Charitable giving fell last year by the largest percentage in five decades, according to a new study by the Giving USA Foundation and as reported by The New York Times.
Non profits need to be careful and much more thoughtful during these times. We need to constantly innovate and be creative. We need to constantly refine our message and keep it in front of our donors and prospective donors. We need to stay vigilant in thanking our donors and showing our appreciation to them. We can't afford to fall into the trap -- "we've always done it this way" -- or we'll end up in the same mess as the US auto makers. If we stay ahead of the game and be more personal and less "technical" the results will surely be positive -- because people still have resources and they are still giving.
The reality of the decline in giving has a larger impact than the study shows. The reason: most nonprofits project increases of about 4%-5% a year. Those projections are usually based on historical increases. While budgets are planning documents, budgeting for annual increases then facing an actual decrease shows a greater impact than the study intimates - a 6%-7% or greater decline/impact rather than the study's 2% decline. Nonprofits are hurting.
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Charitable Giving Declines
Charitable Giving Declines
Charitable Giving Declines