Fundraising in Difficult Times
by Geoffrey W. Peters
President & CEO, CDR Fundraising Group, December 2008
On Nonprofit Management
In Bad Economic Times, Focus on Impact
The Bridgespan Group, 30 October 2008.
Navigating the Financial Crisis:
Tips for Nonprofits
Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2008.
Finance Questions to Consider:
A Self-Assessment
Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2008.
On Giving Trends During Recessions
Giving During Recessions
and Economic Slowdowns
Giving USA, 2008.
How is the Economy Affecting
Philanthropy in Our Region?
Washington Regional Association
of Grantmakers, November 2008.
Philanthropy in Uncertain Times:
Giving During the Great Depression
The Sharpe Group, 1992.
On Fundraising and Marketing
Fundraising in Tough Times: A No-Nonsense Guide to Surviving in a Challenging Economy
By Mal Warwick and Dan Doyle, Mal Warwick Associates, 2008.
Applying Measurement to Nonprofit Organizations
Dr. Joel Zimmerman, as featured in Dimensions, A Publication of NCDC
Fundraising in Tough Times
The Agitator, 21 November 2008.
Recession - Watching Is Not an Option
Tony Elischer, THINK Consulting Solutions
October 2008.
Secrets to Strong Giving
in a Struggling Economy
Jim Sheppard, Church Solutions Magazine, 6 October 2008.
Succeed at Fundraising Despite a Recession
Marc A. Pittman, CFCC, StepByStepFundraising.com, 1 July 2008.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Robert F. Sharpe, Jr., The Sharpe Group, November 2008.
On Online Marketing
2008 Online Fundraising Survival Guide: 12 Winning Strategies to Survive & Thrive in a Down Economy
Network for Good, December 2008
Aggressive Marketing for Recessionary Times
Jeremy Dann, 17 October 2008.
Beat the Downturn with Stylish Emails:
10 Trends for Emails that Pop
Network for Good, 15 October 2008.
Six Ways to Survive the Economic Storm
Katya Andresen, Network for Good,
October 17, 2008.
Strengthening Your Online Presence:
Now Is the Time
Vinay Bhagat, Convio, December 2008.
Resource Centers
Focus on the Economic Crisis
Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center
The Sustainable Nonprofit Archives
Survival Kit for Fundraising in a Bad Economy
Association of Fundraising Professionals,
December 2008.
Blogs
Nonprofit Sustainability Blog:
Tips and Best Practices for Nonprofit Resource Development
The Cohen Report
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It seems that everywhere a nonprofit executive turns these days, there is another article about how to raise money, market effectively and manage your organization during difficult economic times. The amount of information available on this topic can be overwhelming… at a time when nonprofit leaders may already be overwhelmed by the daunting task of replacing lost donations and running their organizations on a shoestring.
Here at CDR Fundraising Group, we have sifted through dozens of articles, resource centers and blogs to identify a few that we believe provide the most thoughtful and research-based information to our clients and colleagues. Our President and CEO, Geoff Peters, created a PowerPoint summarizing key points. The other resources below provide additional context for the current economic situation and offer suggestions of how to respond proactively to ensure that your nonprofit organization emerges from this crisis stronger than ever.
Some ideas to keep in mind:
1. Good fundraising, marketing and nonprofit management practices are good practices, no matter if times are good or bad. Steward your donors. Communicate often. Focus on the impact your organization has. Budget prudently. Assess risk before venturing into new territory. These are sound practices for nonprofits at any time, but are especially important to follow when fundraising is down and staff and volunteers are stretched thin. The pieces below won’t tell you much that is new, but are excellent reminders of best practices in our field.
2. This is not the time to try something radically new. Faced with dramatic revenue shortfalls, nonprofits may be tempted to experiment with dramatically new fundraising and marketing strategies. This is risky. As described in the materials below from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, starting new business lines requires an up-front investment of capital and staff training -- and the return on investment may not come quickly enough to meet short-term shortfalls. It is smarter to focus on what you know how to do well, and do it even better. If you want to expand, do it within fundraising channels that have already proven to be successful for your organization. For example, if you have been successful at raising money through direct mail, consider reaching out to those donors and other individuals through e-mail, which can be closely integrated with direct mail. If you have a well-oiled foundation grantseeking program, reach out to your top donors to secure capacity-building grants to get you through rough times.
3. Get some perspective. It is easy to panic when the headlines every day bring more bad news. But, history teaches us that giving does not drop much during recessions, and some forms of giving, such as bequest designations, actually go up during difficult economic times. Articles by Giving USA and The Sharpe Group provide the historical background you may need to reassure your board and other stakeholders that all is not lost. And, be sure to investigate how recessions tend to affect your segment of the nonprofit sector; some segments tend to be much less affected than others.
CDR Fundraising Group is committed to leading the nonprofit sector through the current challenges, offering creative solutions and delivering results to our clients and colleagues. Together we will ensure that the missions of nonprofit organizations that are serving the poor, searching for cures to diseases, caring for people who served our nation, honoring the legacy of our country’s past are fulfilled. Please contact us if we can be of assistance to your organization as you discern the smartest way to navigate this situation, or if you have suggestions of other resources we should consider adding to our list.
Joel Zimmerman, PhD
Nancy Withbroe, CFRE
Nonprofit Consulting
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