FIA release their 'Managing in a Downturn' report

The Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA), PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Centre for Social Impact collaborated in this comprehensive survey, conducted in April and May 2009.

Focusing on the impact that the last six months has had on the sector and the anticipated future impact, the survey was completed by 263 organisations.

Click here to download a PDF of the report.

Funding strategically during a recession

Fascinating report from The Institute for Philanthropy talking to donors and funders and offering them ten tips to maintain their giving in recession.

Download the report here.

Jan

Tranquility or turmoil

http://www.fundraisingtraining.co.uk

Interesting summary from Bill Bruty and his team here in the UK of research they've conducted with charitable trusts to look at whether their giving will decrease in the short term as a result of the recession.

Dowload the summary report from the link above (currently in the newsflash section), but the two things that really grabbed me were (1) the fact that while Trust balance sheets have decreased somewhat in the past year or two, many of them had unimaginably good years in 2006 when the market was strong so the pool of potential income increased dramatically back then. We'd all forgotten that... or at least I had as I was out of the country then.

(2) The report also points out that most large trusts make their grants from their dividend income which is actually remaining pretty stable.

Smaller trusts undoubtedly are more likely to be buffeted by the economic climate as they are much more reliant on exceptional income and donations for their ability to give.

So, as with all fundraising, know your donor. Check their specific circumstances and don't assume they haven't got any money. Anecdotally I'm hearing about trust application numbers falling as fundraisers assume the money is going to be tight. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't - but our charities' needs are still as important, so hang on in there, do your research and don't forget to ask.

Reserves and recession

Lots of charities keep reserves for a rainy day. Is it raining now? And what should charities use reserves for?

I think it is obvious that the returns from effective fundraising outstrip property and investments so a balanced portfolio should include elements of all.

For more detail and info...check out my blarticle here..

Recession Marketing

At the ADMA Forum, I attended a fascinating and useful presentation by Steven Noble, a senior analyst from Forrester Research. His presentation is available here. They want your details in return (which is why I'm not posting it here) which is kind of fair enough - they are research after all.

Steven had us going all the way back to basics, looking at needs and 'providing' comfort. Brilliantly illustrated with real examples, including how Ivory Soap advertising in the USA evolved through the Great Depression.

Bottom line: Marketers need to give consumers more 'comfort'. He didn't talk about NGOs and charities, but I reckon we may well have the easiest opportunities to do that.

ADMA Forum was great, and I am posting non-recession learnings on http://seantriner.blogspot.com. Worth following my blog I reckon.

Very useful tool for looking at how 'fit' you are

The rather excellent website of the Nonprofits Assistance Fund has some very useful tools for charities. Here is one that I recomend you download from their website here and complete.

Even outside of a recession, this tool is really useful. And it shouldn't take you long to use.

Below is a preview...

Recession Preparedness Assessment 09

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