our budget. We have the savings to cover it, but it would be far better for the long-term health and stability of the organization if those savings could stay in the bank for a rainier day.

In other words, we’re not in crisis, but neither are we out of the woods. And we’re not yet in a position to grow. But we are heading in the right direction.

GGWash is fortunate to have a fairly diverse funding base for an organization of its size, including grants, earned income, and individual gifts. We’re a registered 501(c)4 nonprofit, but we also have a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, Smart Growth America. That fiscal sponsorship enables us to tap into grants from funders that prefer to support 501(c)3 organizations.

The numbers fluctuate by a few percentage points as different grants are awarded over the course of the year, but our revenue sources can be roughly divided into quarters:

• Approximately 25% from grants awarded directly to GGWash
• Approximately 25% from grants awarded through our 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor
• Approximately 25% consists of earned revenue for managing DC Sustainable Transportation, a coalition of BIDs and other stakeholders
• And then we round things out with individual gifts (22%) and advertising (3%)

We’re engaged in an enthusiastic grants dance. We’ve had exciting successes in the last several months, as some existing funders increased their commitments and new grantmakers came on board. That’s how we’ve dramatically shrunk our budget gap. I have no doubt that we’ll attract additional grants in the coming months. We’re hard at work on other revenue strategies, as well, including advertising and event sponsorships.

But I’d like to talk to you a bit more about the 22% of GGWash’s support that comes from individual gifts, both recurring and one-time.

Individual gifts are a big deal. They’re the Olympic gymnastics team of nonprofit funding: they have the flexibility needed to accomplish things that are otherwise impossible. In other words, individual gifts help support work that is harder to fund with grants, including our publication and election endorsements process. With a large individual donor base, a nonprofit can be creative and nimble in adapting its work to emerging needs.

So while we’ve got a phenomenal team in place and clear ideas for growth (some of which I detailed in my recent post) we can’t get there without you.

Here’s how you can help:

• Come to our Fall Mixer on September 30, 2021 — and bring a friend! The majority of each ticket sale directly supports GGWash’s work. Unable to attend? Consider buying a ticket so someone else can attend or making a donation.
• Join the GGWash Neighborhood. This recurring donor program makes up the bulk of our individual contributions. We have about 440 monthly donors and 300 annual donors, which is phenomenal! Now, it’s time to upzone and welcome new neighbors into the fold.
• Engage in peer-to-peer fundraising. Do you have an upcoming birthday and want to leverage it for a good cause? Or to host a BBQ that cooks up some dollars alongside the shish kabobs? Reach out to Kate Jentoft-Herr at kjentoftherr [at] ggwash.org and she’ll help you get started.

GGWash is heading in the right direction. Scarcely a week went by in July where we weren’t cheering over new grant awards. We’re embarking on a major individual giving campaign that will extend into 2022 (this post is part of it!). Above all else, I have total faith in the ability of this team and GGWash’s thousands of friends, fans, and neighbors who believe in the vision of a more equitable, sustainable, and affordable Washington region. Together, we’re going to get there.