Do giving contests work? Yes, say Razoo & Case Foundation: There’s an interesting white paper just out, issued jointly by the Case Foundation and Razoo Foundation, and authored by Geoff Livingston (disclosure: he’s a friend), titled How Giving Contests can Strengthen Nonprofits and Communities.

Nonprofits Challenged with Integrating Email, Growing, and Retaining Email Marketing Contact Lists, According to Sage Survey: Quarterly Survey Looked at North American Nonprofits’ Email Marketing Goals and Objectives

AUSTIN, TX (March 1, 2012)—Sage North America today announced the results of its Sage Nonprofit Insights, Q4 2011, survey of U.S. and Canadian nonprofit organizations, which focused on questions related to nonprofits’ email marketing (“e-marketing”) goals and objectives and use of email marketing tools.

According to the survey, the most significant email marketing challenges for nonprofit organizations are growing and retaining contacts (38% of respondents), integrating email with other systems (38%), and integrating email with other tactics (38%). By far, the main barriers to overcoming email marketing challenges are inadequate resources and expertise (71% of respondents).

The religious give more to charity, according to CAF report: Religious people donate more than twice as much to charity as those who are not, according to a survey by the Charities Aid Foundation.

CAF found that those who said they had religious beliefs gave an average of �576 to charity over the previous year, compared with �235 by people with no religious faith.

However, only 31 per cent of religious donors had given money to a religious activity.

The top two causes for both religious and non-religious donors were medical charities and overseas aid.

New Report on California Foundations | The Center on Philanthropy & Public Policy: New Report on California Foundations

A new report conducted by The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy shows philanthropic giving by California's foundations jumped from $2.8 billion to $6 billion over the past decade despite two economic recessions during that period. California's growth in the foundation sector continues to outpace the nation in all areas studied - the total number of foundations, their assets and total giving.

Giving in Florida Improves Slowly, Report Finds | PND | Foundation Center: Giving in Florida Improves Slowly, Report Finds

While the recession took its toll on charitable giving in Florida, early signs suggest that a general improvement in the fundraising climate in 2010 continued into 2011, a new report from the Tampa-based Florida Philanthropic Network finds.

Small Foundations Ratcheted Up Giving in 2011 - TheNonProfitTimes: Small to mid-size private foundations in general gave more than twice the 5 percent minimum distribution requirement, with the smallest foundations giving away significantly more during 2011.

Private foundations with less than $10 million in assets increased giving by 20.6 percent compared to 2010, whereas foundations with assets between $10 million and $50 million scaled back their giving by 7.8 percent from 2010.

The nation’s smallest foundations disbursed 58.4 percent of assets during 2011.

Product giving seen as good business | Philanthropy Journal: Companies can get a better return on investment by donating merchandise instead of liquidating or destroying it, a new study says.

Giving products to charities boosts corporate bottom lines, reduces waste in landfills, and provides relief for people in need, say The Business Case for Product Philanthropy by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.

College Giving Rebounded Last Year - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: After two lackluster years, donations to U.S. colleges and universities rose last year to an estimated $30.3-billion. That’s an 8.2-percent increase or 4.8 percent after inflation, according to a report by the Council for Aid to Education.

Cisco Connected World Technology Report - Cisco Systems: Is the Internet a fundamental human necessity? Is a workplace with flexible mobility policies as valuable as salary?

We asked nearly 3,000 college students and young professionals these questions in an international workforce study that examines:

The behavior and expectations of the world's next generation of workers
How their demands for information access are changing business communications and the future of work

Only About a Third of Tweets Are Worth Reading [STUDY]: The verdict? Respondents liked 36% of the tweets, disliked 25% and ranked their reaction to the remaining 39% as neutral. “A well-received tweet is not all that common,” Michael Bernstein, a doctoral student at MIT who worked on the project, wrote in a blog post. “A significant amount of content is considered not worth reading, for a variety of reasons.”

� 2 Key Nonprofit Fundraising Findings of Blackbaud Index that Point to Promising 2012: The successes and failures of nonprofit fundraising efforts will always be impacted by many variables and that certainly holds true in 2012. From economic conditions to the upcoming presidential elections in the US, it can be daunting for nonprofits and their fundraisers to anticipate and work towards securing the coveted donor dollar.

NPC launching survey on new commissioning landscape - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Wealthy take 36 days to decide on major donations, research finds - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: High net worth individuals (HNWI) take, on average, 36 days to decide whether to make a major charitable donation and when they do, the gift averages around $14,000.

This finding is contained in the latest Futurewealth report, a global survey of 3,300 high net worth individuals (HNWIs).

Leveraging Limited Dollars: NCRP - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy: This report distills findings from more than 400 pages of research amassed over three years as part of NCRP’s Grantmaking for Community Impact Project (GCIP). The project documented $26.6 billion in benefits for taxpayers and communities in 13 states, and found that every dollar grantmakers and other donors invested in policy and civic engagement provided a return of $115 in community benefit.

The Inclusive Nonprofit Boardroom: Leveraging the Transformative Potential of Diversity

Faith & Organizations Project: Faith Communities founded most of the nonprofits in the United States and play a key role in social welfare, health, education and community development today. Clarifying specifically religious aspects of the relationship between founding communities and their organizations and effective best practices are key concerns for faith based organizations and the religions that created them. The Faith and Organization project was created to provide communities, organizations and policy makers with concrete information and targeted materials to address this issue.

