Executive Issues

October 23, 2009, The Associated Press — As charities prepare for year-end donation drives, the worst recession in decades has given pause to the philanthropist next door.

INDIANAPOLIS — More than two-thirds of congregations in a new study on congregational finances in the current recession reported that their fundraising receipts increased or remained the same in the first half of 2009 compared to 2008, even as the recession was worsening.

October 27, 2009, The Wichita Eagle — The demand for nonprofit services is up. Donations are down. But even so, four in five Wichitaarea nonprofit groups reported in a recent survey that they are optimistic about their agencies’ prospects as the year winds down. “It says a lot about the dedication of people who work in these agencies,” said Patrick J. Hanrahan, president of United Way of the Plains, which released the survey results Monday.

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 26, 2009 — Confirming the full impact of the global recession, philanthropic giving for health care in the United States grew a tepid 2.9 percent -- or about $241 million – to $8.6 billion in 2008, while similar donations in Canada fell by a dramatic 12.9 percent, to total $1.07 billion, according to a new Report on Giving issued today by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).

October 23, 2009 — Nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles are facing difficult fiscal challenges in the economic downturn, but many have fared better than expected in preserving staffing, programs and expenditures and have seen an increase in volunteers, according to a new report by the Center for Civil Society at the UCLA School of Public Affairs.

October 23, 2009, The Chronicle of Philanthropy — The recession has had a widely varying effect on charities in Europe, said speakers at this week’s International Fundraising Congress in Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands.

October 22, 2009, The Jerusalem Post — For those of us working with Jewish and Israel-based nonprofits these days, we sometimes lose perspective. We are often tempted to convey provocative or inadvertently misleading approaches, prompted lately because of the shifts we are confronting as a result of the global economy; this impacts charitable giving and organizations dependent on philanthropic support.

October 18, 2009, JewishPhilanthropy.com — The past year’s financial crisis calls for a reevaluation of how we fund our organizations. In the face of a reality where reputable Jewish foundations and endowments have lost hundreds of millions of dollars, we have been reintroduced to the notion that the collective power of individuals has the potential to sustain our community’s needs.

October 9, 2009, Bloomberg — The price of immortality is cheaper these days in the wake of the financial crisis.

According to a recent Philanthropic Giving Index report released by The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, nonprofit organizations call the overall climate for fundraising the worst it's been since 1998. The London-based Resource Alliance and The Management Centre asked 100 leading fundraisers from around the world to provide tactics for charities to survive and thrive in the current economic climate. They commented that boards and management need to have realistic fundraising expectations; accept reduced short-term gains for long-term strength; and focus on regular giving, major gifts and bequest/legacy programs while dropping marginal activities. Most importantly, the fundraisers said to remind donors they are wanted, needed and appreciated.