Association of Fundraising Professionals

May, 2010 - Individual charitable giving in 2009 amounted to $217.3 billion, a decline of $11.2 billion or 4.9 percent from the estimated $228.5 billion total in 2008, according to the latest report by researchers at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College and published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  This 5% decline is in addition to the 6 percent decline that the Center calculated in 2008.

For 2010, the researchers project annualized individual giving totals (also known as household giving) will range between approximately $222 billion and $227 billion, an increase between 3 and 4.5  percent over the estimated total for 2009. The projected growth is based on analysis of the first two quarters according to scenarios that assume relatively low and high economic growth.

Our everyday lives are full of numbers and metrics. The hours and minutes on the alarm clock. The temperature of the water that hits our face. The expiration date on the milk. The distance to our offices. The posted speed limit on the road. The number of e-mails waiting in the inbox. We live in a sea of things that can be counted and metrics that can be measured.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP) are involved in discussions aimed at developing an affiliation agreement and forming a united organization dedicated to advancing ethical fundraising and philanthropic planning practice.

AFP (which encompasses 30,000 fundraisers working in all aspects of the profession) and PPP (which represents over 8,000 individual and council members working in the area of philanthropic planning) are two of the largest fundraising organizations in the world. An affiliation between the two would help unify the fundraising profession and strengthen the holistic approach to serving donors and the charitable missions that they support. An affiliation would also provide greater educational opportunities; increased distribution and use of best standards and ethical practices; and a stronger voice on issues related to public policy, fundraising practice, and donor service.

Fundraisers across the country earned a median of $66,000 last year, a 4-percent increase from last year and the first rise in pay since 2007, according to a survey released on Wednesday by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

What if we could extend this knowledge sharing beyond our own borders? What if we could learn how fundraisers in Bolivia deal with the lack of postal or banking systems? How did a Dutch organization generate more than 500,000 monthly donors? How are Italian organizations using digital media to drive results? How could we, wherever we are located, learn from our fundraising cousins on the other side of the planet?

These days, savvy fundraisers are looking for every possible opportunity to connect with donors and raise money. Web-based tools and social media offer possibilities that we’ve never had before. Blogs have been around for a while, mostly used in journalism and other fields. Now, blogs are being used for advocacy, awareness and even fundraising.

Social media, online fundraising, going to the dentist — these are all things that tend to scare traditional fundraisers regardless of age. It’s often believed that older professionals are reluctant to embrace new technology. But that shouldn’t be the case. This new medium is cost-effective and environmentally responsible. It gives nonprofits nontraditional ways to acquire, profile and cultivate donors and new constituents. When a fan/user/friend retweets you, promotes or fundraises for your cause, your organization has the access to his or her personal information, given the user's privacy settings allow for it. Social media helps you learn more than you currently know or have on your housefile from traditional direct-mail or special-event donors.

April 14, 2010, Chronicle of Philanthropy — Fifty-seven percent of charities raised less money last year than in 2008—or had flat returns—according to a study released by the Association of Fundraising Professionals at its annual meeting here.

Forty-three percent of charities said they had raised more in 2009 than in 2008, the smallest share in the history of the nine-year survey, which drew responses from 345 American fund raisers and 350 Canadian fund raisers.

(Baltimore, Md.) Just 43 percent of charities raised more money in 2009 than in 2008, marking it the worst year for charitable fundraising in a decade, according to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 2009 State of Fundraising Survey, released at AFP's 47^th International Conference on Fundraising in Baltimore, Md.

AFP's ninth annual State of Fundraising Survey asked charities to compare their fundraising totals in 2009 to their figures in 2008. In a typical survey, about 60 percent of respondents raise more money in one year compared to the previous year. Last year, in the 2008 survey, 46 percent raised more money than in 2007. The 2009 survey shows the economy still having a dramatic effect on fundraising, with just 43 percent raising more money in 2009 compared to 2008, 46 percent raising less money and 11 percent raising about the same.

Traditionally, the highest-value donors in terms of dollars lie within the 65-and-older range. But, with more ways than ever to reach prospects, fundraisers increasingly are looking to engage a younger crowd. In a presentation titled "Yeah, Yup, Right On — Getting the Younger Donor to Say 'Yes' to Your Nonprofit" at the 47th Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference on Fundraising going in Baltimore right now discussed ways to do just that.