Grantmaking for Community Impact Project (GCIP) - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy: NCRP hopes to address this challenge through the Grantmaking for Community Impact Project, which will highlight the positive impact that communities have seen through funder-supported nonprofit advocacy and organizing. We will measure impact using quantitative and qualitative methods, drawing on the latest advances in advocacy evaluation, organizing outcome measurement, and the positive returns to social capital from civic engagement.

Does Charity Advocacy Pay Off? - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A study released today from a foundation watchdog group says that advocacy efforts by charities can pay off, to the tune of billions of dollars to communities.

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy study examined 110 charities in 13 states and found that work such as pushing for more aid to schools and housing for the poor resulted in $26.6-billion in benefits to communities over five years. Money for the campaigns came from foundations and other donors.

Fundraising Returns to Pre-Recession Levels - Barrons.com: CHARLESTON, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 19, 2012--

Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced that fundraising has returned to pre-recession levels. Through the first 11 months of 2011, overall giving is up 3.4% over 2010, and is now officially above the level of giving last seen in 2007.

PNC Wealth Management Study: 59% Of Millionaires Feel Obligation To Give Back: Fifty-nine percent of millionaires agree they feel they have an obligation to give back to their community, according to a survey released Jan. 17 by PNC Wealth Management . The percentage remains the same as it was in 2008.

12 Ways to Embrace the 21st Century Nonprofit Workforce: The latest studies include one from Opportunity Knocks, which was done some months ago, and another more recent one from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The report from OK is Engaging the Nonprofit Workforce: Mission, Management and Emotion (free registration required). The Chronicle writes about its survey in Charity Workers Report Feeling Extreme Pressure (subscription required).

Real Time Charitable Giving | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project: Yet while their initial contribution often involved little deliberation, 43% of these donors encouraged their friends or family members to give to the campaign as well. In addition, a majority of those surveyed (56%) have continued to give to more recent disaster relief efforts—such as the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan—using their mobile phones.

HR Magazine - Charity and voluntary sector employment drops by 70,000 in 12 months: Employment in the voluntary sector has fallen by nearly 9% over the past year according to Skills – Third Sector’s analysis of the Labour Force Survey.

Data recently released for the third quarter of 2011 shows the UK voluntary sector employs 723,000 people.

This equates to a fall of 70,000 (8.7% of the workforce) over the past 12 months. In comparison, public sector employment fell by 4.3% whilst private sector employment rose by 1.5% over the same period.

One in four Brits reduced donations in 2011 - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: One in four Brits say they gave less to charity last year than the year before, according to a new study released today.

Charities saw a 12 per cent drop in total donation values in 2011, with the average falling to �186.15. Only one in ten of the more than 2,000 people surveyed, in research commissioned by Investec, claimed to have given more in 2011 than in the previous year. A minority of people, 6 per cent, who gave to charities in 2010 gave nothing in 2011.

Survey shows donations held up well in 2011 | Third Sector: State of the Sector, run by Third Sector and nfpSynergy, also suggests sector is doing more with less

Donated income to charities remained strong last year despite growing unemployment and shrinking household incomes, according to the biennial State of the Sector survey by Third Sector and the sector consultancy nfpSynergy.

Forty-three per cent of respondents said donated income at their organisations rose or stayed the same in 2011, with 32 per cent saying it went down. Four per cent said donations went up a lot, while 18 per cent said they went up a bit.

Times Higher Education - Large donations to universities drop 50%: The amount given to universities in �1 million-plus donations almost halved in 2009-10, an annual report from a bank reveals.

The drop takes the total from very large donations down to the levels of 2006-07 and 2007-08 and is thought to be caused by the drying-up of matched funding from the government.

In 2009-10, �299.4 million was given to universities in donations of more than �1 million, according to The Million Pound Donors Report 2011 by private banking house Coutts. This is a 48 per cent fall on the 2008-09 figure of �575.4 million.

Women Drive Philanthropic Decisions in Wealthy Households,

Women Drive Philanthropic Decisions in Wealthy Households, but Nonprofits Must Work for Their Trust, Study Finds - Resource Center - AFP: Dec. 20, 2011) In nearly 90 percent of high net worth households, women are either the sole decision maker or an equal partner in decisions about charitable giving, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women’s Philanthropy. The power and influence of women in philanthropy may mean that some charitable organizations will need to adapt their messaging and strategies to appeal to women’s distinct charitable giving behaviors and motivations.

Foundation Center - Cleveland: A new report from the Foundation Center finds that there is a growing interest among large foundations in Ohio in supporting economic development activities in the state. Grant dollars increased from $24.5 million in 2005 to $62 million in 2008, a 152% upswing. Download the report�

GLOBAL SURVEY: U.S. NOW #1 IN CHARITABLE GIVING, RISING FROM FIFTH PLACE

Pres Releases: WASHINGTON, D.C.///December 19, 2011///The United States now ranks the highest in terms of charity in a massive global survey that put the nation in fifth place in 2010, according to CAFAmerica, a member organization of the United Kingdom based Charities Aid Foundation International Network of Offices, providing charitable financial services to individuals, global corporations, charities, and foundations.

