Austin Detwiler

Austin Detwiler works for AmPhil, a consulting firm whose mission is to strengthen civil society by improving the effectiveness of charitable foundations and nonprofit organizations. Previously he was the Assistant Director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center at Villanova University, as well as an adjunct professor in their Augustine and Culture Seminar Program. His expertise includes grant writing, strategic planning, and donor communications. He serves on the boards of Martin Saints Classical High School and the Charlotte Mason Educational Center, and is a founding director of the Philadelphia Catholic Scholars Program.

Austin has a master’s degree in theology from Villanova University and bachelor’s in Philosophy and Political Theory from the Templeton Honors College. He lives with his family in Conshohocken, PA.

Reach Austin at austin@philanthropydaily.com.


planning
Planning for the year ahead

Do you have a fundraising plan for 2024? It’s not too late to make one—and it’s critically important. Here’s a crash course.

buzzword strategy
Improving your fundraising writing can test—and improve—your organizational strategy

You can set your fundraising copy apart by getting specific. And by getting specific, you can test whether you truly make good on promises.


pro-grantee
Revisiting (again) the pro-grantee revolution

When the economy is rocky, grantmaking foundations should be thinking about the best way they can help nonprofits thrive and advance the work they both care about.

credit card fees
Why isn’t it a good idea to let your donor cover the credit card fees?

Asking donors to cover credit card fees dramatically reduces conversion rates because it disrupts the flow of charitable thinking.


foundation proposal
How to take your foundation proposal to the next level

You’ve got a foundation proposal completely drafted—congrats! What’s the next step to take your proposal from good to great?

edelman
Edelman continues to track the decline of trust

The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer tells us more about the decline of trust globally. This year, they track the rise in polarization, too.


top articles
Looking back: top articles from 2022

As we head into a new—and difficult—year, let’s look back at some of our best articles to help strengthen your fundraising and inspire your work as a fundraiser or a donor.


tax-exempt religious
Religious congregations deserve tax-exempt status for non-pecuniary reasons, too

Religious organizations make us more charitable, but they provide a more basic benefit: giving individuals a social identity.

musk
Elon Musk, “philanthropist”

The strangeness of Elon Musk’s statement explaining his Twitter purchase exposes the strangeness of billionaire “philanthropy.”