GIVE STUDY
A Prospective Study in a Zero-Staff Nonprofit
Grounded in Gratitude, the GIVE Study connects donors, students, and community through simple, intentional giving. Gratitude becomes the glue that holds us together
Impact must be seen and felt. That’s why we prioritize two-way communication—giving donors a Voice, Validating their impact, and Sharing Value in return
Engagement happens through live events and mixers that build lasting relationships
At its core, GIVE is what GOSUMEC Foundation stands for
This landmark case study charts a new path for recurring giving—designed to be both sustainable and replicable for small nonprofits
It fills a critical gap with real-world strategies tailored to zero-staff, under-resourced organizations, focusing on growth, conversion and long term retention
The GOSUMEC Approach: We believe simplicity beats complexity, authenticity beats urgency, and relationships beat transactions
The Sector Focuses on the Few—While the Many Are Overlooked
The top 8% of nonprofits—with large teams and big budgets—receive the spotlight, resources, and recognition
Meanwhile, the small nonprofits who need support the most are left out of the conversation
Alarmingly, nearly 30%—over 450,000 nonprofits—don’t survive beyond 10 years
The GIVE Study offers these often-overlooked organizations a replicable roadmap to build recurring support—without the burden of high overhead or complex systems
Tackling the 120,000 vs. 150,000 Problem
If we can help just one-third of the 450,000 small, at-risk nonprofits survive, that’s 150,000 organizations saved—more than the 120,000 medium and large nonprofits, that currently have the resources to thrive
A blueprint for sustainability—built by GOSUMEC Foundation USA, a small nonprofit, for small nonprofits everywhere
Small nonprofits often face unique challenges: fewer donors, smaller email lists, and limited recurring support
They also struggle to convert one-time donors into long-term, sustained givers
A Study by a Small Nonprofit, for Small Nonprofits
The GIVE Study is independently conducted by GOSUMEC Foundation USA, with no financial incentive to the foundation or its founders
Light audit support and co-branded dissemination are supported by our platform partner, Givebutter
Together, we’re creating a practical Playbook for small nonprofits—featuring a light-touch, high-trust communication cadence, free educational tools, webinars, and co-branded resources to share what works
As full-time clinicians, we’re grateful to partner with Givebutter to help amplify this message and bring proven solutions to the organizations that need them most
The GIVE Study is the first prospective case study of its kind for a small nonprofit—tracking real-time data from 2024 through 2025
Its findings will power a practical, replicable playbook to help small nonprofits grow sustainably
GIVE is what we’re testing
A real-world, replicable model to help small nonprofits build sustainable recurring support
Designed for organizations with no staff, no consultants, and no complex tech, GIVE relies on the right combination of ethical storytelling, gratitude-infused messaging, and community-driven strategy
Through intentional communication and meaningful events, we elevate donor voices, showcase impact, and foster belonging—proving that even the smallest nonprofits can build enduring relationships at scale
4S is why it works
Storytelling, Smart Tech, behavioral Science, and a Supportive Community—the core drivers of lasting engagement
Together, they create a low-lift, high-trust system that small nonprofits can implement without teams, consultants, or overhead
Our communication cadence is intentionally low in volume but high in impact—sending just 50% of the messages that typical nonprofits send, with a focus on quality over quantity
Rooted in a ‘less is more’ philosophy, it replaces urgency with authenticity: less pressure, more trust; less noise, more meaningful engagement
We follow a ‘heart-brain’ rhythm—First Friendly Friday shares stories that build connection, while the Mid-Monthly Pulse delivers transparent metrics and impact
This cadence fosters authentic relationships and trust through consistent, thoughtful communication
A Quieter Strategy, a Deeper Connection
While large nonprofits often speak louder and more frequently, our approach is intentionally different—quiet, consistent, and rooted in quality over quantity
Where others send more messages with less connection, we focus on fewer, thoughtful touchpoints that build lasting trust and resonance
