Fundraising in the Face of an Uncertain Tomorrow

Did you know that for the past 45 years, charitable giving increased every year except for three (1977 – the height of the energy crisis and 2008/2009 – the great recession)? Those three years showed a decline in charitable gifts. However, during the 2008/2009 recession, the decrease was in giving that was not relationship based. Those who are most connected to nonprofits have historically stayed connected in hard times. Both your major gift development and faithful monthly givers will carry you through even in the hardest of economic downturns because of your strong relationship with them. Realistically, due to job loss and other factors, you have to expect some donors to take a break from giving. However, trends show that others will step up to help in a big way.