New Study Reveals Significant Impact of Youth Philanthropy Initiative on Jewish Identity, Leadership Development and Community Involvement

New Study Reveals Significant Impact of Youth Philanthropy Initiative on Jewish Identity, Leadership Development and Community Involvement | eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource: New Study Reveals Significant Impact of Youth Philanthropy Initiative on Jewish Identity, Leadership Development and Community Involvement

These Cities Give The Most To Charity Over The Holidays

These Cities Give The Most To Charity Over The Holidays: And since being generous means more than simply writing a big check, we pulled in 2010 data from Manta and Convio, and analyzed city-by-city data on the number of online donations per 1,000 people, the number of nonprofit associations by city, and the average online donation amount per 1,000 people, and then ranked the top 100 cities by population.

The Future of Philanthropy in L.A.

The Future of Philanthropy in L.A.: The Future of Philanthropy in Los Angeles: A Wealth of Opportunity report is a new study commissioned by CCF on the diverse and growing wealth of L.A..

Growth returns for the city's largest nonprofits | Crain's New York Business

Women's Giving Networks Gaining Prominence - TheNonProfitTimes: The 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women’s Philanthropy and The Impact of Women’s Giving Networks, by the Center on Philanthropy (CoP) at Indiana University details differences and similarities between men and women about their motivations and influences on charitable

New technology will make philanthropists of us all, says white paper | Philanthropy UK: The paper suggests arts organisations need to look to a wider audience of potential donors. It says that even small, local arts organisations can build up a network of friends on Facebook or via Twitter followers and turn them into highly engaged audiences who can help to raise funds, provide expertise or volunteer. Individual philanthropy in the arts decreased by 4% in 2009/10 and business investment fell by 11%. Meanwhile mobile ownership soared from 26% to 89% between 1999 and 2010.

Many U.S. Charities Facing Increased Demand, Signs of Fiscal Stress - Press - AFP: Many U.S. Charities Facing Increased Demand, Signs of Fiscal Stress

Organizations below $3 million in expenditures experiencing greatest challenges

(Dec. 5, 2011) Sixty-five percent of charities surveyed report increased demand for their services in 2011, but just 41 percent saw increased fundraising results in the first nine months of 2011 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the Late Fall 2011 Nonprofit Fundraising Study, conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC).

US and UK donors 'plan to give the same or less' to charities in 2012 | UK Fundraising: Most donors in the USA and UK plan to give at the same level or to give less in 2012 compared to 2011, according to research in both countries by US communications agency Fenton and public opinion research organisation GlobeScan.

Money for Good II Shows How a Small Shift Can Give Nonprofits a Big Gift This Giving Season: he statement above is just one of the findings of Money for Good II (MFGII), a new study released November 30, 2011. Other MFGII findings include:

Individual donors research only a third of their charitable donations, whereas persons who advise donors and foundation grantmakers research almost every donation they make.

Canadians continue giving: Despite stock-market volatility and downgraded economic forecasts for the coming year, Canadians intend on giving to charity with at least the same generosity they did over the last year, according to a new survey.

Poll results released by BMO Harris Private Banking show 71 per cent of those polled expect to give the same or more to charities over the next year as they did during the last 12 months.

Twitter donors worth the most on social media - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: People who make donations on JustGiving pages after being prompted on Twitter are nearly twice as generous as those who are inspired to give by a Facebook prompt, according to new figures.

In a study on the average gift value of donors directed to JustGiving pages via social media, Twitter prompts came out on top, with an average gift from someone coming from a Twitter link worth �30.26, compared with just �18.33 on Facebook. Facebook, however, remains the vastly more popular social network for JustGiving donors, accounting for 97 per cent of all visits directed through a social media source - in contrast Twitter facilitates a tiny 1 per cent of all visits from social media sources.

Time for Charitable Foundations to be 'Fundamental and Widespread' in UK

� Nonprofit Fundraising and Cause Engagement Study: Word of Mouth Still Most Effective Method of Engagement to Optimize Nonprofit Fundraising

I have written about several nonprofit fundraising reports that offer valuable insight into various areas of the current fundraising landscape. Some of my featured posts have included The 2011 donorCentrics™ Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report, The Nonprofit Research Collaborative (and Part 2), the Millennial Donors Report 2011 (and Part 2), the 3rd Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report 2011, the Nonprofit Fundraising Effectiveness Report and The Blackbaud Index on Charitable and Online Giving October 2011.

Growing Philanthropy: Moving From Donors to Partners (Part 1 of 3) - Press - AFP: Growing Philanthropy: Moving From Donors to Partners (Part 1 of 3)

Charitable giving is estimated to be only 2 percent of average household disposable (after tax) income in the U.S. This number has remained unchanged on average for the past 40 years. A new report called “Growing Philanthropy,” based on a recent summit of nonprofit leaders, offers ways to change how nonprofits approach fundraising. AFP will present the recommendations in a three-part series.

PayPal Research Shows Strength of Community Trumps Popularity | Geoff Livingston's Blog: We live in strange times in which an online following is considered the mark of success. This era of weblebrity seems caustic at times with companies, nonprofits and individuals chasing personal brands for their time. Yet, as we dig deeper we see that real influence online does not necessarily tether itself to the most well known, rather the most engaged. Some research released today, The Effectiveness of Celebrity Spokespeople in Social Fundraisers, conducted on case studies within the PayPal network validates this truth.