Redefining Connection Through Intentional Gatherings
As enthusiasm for large galas declines, we’ve embraced a more thoughtful, contrarian approach—favoring purposeful live-virtual events and intimate, in-person meetups
These intentional gatherings are a cornerstone of our strategy, deepening donor engagement and fostering a strong, connected community
The START Framework helps small nonprofits replace spreadsheets with smart, trust-building systems
Spreadsheets record transactions—Smart Tech builds relationships
START stands for Simplicity, Tech That Disappears, Accountability, Relationships First, and Trust by Design—to scale giving without scaling staff
We believe in smart technology as the backbone of our foundation
Every small nonprofit should move beyond spreadsheets and embrace a comprehensive technology stack
From donor management and community growth to pledge tracking and event hosting—our CRM does it all
We run on a lean, powerful tech stack that delivers outsized impact with minimal spend:
- Givebutter Plus is our community management backbone
- Canva, Animoto, and Opus Clip streamline design and video creation
- MemoryFox powers authentic storytelling
- ChatGPT Plus supports writing and automation
- Zoom keeps our events live, personal, and scalable
📄 Our Model: Just $10K/year for tech and compliance — with 0% donor overhead. Every dollar supports students, not systems
Why We Study Recurring Giving
One-time giving reflects emotion
Recurring giving reflects relationship
The GIVE Study focuses on recurring giving because it measures what truly sustains small nonprofits — trust, belonging, and consistency
It’s not about how much people give once, but why they choose to keep giving over time
By studying real donor behavior month after month, we’re learning how Gratitude, Impact, Voice, and Engagement turn generosity into a shared identity — one that grows quietly, predictably, and authentically
“We’re not chasing gifts — we’re cultivating trust that renews itself”
The primary endpoints are all-cause donor growth and retention
Secondary endpoints include donor conversion, recurring giving growth, recurring donor share, and email engagement
These metrics are benchmarked against standards for larger, well-funded nonprofits—even though small, zero-staff organizations typically underperform
The GIVE Study aims to prove that small nonprofits can not only compete but lead
The GIVE Study: Simple Is Better
The GIVE Study is designed to increase recurring donor growth, retention, conversion, donor share, and email engagement
It does this by building trust through affordable, best-in-class technology and intentional, behaviorally informed messaging—delivered in a low-touch, high-engagement model
At its heart, the GIVE Study seeks to prove a powerful principle: Simple works. Simple scales. Simple is better!
GIVE is our core philosophy, 4S the design engine, and START the roadmap—our WHY, WHAT, and HOW to build Behavior, Systems, and Trust for Sustainable Generosity
We’re grateful to partner with Givebutter to share this approach with other small-but-mighty nonprofits
Let’s rebuild generosity—for the 92% the sector forgot
This study’s strength lies in its prospective design and complete independence from financial incentives
This study captures a proven recurring giving strategy that built India’s first mini-endowment for medical students — offering a Playbook for small nonprofits ready to grow with purpose
The GIVE Study: A Landmark Prototype for Small Nonprofits
The GIVE Study is the first prospective case study designed inside a zero-staff, under-$1M nonprofit.
It does not test causality or run statistical experiments—instead, it demonstrates how behavioral science principles of Gratitude, Impact, Voice, and Engagement (GIVE), combined with the 4S Framework (Storytelling, Smart Tech, Science, Supportive Community), can create a replicable model of sustainable giving
Unlike traditional fundraising research, which often comes from large, consultant-driven organizations, GIVE is a field prototype: transparent, low-cost, and fully documented so that other small nonprofits can adapt it
With 92% of U.S. nonprofits under $1M, 82% under $250K, and 70% under $100K, this approach addresses the sector’s greatest blind spot—helping the majority of nonprofits survive and thrive
By publishing clear metrics, methods, and practices, the GIVE Study aims to serve as a landmark prototype, offering transferable principles that any resource-limited nonprofit can put into action