Fighting Fundraiser Turnover: What Charities Can Do - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Fighting Fundraiser Turnover: What Charities Can Do - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: As turnover among fundraisers becomes a bigger and bigger cost for charities, two nonprofits are joining forces to figure out what they can do to about it.

What Gives in Maine? And Who?

What Gives in Maine? And Who?: PORTLAND, Maine - The slow economic recovery has presented challenges to both individual and foundation-based philanthropy - and it shows in a new report on giving in Maine in 2010.

New Study Finds Men are More Charitable than Women - Press Release - Digital Journal

New Study Finds Men are More Charitable than Women - Press Release - Digital Journal: CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The results of a national survey released today by BiddingForGood, a marketplace that connects consumers and marketers to nonprofits and schools by hosting online and mobile charity auctions, found that men give more money, more frequently to charitable causes than women. According to the results, 52 percent of men who donate to charity say they do so every week or month compared to 42 percent of women. Also male respondents were more likely to give larger contributions, with 62 percent of men giving more than $500 a year to charity compared to 46 percent of wome

Spontaneous donations to UK charities likely to fall by about �150m this year, says survey | Third Sector

Spontaneous donations to UK charities likely to fall by about �150m this year, says survey | Third Sector: Home �
News �
Spontaneous donations to UK charities likely to fall by about �150m this year, says survey


By Jenna Pudelek, Third Sector Online, 25 May 2012

Stephen Dilworth of the financial services group Foresters says a fall would be 'unsurprising' given the economic situation
Click here to find out more!

Almost a third of people expect to give less to charity in spontaneous donations this year, a new survey suggests.

The poll of more than 2,000 UK adults, carried out by Wriglesworth Research for the financial services group Foresters, found that 29 per cent of respondents said they would have to reduce the amount they give because they were worse off than last year.

Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving? | News | National Post

Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving? | News | National Post: Donating money to charity has become highly fashionable, a status symbol that has been dubbed “conspicious giving,” and comes with the burden of social expectation and manipulation, according to a paper to be presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences conference on Wednesday.

University of Alberta instructor Margrit Talpalaru coined the “conspicious giving” term to describe the way corporations, charities and society at large have latched onto North Americans’ desire for the visibility that comes with donating time or money.

Charities 'streamlined due to cuts' - UK News - News - WalesOnline

Charities 'streamlined due to cuts' - UK News - News - WalesOnline: A study of more than 100 charities in England and Wales showed that two thirds were cutting frontline services and three out of four were making staff redundant.

One in 10 said they risked closing down next year, said the report by the New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) think tank and insurance firm Zurich.

New Study: Donations Decline for�Nonprofits - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media -

New Study: Donations Decline for�Nonprofits - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media -: Target's data this year was drawn from 80 different nonprofit organizations, 38 million donors, 79 million gifts and $2.5 billion worth of donations revenue (although it excluded any donations worth $10,000 or more). Channels covered included online, direct mail, telemarketing and canvassing.

So what was the big picture "headline?" A sobering one, overall. But with a few very bright spots.

"The Increase in Revenue Per Donor Is Still Not Compensating for the Declining Quantity of Donors," Paige told us is the headline from the survey.

More than half of public want fewer charities, Ipsos Mori research finds - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

More than half of public want fewer charities, Ipsos Mori research finds - Civil Society - Governance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: More than half of the public think there are too many charities and want the sector to be rationalised, research carried out for the Charities Act review has shown.

The findings, from research conducted by Mori among 1,004 people, were presented by charity lawyer Stephen Lloyd yesterday at the Charity Law Conference.

Despite dominating the industry, women at nonprofits lag in pay - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Despite dominating the industry, women at nonprofits lag in pay - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Bayer Center is conducting a foundation-funded project, "74 Percent: Exploring the Lives of Women Leaders in Nonprofit Organizations," as an effort to explore why women's earnings trail men's and how to reduce the disparity.

In a study released in early 2011, the Bayer Center reported that women account for 74 percent of the approximate 300,000 people employed by nonprofits in southwestern Pennsylvania and hold 56 percent of the executive positions. But the female executive directors earned an average $89,354 annually compared with an average $118,652 for their male counterparts.

Number of charities planning to hire staff is increasing, labour market study suggests

Number of charities planning to hire staff is increasing, labour market study suggests: The number of charities that plan to hire staff over the next three months has risen slightly, new figures suggest.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s quarterly Labour Market Outlook shows that 73 per cent of voluntary sector employers surveyed said they planned to take on staff, compared with 69 per cent in the previous quarter.