Few Charity Employees Feel Financially Prepared for Retirement, Survey Finds - Conference Notebook - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Few Charity Employees Feel Financially Prepared for Retirement, Survey Finds

October 31, 2011, 10:19 pm

By Caroline Preston

Many nonprofit workers are worried that they won’t have enough money to retire comfortably, according to initial results released today of a survey about financial security among nonprofit employees. The early findings were presented at the annual Independent Sector meeting in Chicago.

Olin Business School Research Finds Trigger for Charitable Giving: Cryder finds in a new paper, “The Donor is in the Details" that charities can substantially increase a donor’s perception of the impact their contribution makes by focusing direct solicitation efforts on how donations help one specific person or address one specific problem. When donors know more, donors tend to give more.

Report from Indiana University researchers addresses need to ‘grow philanthropy’: IU News Room: Indiana University: The report, Growing Philanthropy in the United States, was released today (Oct. 28). It addresses the fact that philanthropic giving in the United States has remained static for decades, despite the best efforts of fundraising professionals and nonprofit organizations.

The UK Civil Society Almanac 2010: Workforce | Library | Research and policy | Skills - Third Sector: The report is based on the 'Work' chapter of the NCVO UK Civil Society Almanac 2010 and covers key trends and characteristics of the voluntary sector workforce, employment and volunteering.

New Study Says Charities Could Lose Up to $3.2-Billion From Obama Tax Change - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: In another new study on President Obama’s proposal to limit the value of the charitable deduction, the Tax Policy Center has estimated that the change would depress giving from $1.7-billion to $3.2-billion a year.

That is less than the estimate of $2.9-billion to $5.6-billion offered in another study released this month.

Optimism growing in the sector, claims report: “There is a very real sense of optimism growing in the sector,” said Andrew Watt, president and CEO, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), who provided commentary in the report.

Citing a situation not many in the UK sector will share, Watt added: “Rising giving levels are what is driving the sense of optimism and, in turn, anticipated growth in staffing. Part of that optimism is the nature of our missions—NFPs work to create change and inspire the public. We tend to be optimists, but with a healthy dose of realism.”

Charitable Giving Index: Fundraising Growth Slows - MarketWatch: CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct 17, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Blackbaud, Inc. BLKB 1.28% today released a fundraising trends report based on monthly findings from The Blackbaud Index and featuring commentary from Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) and American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) on the newly released specialty index focused on healthcare organizations.

-- The report is available for download at www.blackbaud.com/blackbaudindex .

Teenage boys think working for a charity is boring - Third Sector: A survey by consultancy Magnified Learning finds that few would want to work in the third sector

A survey carried out in schools has found that nearly a third of boys aged 14 and 15 think the charity sector is the most boring to work in.

Manila Standard Today -- Philanthropy rising in Asia along with wealth, says HSBC study -- 2011/october/11: Asian philanthropists are giving more, and they are shifting to a structured and focused approach to charity, according to a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by HSBC Private Bank.

The report titled, Something’s gotta give: The state of philanthropy in Asia, was based on various published research and in-depth interviews with academics, consultants and prominent philanthropists from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Nonprofits show optimism despite serious concerns, United Way survey finds | Hartford Business: Even as the economy continues its slow recovery, many Hartford-area non-profit organizations have a renewed sense of optimism, according to the United Way’s eighth annual Non-Profit Pulse Survey.

Foundations Step In to Help Grantees Weather State Budget Cuts, Report Finds | PND | Foundation Center: Based on responses from seventy-five members of the Grantmaker Leadership Panel — more than two hundred CEOs at leading U.S. private and public foundations — the study, Foundation Leaders Address the State Budget Crises (4 pages, PDF), found that a quarter of the funders reported having grantees that were forced to suspend operations. To remedy the situation, about half the funders surveyed have provided assistance to affected nonprofits, while two-thirds expect to increase funding for organizations that serve vulnerable populations in general.

Donors Hike Support for Canadian Hospitals to More than $1.2 Billion, But Giving is Still Short of Pre-recession Level: WASHINGTON, D.C., (September 19, 2011) – Donors to Canada’s health care institutions increased contributions by $80 million last year, but the much needed financial booster shot remained far below amounts raised before the recession hit. While charitable cash and pledges in FY2010 totaled $1.204 billion, 7.1 percent more than in FY2009, they were $133 million less than the total of funds raised in FY2007.

Charity staff turnover falls, survey finds - Third Sector: Staff turnover in charities fell from 20 per cent last year to 16 per cent this year, according to a new human resources study.

Seventy-three charities, all with more than 50 employees, took part in the annual People Count Third Sector study, carried out by the management and HR consultancy Agenda Consulting. It analysed staff data from March 2010 to March 2011.

Half of the public cannot name a local charity, survey finds - Third Sector: Nearly two-thirds of respondents to Attitudes to Giving survey said their giving had stayed at the same level over the past two years

Almost half of respondents to a recent survey on giving were unable to name a local charity in their area.

Attitudes to Giving, a survey by the market research company ActionPoint Marketing Solutions, canvassed the views of 420 people from different age groups, income levels and ethnicities in spring this year.

