It’s certainly not news that charities are among those struggling right now. Every day seems to bring more and more stories about the impact of the economy on nonprofits.
A survey by Convio, conducted in September and released today, has good news: nearly 70 percent of Americans plan to give at least as much as they did last year, though 33 percent plan to give less.
Rich Cowles, executive director of the Charities Review Council, wrote an editorial in today’s Star Tribune, arguing that the values that drive charitable giving are just as important now:
Just as we wouldn’t think of leaving our neighbors to flounder in a snowbank, we shouldn’t leave behind the most vulnerable among us to struggle for survival. [...] Perhaps we can identify better with the truly needy when we are less comfortable ourselves. And perhaps we can understand better what we need vs. what we want, and find money left over to help others who don’t have enough to cover basic needs.
More links:
- The State We’re In: Fulfilling Human Service Needs in a Time of Economic Uncertainty
MAP for Nonprofits recap of a July session of nonprofit leaders - Desperate Times Call for Creative Measures
New Voices in Philanthropy - Advice to Funders in Tough Economic Times
PhilanTopic
Thank you for sharing the research with your readers. Mr. Cowles’ editorial was supported by research that Jupiter did for us. It was interesting to see that 46% of the people who said their financial situation became substantially worse over the past 12 months still plan to donate online this holiday season. I live in Texas, but am married to a native of St. Cloud. Her family has been involved at the highest levels of Minnesota politics and they attest to the spirit of Minnesota’s people. I hope we see giving continue in this period. (For transparency – Former Lt. Governor, Joanne Benson is my mother-in-law)
One key element for nonprofits to think about also ties to Mr. Cowles’s editrial – Put a human face on all your communications. Highlight specific goals, recent successes, and inspirational stories. Use images and photos. Don’t make appeals about hard economic times, but instead thank your donors for helping with mission-critical projects and how they make your world a better place.
While we love the spirit of the state, I hope we don’t see a real blizzard during our holiday visit to The Cities and St. Cloud.
Thank you, Crystal, for your post. And thanks to Tad and Convio for their important and encouraging study. I found one of the more interesting findings of this study to be that a higher percentage of people aged 55-64 plan to give online than people in the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups. Which just shows that we oldsters may not know (or care) how to twitter, but we’re keeping up with the technology revolution. Sort of.