Philanthropy Northwest : Trends in Northwest Giving

Philanthropy Northwest : Trends in Northwest Giving: rends in Northwest Giving

Trends in Northwest Giving 2012 EditionTrends in Northwest Giving is Philanthropy Northwest's biennial report on organized philanthropy in our six state region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming). The 2012 edition analyzes over $1.08 billion in grants made to Northwest nonprofits in 2010, offering the first in-depth look at the recession's effect on giving to the region.

Rise in Donors to Charities for the Destitute Looks Temporary

Rise in Donors to Charities for the Destitute Looks Temporary: A report last week in The Chronicle of Philanthropy said that donors to these charities have raised their giving to fund some of the increased needs, citing a study by Brewer Direct, a fundraising and marketing firm.

But holding onto new donors has been a challenge for the charities, with some reporting that many donors had stopped giving after two years or more.

Nonprofits expecting better year - The Washington Post

Nonprofits expecting better year - The Washington Post: According to a canvas of community organizations in the region, nearly half (46 percent) report that their donors have expressed plans to maintain or increase contributions this year, compared with 27 percent last year and only 15 percent in 2009, according to a report released Monday by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. The group surveyed nonprofits in the District, Northern Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland.

Recovery From Recession Has Been Uneven for Community Funds - Grant Makers - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Recovery From Recession Has Been Uneven for Community Funds - Grant Makers - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Recovery From Recession Has Been Uneven for Community Funds

By Maria Di Mento

Community foundations’ assets and grant making are slowly recovering from the recession, according to a new study of financial trends at U.S. community foundations.

Crowdfunding raised $1.5 billion worldwide last year

Crowdfunding raised $1.5 billion worldwide last year: Almost US$1.5 billion was raised in 2011 by crowdfunding platforms around the world, according to an industry report released Tuesday by Massolution, the research group of industry body Crowdsourcing.

There were almost 350 crowdfunding platforms, or online fundraising platforms that generally accept small donations, at the end of 2011, the report found, up by more than 50 percent from the beginning of the year. The platforms hosted roughly a million campaigns, it said.

Charitable pledges down due to slow economy | Healthcare Finance News

Charitable pledges down due to slow economy | Healthcare Finance News: These findings were contained in two recent reports published by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) based on its detailed Performance Benchmarking Service survey of fundraising activities in both countries - which for the first time examined a full year’s post-recession fundraising by U.S. and Canadian healthcare organizations.

Fundraising events seen as challenge | Philanthropy Journal

Fundraising events seen as challenge | Philanthropy Journal: Retaining participants in fundraising events is tough and requires long-term engagement and cultivation, while getting people to participate and raise money through events requires effective communication, two new reports say.

Indiawest: Report Outlines Indian American Philanthropy in Silicon Valley

Indiawest: Report Outlines Indian American Philanthropy in Silicon Valley: The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has issued a report on philanthropy by the Indian American community in Silicon Valley.

Co-produced by LTG associates, the study, “On the Shoulders of Generations: Philanthropy in the Indian American Community of Silicon Valley,” quotes comments by about 25 unnamed Indian American philanthropists in the Valley.

Aussies: generous in life, not so in death - ABC Adelaide - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Aussies: generous in life, not so in death - ABC Adelaide - Australian Broadcasting Corporation: A recent study has revealed Australians match western counterparts when it comes to charitable giving in the course of life with 70 per cent giving regularly but lag behind dramatically when it comes to leaving bequests to charity.

massnonprofit.org ::Study: Nonprofits Are Falling Short in Measuring Their Impact

massnonprofit.org ::: Study: Nonprofits Are Falling Short in Measuring Their Impact

April 30, 2012 — Despite increased pressure to be results-focused and demonstrate impact, nonprofits are not investing enough in their ability to measure their performance, according to a recently completed study, which identified five key elements for building measurement capacity.

Citing the “woeful under-investment” in measurement by nonprofit organizations, The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit advisor, said that only 13% of nonprofits have a full time measurem

Survey by Austin firm Convio reveals the top two challenges nonprofits face - Austin Business Journal

Survey by Austin firm Convio reveals the top two challenges nonprofits face - Austin Business Journal: The Austin-based fundraising technology company (Nasdaq: CNVO) found that the four major issues of concern are funding and fundraising, communication and engagement, rising above the noise and data management and technology.