Indiana nonprofit employment made gains despite recession: IU News Room: Indiana University

Indiana nonprofit employment made gains despite recession: IU News Room: Indiana University: "BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Buoyed by gains in the health services and education sectors, employment and wages paid by Indiana nonprofit organizations increased steadily in recent years, according to a new report by Indiana University researchers."

TSRC - Mapping the big society

TSRC - Mapping the big society: "Mapping the Big Society

Implicit in the idea of the 'big society' is the view that communities will be the first port of call in responding to social needs. But there are concerns that this will be much easier in some communities than others. Part of the role of TSRC is to assemble evidence on the distribution, resources and capacities of the third sector. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how our quantitative work contributes to a better understanding of the sector's contribution, and provide insights into the baseline from which “Big Society” policies have commenced."

Building a Stronger Regional Safety Net: Philanthropy's Role - Brookings Institution

Building a Stronger Regional Safety Net: Philanthropy's Role - Brookings Institution: "Although federal, state, and local governments are often the primary funders of nonprofits, governments do not often take the lead in creating new organizational capacities or in coordinating capacity across political jurisdictions. In many regions, the local philanthropic community has become aware of these gaps in services for the poor and has sought to assist the nonprofit community in building capacity and expanding activities. Local foundations are experimenting with various strategies to address the growing dispersion of poverty."

Fall in fundraising income continues, says Charity Market Monitor - Third Sector: "Professor Cathy Pharoah, author of the report

Cancer Research UK stays top of the list, while animal welfare and armed forces charities buck the trend

The UK’s 500 largest fundraising charities suffered a �70m real-terms fall in fundraising income to about �6.06bn in 2009/10, according to research published today."

Meyer Foundation - Meyer Foundation

Meyer Foundation - Meyer Foundation: "Two-thirds of the 3,000 nonprofit executive directors surveyed plan to leave their jobs within five years. Executives express frustration with nonprofit funding models, amplified by the recession, but remain resolved and engaged.

Washington, DC—Daring to Lead 2011, a new national study of nonprofit executive directors conducted in the aftermath of the deepest economic recession in decades, reports that a significant number of executives plan to leave their jobs within the next five years, citing frustration with their organizations’ shaky finances, under-performing boards of directors, and the difficulty of maintaining healthy work-life balance in their demanding roles."

Endowment Returns in 2010 Less Than in 2009, Say Two New Surveys - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Endowments fared well last year, achieving investment returns of about 12 percent, but that is far less than what they achieved in 2009, when returns topped 20 percent, according to two studies—one of foundations and the other of charities—released today by the Commonfund Institute."

Connecticut Association of Nonprofits and CBIA Release 2nd Annual Connecticut Nonprofit Compensation... -- HARTFORD, Conn., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --: "Study reveals more than 50% of Connecticut nonprofits not offering cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2011

HARTFORD, Conn., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Connecticut Association of Nonprofits (CT Nonprofits), the largest membership organization in the state dedicated exclusively to working with nonprofits in Connecticut, in partnership with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA), Connecticut's largest business association with 10,000 member companies, has released The Connecticut Nonprofit Compensation Study (2nd edition) which summarizes information submitted by 266 nonprofit companies on pay administration and the wages and salaries paid for 96 positions within the nonprofit sector."

What Foundation CEO's Think About Evaluation - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "The Center for Effective Philanthropy released a survey at its conference in Boston today that injects some new data into the debate about whether foundations are doing enough—or too much, in the eyes of some—to measure their performance.

Seventy-two percent of the 537 foundation chief executives surveyed said that assessing their organization’s performance is a high priority, and 68 percent believe grant makers have made great progress in measuring their performance over the past decade."

keeping a close eye... by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: Advocacy Philanthropy in the Gulf/Midsouth Yields Substantial Returns for Underserved Communities: "Many in philanthropy don't think of the Gulf/Midsouth as a good place to invest grant dollars.

Yet, advocacy and community organizing by 20 nonprofit organizations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi over a five-year period has brought more than $4.7 billion in benefits to low-wage workers, low-income students and other neglected populations."

Charities struggle to measure their impact, says report - Third Sector: "New Philanthropy Capital study finds 'explosion of interest', but slow progress, in impact assessment

There has been an 'explosion of interest' in impact measurement among charities over the past year but they are struggling to implement it, according to a new report from the think tank New Philanthropy Capital."

FroelichMcKeeRathge_SuccessionPlanninginNonprofitOrganizations.pdf (application/pdf Object)

FroelichMcKeeRathge_SuccessionPlanninginNonprofitOrganizations.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Giving in the Netherlands - Center for Philanthropic Studies, VU University Amsterdam

Giving in the Netherlands - Center for Philanthropic Studies, VU University Amsterdam

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | New Report Says Nonprofits Not as Diverse as they Think

Third of Britons 'have no interest in volunteering or fundraising' - Third Sector: "Research commissioned by Parkinson's UK finds 61 per cent of population have never volunteered

Almost a third of the British public have no interest in helping charities through volunteering or fundraising, according to new research commissioned by the charity Parkinson's UK."

Buying Products Tied to Charities Depresses Giving, New Study Finds - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Buying Products Tied to Charities Depresses Giving, New Study Finds - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Buying Products Tied to Charities Depresses Giving, New Study Finds

March 31, 2011, 3:32 pm

By Raymund Flandez

Fund raisers have long worried about a possible downside to corporate-charity marketing deals—that people who buy a special brand of yogurt or computer or stuffed animal because a retailer promises to give a small percentage of the purchase price to a good cause will figure they have met their charitable obligation and not give as much in direct donations."

