As the U.S. Mint struck its final penny, I can’t help but think about change. Not just the kind that’s in our pockets, piggy banks, and couch cushions—but the kind of change that marks a shift in the way we give.
I still remember when fundraising meant processing handwritten checks one by one. Collecting coins at the cash register. Those coinboards and canisters—filled one nickel, dime, and penny at a time—represented generosity in its purest form. They were tangible symbols of hope, community, and trust.
Today, that same impulse to give looks a little different.
At Blood Cancer United, our “spare change” now happens through digital round-ups. Donors can automatically round up their purchases and contribute the difference with the tap of a finger. The method has changed, but the heart behind it hasn’t—and in many ways, this evolution has expanded generosity. In fact, our retail partners have seen growth in donation totals because giving has become so effortless and accessible.
But these shifts also remind us of a larger truth: the world of giving is changing faster than ever and is often unpredictable.
Economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, new and emerging technologies, tariffs, natural disasters—all of these external forces shape how and how much people give. As nonprofit leaders, we can’t control those conditions. What we can control is how we prepare for them.
So how do we safeguard our missions in times like these?
Diversifying our revenue model
At Blood Cancer United, we’ve learned that sustainability comes from a multi-tiered approach to fundraising. People support the mission in many different ways, reflecting the diversity of our community and the creativity of our supporters.
Some join national campaigns like Light The Night or Big Climb, or take part in premier athletic and cycling events such as Shred for Red, America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, or one of the major marathons in Chicago, Boston, or New York City through Team In Training. Others participate in Climb2Cure, or by engaging their networks in campaigns like Visionaries of the Year and Student Visionaries of the Year. Many supporters choose to make a long-term impact through legacy giving or estate planning, while others contribute during moments of collective generosity such as Dare to Dream Days, Giving Tuesday, or End-of-Year Giving.
As a nonprofit, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket by focusing solely on major gifts or one single campaign. When one channel dips, another can carry you through. That’s the value of building a diversified, resilient revenue model—one rooted in relationships, not transactions.
Another important part of our work is the Co-Pay Assistance Program, which operates differently from our other fundraising streams. Funding for this program is provided exclusively by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and is not supported by donations from campaigns or general fundraising. These restricted dollars help patients manage the direct costs of their care—expenses like co-pays, monthly insurance premiums, and treatment-related costs that add up quickly for families. Because this revenue is restricted to co-pay support and cannot be used elsewhere, it underscores why diversified fundraising is essential—each funding source plays a distinct role in meeting the full scope of patient needs.
Donors and fundraisers of all types are essential to us. Together, these efforts form a broad and resilient base of support—proof that there’s no single way to fund a mission that touches so many lives.
Lean into relationships and the donor experience
It’s the partnerships we nurture, the authenticity we maintain in local communities, and the care we show to every donor that truly sustain us.
We’ve made it a priority to give supporters the best possible experience, offering more ways to give—like through cryptocurrency or Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), which we opened for broader use last year to make giving even more accessible. We continue to explore new technologies, leveraging data and AI capabilities to connect with our donors in even more meaningful ways.
Even as technology evolves, one thing remains timeless: relationships always come first. Every donor, every story of giving matters. We empower our partners to think creatively about their generosity, tailoring partnership experiences that help us achieve our collective goals.
A recent partnership with Valvoline Global and Hendrick Motorsports illustrates how we work with supporters to design experiences that advance shared goals in impactful ways. During Blood Cancer Awareness Month, four pediatric blood cancer survivors were invited to create drawings brought to life on William Byron’s No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet for the ROVAL 400.
The collaboration included a text-to-donate campaign, an unveiling with Byron, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, and Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital, and opportunities for the children and their families to see their artwork featured on a national stage. For Valvoline Global employees, the project extended to events at their Lexington, KY headquarters, reinforcing their commitment to our mission. This is one example of how we tailor partnerships—by centering patient stories, aligning with a partner’s purpose, and creating moments that resonate far beyond a single campaign.
Be a reliable and trusted force amid chaos
We also know that sustainability isn’t just about dollars—it’s about trust.
Amid all the external forces that challenge their confidence, supporters are seeking something certain. At a time when trust in traditional institutions and media is shaky, nonprofits have the opportunity—and duty—to step in as a needed and reliable resource.
For nearly eight decades, we’ve been a trusted source of critical support and information when people need it most. We are unwavering in our mission to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life for all patients and families. And we advocate for the policies and breakthroughs that make that possible.
We’ve consistently earned a top rating from Charity Navigator, but our greatest measure of trust comes from the people we serve. Patients and families remain at the heart of everything we do.
Every year, we reach more than 87,000 households through our Information Resource Center and other support resources that make a real difference in their cancer experience. More than 1,000 patients are guided annually by our Clinical Trial Support Center. Our advocates sent nearly 70,000 messages to legislators in statehouses across the country and helped to protect patients against the harms of medical debt. And over the last 75 years, we’ve funded research that shaped nearly every major breakthrough in blood cancer treatment, drastically improving blood cancer survival rates along the way. Giving people more life, more memories, more time to do what they love.
When your mission is clear, the people who care find you.
When your impact is real, the dollars come.
As we say goodbye to the penny, I’m reminded that generosity has never been about the size or quantity of coins. It’s always been about the shared belief that every contribution—no matter how small—moves us closer to realizing our vision of a better world. And we as nonprofits must do all we can to foster that belief, inspire that generosity, and—as stewards of their dollars—do the most to move our mission forward that we possibly can.
About The Author
Coker Powell is a forward-thinking development leader with a highly successful track record in creating and executing strategic plans to drive organizational growth and innovation. As chief revenue officer, she is responsible for leading all development work at both the local and enterprise levels, fulfilling a critical role for funding Blood Cancer United’s mission. Powell oversees all aspects of revenue generation, including corporate partnerships, advancement, peer-to-peer fundraising, philanthropy, planned giving, direct mail, digital revenue, and community-based fundraising.
Powell joined the organization in 2015 as senior vice president of its largest fundraising campaign, Light The Night, where she was responsible for international strategic direction and revenue. Under her leadership, Light The Night achieved record growth of 26% and was honored by the P2P Forum as "2016 Program of the Year" with the most revenue growth of any walk program in North America. Blood Cancer United also led the industry from 2015-2019 with 22% revenue growth and was recognized as the Raise 2022 Innovator of the Year by One Cause. In 2024, the organization clinched three of the top ten spots on Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum's (P2P Forum) list of top fundraising programs in North America, receiving recognition for Light The Night, Student Visionaries of The Year, and Visionaries of The Year. Powell has overseen the expansion of Student Visionaries of the Year from a single market event to a national campaign in 70+ markets that now raises more than $45 million annually. Within the last few years, she also oversaw the launch of Blood Cancer United’s Business Development department, which raised more than $50 million in fiscal year 2024, and she spearheaded the launch of the Dare to Dream Team to support Blood Cancer United’s pediatric cancer initiative.
Powell was named to Women We Admire’s 2025 list of Top 50 Women in Nonprofit, has been a featured speaker at P2P Forum and the Customer Relationship Management Conference (CRMC), and has been recognized as a thought leader on the One Cause, Her Success Story and Engage for Good podcasts. She is a member of the CDO Council through Salesforce and has served as a past president of the alumni board of directors at Wofford College.
Prior to joining the organization, Powell was national director of Heart Walk field revenue at the American Heart Association, where she oversaw national strategic direction and revenue for more than 320 walk events. Powell holds a bachelor's degree from Wofford College and a master's degree in communication from Wake Forest University.