Rise in Charitable Contributions

Happy first day of summer! As if we needed to be reminded that summer is officially here...the weather speaks for itself. Hopefully everyone is staying nice and cool!

Everyone knows about our down economy and fluctuating housing market but there is a bit of good news out there. According to a recent article in Reuters, there has been an increase in charitable giving overall.

"A Giving USA Foundation report released today shows total charitable contributions  -- for individuals, corporations, and foundations -- rose 3.8% in 2010 to an estimated $291 billion."

Eileen Heisman, president and CEO of National Philanthropic Trust, discussed trends in charitable giving in the article and one of the interesting points was about social media. She believes that although many organizations are just learning how to utilize social media in fundraising, "there is a way to feed young donors so when they mature, you can position yourself to use that relationship in a different way. I think the younger generation coming up, who do a lot of mission-driven work, will be the refiners of this and it's going to be very exciting."

Another interesting point, was about how charitable organizations need to evolve with the changes in society's needs. She feels that the change in an organization occurs at the leadership level. "It requires nimbleness of leadership. Boards need the foresight and the person they hire has to have the bravery to say to the board that things are changing and we have to change with them. It's a very human-driven thing."

It is a very tough time to be in fundraising but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Social media is a wonderful new tool to cultivate donors and spread the message of your organization. I believe that using it effectively will benefit your organization in the long term.

There also has to be a "nimbleness" in the leadership group as stated in the article. It is important to recognize changes not only in society but in your community and in technology. I think being able to adapt and embrace change will allow your organization to be successful.

What are some successes or failures of using social media in your organization? Do you feel that change is important or necessary in your organization?

--L