Poll indicates that most people would not include charities in their wills - Third Sector: "Legacy giving

Respondents would rather leave money to friends or family, according to survey conducted before Budget announcement of inheritance tax break

Nearly three-quarters of people would not leave money to charity, a survey suggests.

A poll of more than 1,000 adults, commissioned by the finance company Standard Life and carried out by ICM Research, showed that 71 per cent of respondents would not include charities in their wills."

Study: 6 Actions That Grow Generous Kids, Future Donors- The NonProfit Times April 4, 2011

Study: 6 Actions That Grow Generous Kids, Future Donors- The NonProfit Times April 4, 2011: "Study: 6 Actions That Grow Generous Kids, Future Donors

What parents say and do when it comes to charitable giving and volunteering makes a big difference in the charitable activities of their children once those kids grow up. Parental behavior had tremendous influence – more than religion, politics, race, household income, or any other measured factors on the generosity of today’s Americans.

These findings are from Heart of the Donor, an in-depth study commissioned by Russ Reid Company of Pasadena, Calif., and conducted by Grey Matter Research & Consulting of Phoenix, Ariz."

Two-Thirds of Charities Predict Giving Increase in 2011 - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "While many organizations stopped the bleeding, giving simply didn’t rebound like we thought it might, especially given the economic growth we saw in the last quarter of the year,” said Paulette Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, one of six organizations that make up the research collaborative."

- Red Nose Day leads the way for future giving

- Red Nose Day leads the way for future giving: "More than 10 percent of the UK population supports Red Nose Day. 'Such huge support for needy causes shows just what can be achieved when the media, celebrities and new technologies are mobilized behind an appeal', says professor Cathy Pharaoh, co-director of the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Office for Civil Society, Carnegie UK Trust and Scottish Government."

New Report: 2011 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study | NTEN

New Report: 2011 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study | NTEN: "A high unsubscribe rate is bad, right? Not necessarily, according to the 2011 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, just released at the 2011 NTC by M R and NTEN.

As it turns out, a high unsubscribe rate correlates directly with high fundraising results. People unsubscribe because they read your message and decide your cause isn't interesting to them; people donate because they read your message and decide that it is."

Stories And Premiums Ruled During The Holidays- The NonProfit Times march 15, 2011

Stories And Premiums Ruled During The Holidays- The NonProfit Times march 15, 2011: "The holiday season provides ample opportunity to proposition potential donors and renew supporters' contributions. According to Michael Nilsen, senior director of public affairs for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), approximately half of all charities get between 30 percent and 60 percent of their contributions during the last quarter of the year. Roughly 20 percent of AFP member organizations noted that in December alone, they received 50 percent of their annual contributions noted Nilsen."

Convio’s Annual Benchmark Study Showcases Online as Fastest Growing Fundraising and Engagement Channel | Business Wire

Convio’s Annual Benchmark Study Showcases Online as Fastest Growing Fundraising and Engagement Channel | Business Wire: "AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Convio, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNVO) today released the results of its annual Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index™ Study. The results of the study indicate that online is the fastest growing fundraising channel for nonprofits. In 2010, Convio’s clients raised more than $1.3 billion online, up 40 percent from 2009. The study shows that online engagement continues to play a crucial role for nonprofits: online legislative advocates grew 20 percent, email files continued to grow at a median 22 percent across all sectors and gift sizes increased in 2010. The full study is available at www.convio.com/2011benchmark."

Nonprofit Sector Continues to Grow, Despite Recession -- BALTIMORE, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Nonprofit Sector Continues to Grow, Despite Recession -- BALTIMORE, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --: "BALTIMORE, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2010 Nonprofits by the Numbers report by Maryland Nonprofits shows that nonprofit organizations in Maryland continued to add jobs in 2009, despite the recession. Nonprofit employment grew 2% in 2009, compared to a statewide drop in total employment of 3.2%. Nonprofits sustained the growth trend throughout the last five years delivering a robust 9.5% nonprofit employment growth, or 22,205 new jobs in Maryland from 2004-2009, while total employment contracted from 2004-2009 by 2.1% in the same period. Nonprofits in Maryland employ 255,408 people or 10.6% of the state's workforce, and account for 10% of all wages paid statewide. This is up from 9.5% of the workforce and 8.6% of wages in 2004. An early look at the first six months of 2010 employment data indicates that the growth trend continued and accelerated last year, as well."

Charity Fraud Fears Deter Canadians From Giving | Canada | Epoch Times

Charity Fraud Fears Deter Canadians From Giving | Canada | Epoch Times: "It may come as no surprise then that a growing number of Canadians are worried about fraudulent charities that intend to pocket hard-earned donation dollars.

New survey findings show that 53 percent say they are less likely to give to charities because of concerns about charity fraud, while 65 percent report an increased concern over the possibility of fraud—particularly in the wake of a natural disaster."

SinhaGreenspanHandy_VolunteeringandCivicParticipationamongImmigrantMembersofEthnicCongregati.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Volunteering and Civic Participation Among Immigrant Members of Ethnic Congregations: Complementary NOT Competitive by Jill Witmer Sinha of Rutgers University, and Itay Greenspan and Femida Handy of the University of Pennsylvania utilizes survey data from 496 first generation immigrants who attended 23 ethnic congregations to assess the variables influencing levels of civic participation outside the congregation.

