People Love to Give
A couple of months ago, Giving USA released its annual report on philanthropy and it included a variety of outcomes. According to this year's report, charitable giving in the United States hit over $400 billion in 2018. Even though there was a slight increase from the previous year, when accounting for inflation, it was actually a decline from previous years. The report shared that between a strong economy, a year end stock market drop, and new tax law created a "complex" giving environment.
In another report by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC), it was shared that 73% of surveyed charities in the U.S. and Canada reported meeting their fundraising goals for 2018 with 63% of organizations reported raising more in total than the previous year, continuing 2017’s trend of strong fundraising results. When looking at predictions for this year, most organizations are predicting strong numbers but one issue that keeps coming up is hiring qualified fundraising professionals. It has been tapped as one of the most important factors to consider for the year as it continues to be a challenge. As always, it comes down to this: it is all about your investment in staff and how you treat your donors. Treat them right and they will support your work for a long time. Invest in a seasoned development director to create and implement a donor-centric development plan. It will make a world of difference!
