News/Stats/Studies

Analysis of charities’ annual returns released by the Charities Aid Foundation shows that charity surpluses dropped by 60 percent between 2007 and 2009 revealing the true impact that the recent recession has had on the overall financial well-being of charities.

The figures, from CAF's recently launched website Charity Trends, definitively show that each registered charity in England and Wales had on average £24,507 ($39,558) of surplus in 2007, compared to £10,240 ($16,529) in 2009 (the last year of complete data).

Overall the charity sector’s surplus dropped from £3.59 billion ($5.79 billion) in 2007 to £1.45 billion ($2.34 billion) in 2009.

Private giving to the developing world fell slightly in the first year of the global recession, a new study says.

Private philanthropy from all developed to developing countries, plus remittances from migrants to their families and villages back home, totaled $227 billion in 2009, down from $234 billion in 2008, while government aid fell to $120 billion from $121 billion, says the 2011 Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances, published the Center for Global Prosperity at the Hudson Institute.

Women are more passionate than men about getting involved in nonprofit causes and paying attention to them through social-media sites, while men tend to view supporting causes through social media as a fad, according to a study released last week.

The study, which analyzed responses to an online survey completed by 2,000 Americans, was prepared by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication and paid for by Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

While both men and women put “feeding the hungry” and “supporting our  troops” as top causes, they differ on what else they consider important.

Nonprofits' grantseeking work may be finding its footing two-and-a-half years after the economy shattered, a new survey says.

Among 867 nonprofits responding to an online survey conducted by GrantStation and PhilanTech, 49 percent applied for more grants in the last six months of 2010 than they had in the same period a year earlier, and 34 percent applied for the same number of grants.

In the last six months of 2009, in comparison, 45 percent of respondents applied for more grants than they had in the same period of 2008.

Calling on prospective donors and getting boards involved in fundraising are among fundraisers' most anxiety-producing activities, a new poll says.

Among 838 people who took a Quick Poll on the website of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, about 26 percent of respondents said finding ways to involve board members in development is their most stressful activity.

A close second, at 25 percent, was making cold calls to prospective donors, causing more stress than asking for a gift from a major donor, which 18 percent said makes them most anxious.

Can drinking beer at the neighborhood bar help charities? Apparently so, in England at least. An unusual new survey of nearly 1,500 British pubs showed that the vast majority of them raised money for charities, contributing an average of $3,500 each.

The survey showed 77 percent donated money to charities last year, and 91 percent expected to donate this year. Raffles and quiz nights were the most popular fundraising events, followed by live music.

The survey was conducted by CGA Strategy for a trade association called Pub Aid, a group formed to spruce up the imagine of drinking establishments.

According to statistics from numerous public-service organizations, the number of college graduates from East Tennessee and nationwide seeking nonprofit and public-service jobs with organizations like AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps and Teach For America is sharply rising. Scant private-sector jobs and a weak economy aren't the sole contributors to this trend; student loan forgiveness programs, presidential support and a culture of service among the millennia generation are other root causes.

Advocacy by nonprofit organizations over a five-year period has brought more than $4.7 billion in benefits to low-wage workers and families and other neglected populations, according to a new study commissioned by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.

The report titled "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in the Gulf/Midsouth Region" describes and monetizes the impact of 20 advocacy and community organizing groups from Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi between 2005-2009.

When you think of workplace giving campaigns, a gift request form may be the first thing that comes to mind. But workplace campaigns are changing, employing innovative tools and strategies that are sparking engagement and redefining how companies and employees improve their communities.

A new study conducted by the Center on Philanthropy highlights successful workplace campaign strategies, helping nonprofits and companies develop engaging campaigns.

Charities are embracing the cloud, with almost three times as many charities using some form of software as a service (SaaS) as two years ago, according to the Charity IT Survey 2011.

17 percent of respondents said they use at least one SaaS solution, up from 12 percent in 2010 and 6 percent in 2009.

14 percent said they didn’t but were considering it, and just 5 percent said they had considered it but decided against it.