The study addresses a central question: whether participation in an ethnic congregation, which promotes bridging social capital, is also related to contributing to participation that contributes to bridging social capital in the wider community.

SinhaGreenspanHandy_VolunteeringandCivicParticipationamongImmigrantMembersofEthnicCongregati.pdf (application/pdf Object)

EgerMcDonald_ReligiousAttitudesandCharitableDonations.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Religious Attitudes and Charitable Donations by Robert J. Eger, III of Florida State University and Bruce D. McDonald, III of Indiana University - South Bend

utilizes data from Robert Wuthnow’s Arts and Religion Survey to explore the correlation between a person’s self defined religious orientation and religious charitable giving.

The data support the hypothesis that individuals who define themselves to be religiously conservative exhibit higher levels of generosity to religious charities than those who define themselves to be religious liberals. This occurs because self-identified conservatives are more involved in religious institutions, activities, and commitments, such as regular church participation and stable family structures, than religious liberals. Second, there are normative differences: religious liberals are expected to contribute less than religious moderates when other characteristics are held constant.

2010 Online Giving Trends | Nonprofit Trends with Steve MacLaughlin | a Blackbaud Blog

2010 Online Giving Trends | Nonprofit Trends with Steve MacLaughlin | a Blackbaud Blog: "Blackbaud released its 2010 Online Giving Report today. The 2010 Online Giving Report combines findings from The Blackbaud Index of Online Giving with additional multi-year giving data to provide the most comprehensive analysis of online giving trends in the nonprofit sector."

Press Release Detail - Sage Nonprofit Solutions

Press Release Detail - Sage Nonprofit Solutions: "Press Release Detail

U.S. Nonprofits More Optimistic About Meeting Fundraising Goals in 2011, According to Sage Nonprofit Insights Survey
Quarterly Survey Looked at U.S. Nonprofits’ Views and Outlook on Fundraising, Tax Exemptions, Government Funding, and Legislation
2/15/2011 8:00:00 AM

AUSTIN, TX (Feb. 15, 2011)—Sage North America today announced the results of its recently conducted Sage Nonprofit Insights, Q1 2011, survey of U.S. nonprofit organizations. In general, organizations that fundraise are optimistic that 2011 will be a better year than 2010, with 90 percent saying they expect the amount of funds raised in 2011 to be equal to or higher than the amount raised in 2010."

Higher Ed Endowments Starting To Rebound- The NonProfit Times Jan 27, 2011: "Higher Ed Endowments Starting To Rebound

By Mark Hrywna

Endowments at colleges and universities boasted improved rates of return last year but still need a few more years to get back to pre-recession levels.

The average rate of return was 11.9 percent (net for fees) last year, quite a turnaround from the negative19 percent average return in 2009, according to the second annual NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE) which gathered data from 850 U.S. colleges, universities and affiliated foundations for the fiscal year 2010 (Jan. 1-June 30).

The study is a joint effort between the Wilton, Conn.-based Commonfund Institute and the National College and University Business Officers in Washington, D.C."

This material is from August but is noteworthy

Parents Matter: New Study Shows Influence of Family on Giving Decisions - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "That is one of the findings of new study of donor attitudes and giving behavior released this week by Russ Reid, a Pasadena, Calif., company that provides direct-marketing services to nonprofits. The study was released here at the Direct Marketing Association New York Nonprofit Conference."

Charities Seeing Slight Recovery in Giving, But Not Enough to Keep Up With Demand or Budget Cuts - Press - AFP

Charities Seeing Slight Recovery in Giving, But Not Enough to Keep Up With Demand or Budget Cuts - Press - AFP: "Charities Seeing Slight Recovery in Giving, But Not Enough to Keep Up With Demand or Budget Cuts

(Nov. 29, 2010) Nonprofit organizations have seen a slight turnaround in giving so far this year that mirrors the slow economic recovery, a new survey from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC) finds. But the small rebound hasn’t been enough to help many nonprofits that are grappling with staff and service cuts even as demand for their services has increased."

$48 Billion In Giving Projected For The Holidays- The NonProfit Times Nov 30, 2010

$48 Billion In Giving Projected For The Holidays- The NonProfit Times Nov 30, 2010: "$48 Billion In Giving Projected For The Holidays

Americans will spread an average $281 across multiple charities via various solicitation channels this holiday season. Donors who have online relationships with a nonprofit report they will give almost $100 more than the average -- $378 vs. $281.

These are among the findings of a national survey by Edge Research for Austin, Texas-based online fundraising firm Convio. Based on the survey results, Americans could be giving as much as $48 billion during this holiday season. Many nonprofits generate as much as 30 to 40 percent of individual donations during the holidays."

Face-to-face fundraising divides the sector - Third Sector

Face-to-face fundraising divides the sector - Third Sector: "Face-to-face fundraising divides the sector

By Sophie Hudson, Third Sector, 21 September 2010
[Fundraising]

Fundraising

Despite a drop in sign-ups, face-to-face fundraising refuses to go away, reports Sophie Hudson

Face-to-face fundraising, particularly street fundraising or 'chugging', as it has become known, has never been the most popular of fundraising methods with the public. But how effective a method is it proving to be?

