2010 Fundraising Survey Results: The Worst May Be Over
The results of [GuideStar's] fall fundraising survey may indicate the beginning of an economic recovery in the nonprofit sector. For the first time in two years, there’s cause for cautious optimism about the sector and the economy.
More than 2,300 public charities and 160 private foundations responded to our fall 2010 fundraising survey, which we conducted with [GuideStar] partners in the National Research Collaborative - the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Blackbaud, and the Foundation Center.
Respondents were asked to compare their organizations’ total contributions in the first nine months of 2010 to contributions received during the same period in 2009. The majority of people taking the survey serve as CEO, director of finance, or directors of development.
Some highlights include:
- The proportion of participants reporting decreased contributions dropped 14 percent, from 51 percent in October 2009 to 37 percent in October 2010.
- The percentage who said contributions had increased grew 13 percent, from 23 percent in October 2009 to 36 percent in October 2010.
- For the eighth consecutive year, a majority (68 percent) of participants reported increased demand for their organizations’ services.
Source: GuideStar
