Fundraising for Nonprofits

Trends and Issues in Fundraising

In the context of an uneven economic recovery, U.S. foundation giving was nearly unchanged in 2010. The country’s more than 76,000 grant making foundations had estimated giving totaling $45.7 billion last year, almost matching giving in 2009. This followed a record 2.1 percent reduction in foundation support between 2008 and 2009.

The remarkably modest decline in 2009 foundation giving, relative to the record 17 percent loss in foundation assets in 2008, and the relative stabilization of giving in 2010 reflect numerous factors. The beginning of a resurgence in the stock market in the latter half of 2009 helped to raise foundation assets by 4.5 percent above their

2008 total by year’s end. Of equal or greater importance were the efforts of many foundations to maintain their grants budgets or reduce the extent of reductions through means ranging from drawing upon their endowments to reducing their administrative expenses, including the size of their staff.

Not only are there hopeful statistics in how individuals and corporations view their commitment to nonprofits, there are many new trends emerging that provide numerous, creative, and innovative methods for nonprofit fundraising. Many of these tools are proving to be vast and resilient fundraising resources in an economically turbulent era. Among these newly emerging trends are the extensive use of technology, seeking out untouched foundational grants, corporate partnering and affinity marketing, forming alliances with regional businesses, and keeping up with online resources offering current information on nonprofits and navigating the recession.

Technology is rapidly changing and providing a wider forum for contact among individuals, corporations, and foundations. It also offers increasingly diverse mediums for building support networks and donor relationships. ‘Do not call’ registries and debates over postal rates can affect traditional nonprofit fundraising...