The most recent figures from the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association show a slight drop in both the number of sign-ups and the average gift per month for both street and door-to-door fundraising."

Giving by rich Americans fell during recession-study | Reuters

Giving by rich Americans fell during recession-study | Reuters: "Wealthy Americans donated average $54,016 in 2009

* Only 2.5 percent made donations of more than $500,000

By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Charitable giving by wealthy Americans dropped by more than a third between 2007 and 2009 as the worst U.S. recession in decades put pressure on the nonprofit sector, according to a study released on Tuesday.

While almost all rich Americans -- more than 98 percent -- donated to nonprofit groups last year, the average amount fell to $54,016 in 2009 from $83,034 in 2007 and $91,928 in 2005, the third biennial Bank of America Merrill Lynch study found."

Study Questions Efficiency of Charity Business Activities - Ideas & Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Study Questions Efficiency of Charity Business Activities - Ideas & Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Study Questions Efficiency of Charity Business Activities

By Nicole Wallace

As nonprofit organizations earn more unrelated business income—through such activities as merchandise sales or renting their donor lists—the proportion of their budgets that they spend on programs goes down, according to a new report.

The study analyzed 700 informational tax returns filed by 150 social-service organizations in Manhattan for the years 2000 to 2005. It was conducted by Rebecca Tekula, executive director of the Helene and Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Pace University, in New York."

PRESS RELEASE"WealthEngine Releases Best Practices in Arts & Culture Fundraising Report

Outlines Seven Best Practices and Features Museums, Theaters and Performing Arts Centers that are Leveraging Best Practices to Outperform

Bethesda, MD, October 26, 2010 – WealthEngine, the leading provider of sophisticated prospect research tools and analytics, announced today the release of a new research report, entitled Best Practices in Arts & Culture Fundraising. WealthEngine’s Best Practices report is intended to facilitate knowledge sharing, stimulate dialogue and help arts & cultural organizations achieve a higher level of fundraising effectiveness."

The Center on Philanthropy New Study: Women More Charitable Than Men -- SEATTLE, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --: "SEATTLE, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Indiana University releases a new study today showing women are more charitable then men, Christian humanitarian group World Vision says these findings mirror what it is seeing among its supporters across the country. Among the nearly 885,000 Americans who sponsor a child through the organization, three out of four are female.

According to the study by The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, female-headed households—in nearly every income bracket—are more generous towards charities than male-headed households. The survey, titled 'Women Give 2010,' proves that women play a very powerful role in the world of philanthropy both in the likelihood of their giving, and in the amount that is given, the Center says.

World Vision says that while it actively engages both men and women, as well as youth and other groups, women do play a unique role in tackling critical issues in world poverty."

New Study Shows Fraternal Benefit Societies Deliver $3.4 Billion in Annual Value... -- OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ --

PRESS RELEASE

New Study Shows Fraternal Benefit Societies Deliver $3.4 Billion in Annual Value... -- OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ --: "New Study Shows Fraternal Benefit Societies Deliver $3.4 Billion in Annual Value to Communities and Individuals in Need


As Government Resources Dwindle, Societies Fill Growing Needs Gap

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when growing numbers of Americans are in acute need of economic help, a new Georgetown University study finds that fraternal benefit societies are providing billions of dollars in direct and indirect economic support to allay community needs and support social structures. Not-for-profit mutual aid organizations like Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the Knights of Columbus and more than 70 others were created more than a century ago to serve the financial and social needs of U.S. communities. Today these fraternal benefit societies give back $68 to U.S. society for each dollar that the federal government invests to help support their operations, concludes the study's author, Phillip Swagel, a Georgetown professor and former Assistant Secretary of Economic Policy for the U.S. Treasury Department."

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: "Motivation Study Finds Internet Is Key for New Donors

September 6, 2010 — Prospective first-time donors to charitable organizations make extensive use of the Internet to learn about nonprofits—by visiting their websites and by searching for news about them—according to a recently released national study on donor motivation and behavior."

CT charitable grants climbed from 2006 to 2008 | Hartford Business

CT charitable grants climbed from 2006 to 2008 | Hartford Business: "Connecticut grantmakers distributed more than $902.7 million in 2008, a 22 percent increase from 2006, according to 2010 Connecticut Grantmaking Highlights published by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy."

Voluntary sector staff turnover slows but stays above UK average - Third Sector: "Voluntary sector staff turnover slows but stays above UK average
By Kate Youde, Third Sector, 31 August 2010
Economic conditions and job cuts stop charity staff from moving on
Staff turnover in the voluntary sector decreased significantly in the year to March 2010 but is still higher than the UK average, a new report indicates.
The study of 90 medium and large organisations by management and HR consultancy Agenda Consulting found there was 'quite a significant drop' in the proportion of people leaving their jobs compared with 2008/09."

Survey shows how, why we give | StarTribune.com

Survey shows how, why we give | StarTribune.com: "Meanwhile, 61 percent of donors dropped checks in the mailbox -- including four of 10 donors under the age of 40.

Another 34 percent donated online, the survey said. And most people contributed to charities in several ways, said Lisa McIntrye, a Russ Reid senior vice president.

The 'Heart of the Donor'' report was based on interviews with more than 2,000 adults online and by telephone in June."