News/Stats/Studies

It is no surprise that charitable giving by the wealthy declined last year. According to a report released today by Giving USA and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, individual giving fell an estimated 0.4% in 2009, to $227.41 billion–a fairly mild drop. Total giving, by the wealthy, companies, foundations and bequests, fell 3.9% to $303.75 billion.

Pew Internet Research has issued two studies that should be great interest to nonprofits in the advocacy and community action spaces.

The first, Neighbors Online, notes the increasing use of online tools by citizens interested in tracking community events, news and issues. Most folks still engage each other around such matters either face-to-face or over the phone (cell phone, these days), but online interaction is growing. In the twelve months preceding their survey:

Austin, Texas (June 8, 2010) —

Convio, Inc., today announced the results of its annual Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study. This year’s study shows that online giving is growing steadily, there has been an increase in the number of online gifts and nonprofits are continuing to grow their email files. The full study is available at www.convio.com/2010benchmark

The study is designed to help nonprofit professionals evaluate beneficial online marketing metrics, evaluate the effectiveness of their organization compared to similar organizations and determine strategies for future success. The study focused on key areas related to online success, including:

WASHINGTON—Members of associations across the country give generously to community causes and organizations, but fewer than 15 percent ever make a contribution beyond dues and fees to the professional associations to which they belong. A new study recently published by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, The Decision to Give: What Motivates Individuals to Support Professional Associations, explores giving by association members both to community causes and to associations, while also highlighting some opportunities to increase donations among association members.

For the seventh year in a row, Charity Navigator has published its list of America's Most "Charity-Conscious" Cities. After analyzing and averaging nonprofit efficiency and fundraising from over 30 cities, their highly scientific score has ranked the cities. Pittsburgh ranked #1, while Baltimore came in at #30, far below the national average in nearly all categories.

Most people say they care about supporting effective charities over mediocre ones, but they don’t necessarily have the appetite for research that could help them sort the good from the bad.

That’s one of the findings of a new study of donors conducted by Hope Consulting, a firm in San Francisco. Based on a poll of 4,000 people and on interviews with donors, the study was supported by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, the Metanoia Fund, and the Rockefeller and William and Flora Hewlett foundations.

Americans are happy with the job nonprofits are doing but still plan to give less to charity in 2010, a new survey says.

While 80 percent of 1,000 people surveyed for Fenton Communications by InsightExpress say their view of nonprofit performance is positive, nearly two-thirds say they either will give less in 2010 than did in 2009 or keep their giving flat, says the 2010 Fenton Forecast: Leadership and Effectiveness Among Nonprofits.

May, 2010 - Individual charitable giving in 2009 amounted to $217.3 billion, a decline of $11.2 billion or 4.9 percent from the estimated $228.5 billion total in 2008, according to the latest report by researchers at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College and published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  This 5% decline is in addition to the 6 percent decline that the Center calculated in 2008.

For 2010, the researchers project annualized individual giving totals (also known as household giving) will range between approximately $222 billion and $227 billion, an increase between 3 and 4.5  percent over the estimated total for 2009. The projected growth is based on analysis of the first two quarters according to scenarios that assume relatively low and high economic growth.

Recently, nonprofit software company Blackbaud released its top 10 predicted nonprofit trends. This list of emerging trends was compiled "based on the combined input from Blackbaud management, nonprofit customers, partners and industry leaders who work directly with nonprofits," said Melanie Mathos, public relations manager for Blackbaud.

Americans donated $217.3-billion in 2009, a decrease of $11.2-billion or 4.9 percent compared to 2008, according to new estimates from researchers at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College. 

The researchers are more optimistic about giving in 2010. They expect giving by individuals to range between $222-billion and $227-billion, an increase of 3 to 4.5 percent.