While the fundraising climate is still pretty awful in the United States, it did improve slightly during May. Declines in gifts outpaced increases by more than three to one.
According to data in the new CCS Fundraising Climate Survey, information for which closed June 1, fundraising increases were reported by 23 percent of respondents, while only 14 percent cited increases on May 1. Decreases to fundraising results were reported by 63 percent of respondents on May 1, while this number reduced to 56 percent.
The sentiment regarding expectations through the end of the year is also improving, the CCS Fundraising data shows. While the majority of nonprofits responding to this survey (72%) expect a decline, this is a lower proportion than then who reported in May (79%) that were expecting declines
CCS Fundraising received responses from 1,014 individuals representing nonprofit organizations collected between May 21and June 1, 2020.
The highest level of confidence appears to rest with continued or increased grants from foundations, according to an overview statement from Robert Kissane, chairman, CCS Fundraising.
Nearly one in four respondents expect an increase in their major gifts programs, and one in five project an increase in their organization’s annual appeal. Special events (85%) and corporate giving (56%) are the programs with the greatest reported expectations for 2020 declines.
Just short of one-third of nonprofit respondents (31%) conducted an online fundraising event, something new or a replacement for a pre-existing physical event, while another 31 percent are considering hosting one. The remaining 38 percent of respondents are not currently planning an online fundraising event.
There is some good news. As many nonprofits have seen their unrestricted funding increase during the pandemic as those who have experienced it decrease. About one in three have not experienced any change in their unrestricted dollars.
Health and Religion were the sectors with the greatest number of significant decreases to unrestricted funds, while Human and Social Services and Performing Arts saw more significant increases than any other sectors.
The number of nonprofits reporting layoffs and furloughs of fundraising staff increased slightly from the last survey, though a majority of respondents (72%) reported that they either had no staffing changes or added staff.
To obtain the compete survey results, click here https://bit.ly/2N3Cjpi
