Tough times don’t have to spell financial distress for nonprofits. You just have to know how much to ask for and how to ask for it.

By Kevin Gault

More directly, the economy might be affecting the way non-profits make approaches.

“They’re giving donors different opportunities these days,” Lys-akowski notes. “Rather than just asking for a $50,000 gift, they might ask for a $10,000 pledge for each of the next five years.

“Some organizations are approaching their boards and asking them to make a group commitment instead of an individual pledge,” she continues. “This makes it easier for business people on the board whose businesses aren’t doing as well as they have in the past.”