Global News | Foreign dollars a ‘minute segment’ of Canadian charities’ budgets

Global News | Foreign dollars a ‘minute segment’ of Canadian charities’ budgets: Figures provided to Global News from the Canada Revenue Agency show that out of 84,176 charities, only 2,014 reported receiving funding from foreign sources in the fiscal year ending in 2010.
The Conservative government first expressed its concern about how much money Canadian charities were getting from abroad in January when hearings for the $5.5-billion Northern Gateway Pipeline were about to begin.

Survey Says: Fundraising and Constituent Engagement are Biggest Challenges Facing Nonprofits in 2012 | SYS-CON MEDIA

Survey Says: Fundraising and Constituent Engagement are Biggest Challenges Facing Nonprofits in 2012 | SYS-CON MEDIA: Survey Says: Fundraising and Constituent Engagement are Biggest Challenges Facing Nonprofits in 2012

Study Finds Charities Tax Returns Expose Social Security Numbers: Accounting Today

Study Finds Charities Tax Returns Expose Social Security Numbers: Accounting Today: A new study has found that the Form 990 tax returns filed by tax-exempt organizations frequently expose the Social Security numbers of tax preparers, donors, employees, scholarship recipients and others to the public.

Report: 12.7 Percent Increase in Environmental Giving for 2012 : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

Report: 12.7 Percent Increase in Environmental Giving for 2012 : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: DALLAS, Texas (April 19, 2012) – Atlas of GivingOpens in a new window today announced a 12.7 percent increase in charitable giving for the environmental sector as Earth DayOpens in a new window preparations are being made around the world. The Atlas of Giving provides a monthly report on charitable giving in eight sectors, including religion, education, disaster services, health, arts, international, environment and society benefit. Currently, the environmental sector is leading the charitable giving economy in 2012.

Nonprofit Finance Fund | Where Money Meets Mission

Nonprofit Finance Fund | Where Money Meets Mission: tate of the Sector Surveys
2012 SURVEY
2012 survey generously supported by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

In this year’s survey, more than 4,500 respondents at nonprofits across the country shared the details of how they are adapting their organizations and finances to economic conditions. The survey, which was supported for the second year in a row by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, reveals that while 2011 was a year of significant organizational and programmatic changes, many nonprofits are still facing fundamental challenges that threaten the stability of the sector and the well-being of the people they serve.

Good Governance Makes Tax Compliance More Likely - Boards - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Good Governance Makes Tax Compliance More Likely - Boards - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Charities that follow certain good-governance practices—for example, drawing up written mission statements and comparing their organizations to others when making compensation decisions—are more likely to comply with the Internal Revenue Service’s tax code, according to preliminary results from a new IRS study.

Some Nonprofit Finance Managers Don’t Know Much - TheNonProfitTimes

Some Nonprofit Finance Managers Don’t Know Much - TheNonProfitTimes: Financial managers of mid-sized nonprofits don’t know quite as much as they think they do. A study of 526 financial managers showed that 76 percent of the respondents identified themselves as knowledgeable about financial principles, but only 36 percent correctly answered three basic financial questions.

Turnover on the Rise in Pivotal Foundation Jobs - Foundations - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Turnover on the Rise in Pivotal Foundation Jobs - Foundations - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Turnover on the Rise in Pivotal Foundation Jobs

The foundation officials who matter the most to nonprofits are those who oversee specific grant-making priorities. Program officers now stay in their jobs a median of just three years, shorter than at any other time since 2002 and a direct result of how foundations are responding to new economic pressures.

Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog

Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog: It’s the week of studies! First we had the eBenchmarks study, then the Convio benchmarks study, and now the Blackbaud social media benchmark study. It’s an opportunity to see how you stack up in all different ways online.

The Blackbaud study shows despite limited budgets and staffing, nonprofits continue to find value in their growing social networks.

Mormons and Civic Life - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Mormons and Civic Life - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life: Ram Cnaan, a renowned researcher on faith-based social services, presented the findings of a new survey he and his colleagues conducted on Mormons’ church-based volunteering and charitable giving. Greg Smith, lead researcher on a recently released Pew Forum study on Mormons in America, discussed the Penn survey findings in the context of Mormons’ religious beliefs and social attitudes. The University of Notre Dame’s David Campbell, an expert on religion and civic engagement and co-author of “American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us,” compared Mormons’ attitudes on volunteering and tithing to those of other religious groups.

