ProSpeak: Fundraising and the Economy

Direct-mail and online donations are significantly less affected by economic downturns.

Most small gifts are not tax-motivated. In addition, the more press the plight of the poor or disadvantaged gets, the greater the apparent willingness of those with lesser means to share with others. We have seen this before in other recessions, and unlike commercial mailers who cut their marketing budgets quite severely when conditions worsen, charities tend to try to raise funds come rain or shine. Thus, to a large extent, direct-response fundraising is countercyclical — or at least less subject to cyclical influences.