Recession may not be all bad news for fundraising
Howard Lake | 14 October 2008 | News
A report by an Irish charity recruitment and fundraising consultancy suggests that the recession may not have as bad an impact on fundraising as some feared. Largely based on the experience of America and the impact of some major historical turning points the report suggests stock market falls can have a fundraising upside.
The report is compiled by 2into3 and draws heavily on a university study in America and other US literature. The report points out that the $44 million from Merrill Lynch and $39 million from Lehman Brothers given to non‐profits in 2007 is unlikely to be repeated but says that the Fall of France in 1940 saw an increase of 47% in giving while after the attack on Pearl Harbour it increased by 35%.
Some suggested strategies for fundraising in an unfavourable climate include:
— Diversifying income
— Re-focusing on donor retention
— Continuing to try to recruit new donors
— Keeping in touch with lapsed donors
The report is available on 2into3’s website.
www.2into3.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.