Nonprofits urged to improve financial literacy | Philanthropy Journal

Nonprofits urged to improve financial literacy | Philanthropy Journal: While 76 percent of over 500 nonprofit financial-management professionals responding to a survey consider themselves to be knowledgeable in financial principles and concepts, for example, 17 percent see themselves as novices in terms of their level of financial knowledge, says Financial Literacy and Knowledge in the Nonprofit Sector, a report from The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Tax relief cap could cost the sector hundreds of millions, says Charities Aid Foundation

Tax relief cap could cost the sector hundreds of millions, says Charities Aid Foundation: Its survey suggests that a large number of major donors will give less in the wake of the government's Budget announcement

Nearly 40 per cent of major philanthropists will give less in the wake of the government’s decision to cap tax reliefs for charitable donations, according to research by the Charities Aid Foundation.

A CAF a survey of 183 people who had given more than �50,000 a year to charity over the past three years asked: "Which of the following best describes the impact that you think the changes will have on the amount that you donate?"

U.S. Jews' donations to Israel double in past 20 years, study shows - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

U.S. Jews' donations to Israel double in past 20 years, study shows - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News: The study, scheduled to be completed in late April, disproves the widely held view by many Israelis that philanthropic donations from the United States have dropped over time due to economic and political reasons. In fact, the study - previewed last week during a hearing by the Knesset Subcommittee for the Relations of Israel with World Jewish Communities - suggests quite the opposite.

Canadians Agree That Charities are Important to Society - Press - AFP

Canadians Agree That Charities are Important to Society - Press - AFP: Canadians Agree That Charities are Important to Society

(Mar. 20, 2012) In November, 2011, Ipsos Reid, on behalf of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) conducted a Canadian survey on “What Donors Want.” The good news for the sector is that most Canadians consider charities to be important in filling a gap of needs not being addressed by the public and private sector. However, a challenge remains in communicating and educating donors about fund allocation. Many donors fail to make the connection between investing in administration and effective operations, despite having high standards for how charities operate.

Many Brits feel they give as much as they can - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Many Brits feel they give as much as they can - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: More than two out of five Brits believe there is nothing that would encourage them to give more to charity because they are already giving as much as they can, according to new research.

Digital Giving is Successful Giving Whitepaper by Fellowship One Church Management Software

Digital Giving is Successful Giving Whitepaper by Fellowship One Church Management Software

Social Networking in Developing Regions | MobileActive.org

Social Networking in Developing Regions | MobileActive.org: Online social networks have enjoyed signifcant growth over the past several years. With improvements in mobile and Internet penetration, developing countries are participating in increasing numbers in online communities. This paper provides the first large scale and detailed analysis of social networking usage in developing country contexts.

The New York Times Was Wrong to Abandon Philanthropy - Pablo Eisenberg - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

The New York Times Was Wrong to Abandon Philanthropy - Pablo Eisenberg - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The situation grew worse last week when it became clear that The New York Times, one of the last remaining newspapers with a philanthropy beat, no longer plans to cover nonprofit organizations on a full-time basis. While a spokeswoman told The Chronicle that the newspaper will continue to write articles about nonprofits and foundations that happen to come to the attention of its news desks, that is not the same as dedicating a reporter entirely to a focus on nonprofits.

Community Philanthropy: It’s Not Just for the Wealthy Anymore - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Community Philanthropy: It’s Not Just for the Wealthy Anymore - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: At a briefing at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C. on March 1st, Knight described the results of the effort to date. “Philanthropy is no longer the preserve of the rich,” Knight said. “People of modest incomes,” he said, are now “stepping forward” as stakeholders in the future of their communities. The problem for some of us is context. We look at philanthropy from the U.S. context, where typically, though not always, even community philanthropy is directed by a social class that doesn’t connect—in terms of direction and oversight—to the communities that community foundations are supposed to serve.

Philanthropy and the arts – Harold Mitchell's review will create a bigger funding pool

Philanthropy and the arts – Harold Mitchell's review will create a bigger funding pool: Celebrating givers

With ATO data suggesting four out of ten affluent Australians give only negligibly if at all, big givers are rare, special, and should be celebrated. Of course, publicly spotlighting giving runs contrary to the wishes of the many anonymous givers in this country.

Foundations Didn't Increase Focus on 'Nonprofit Success' in Downturn, Study Finds - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Foundations Didn't Increase Focus on 'Nonprofit Success' in Downturn, Study Finds - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A survey of 755 foundations conducted in 2011 by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and the TCC Group found that 83 percent of foundations said they devote money to general support, compared with 80 percent in 2008. And the median amount of foundations’ budgets devoted to unrestricted support held steady at 20 percent

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.