Three tips for counteracting recent worrisome charitable headlines

By Jennifer Pendleton, CFRE Vice President - Indiana, Aly Sterling Philanthropy

You've probably seen these headlines recently:

Giving USA 2017: Total charitable donations rise to new high of $390.05 billion

How America gives special report: Breaking the charity habit

American generosity declines in the 21st century, report suggests

As you can see, the recent and somewhat contradictory charitable headlines can be confusing for all of us. For those in the day-to-day work of a nonprofit, it's hard to know what we can and should be doing in response to this information.

I'm going to refrain from forming an opinion about these numbers (and let you read the reports for yourself) and instead provide some tips for getting the work done despite the confusion. Because we know that fundraising fundamentals are always important, in every economy, with every type/age of donor and for EVERY. SINGLE. CAUSE.

The other thing I know is that I'm not sure that any of us are ready to support the claim that Americans are potentially becoming less generous. However, there is one key piece that stands out to me - Americans gave more than they ever have, but the gifts are coming from fewer people.

So, what does that mean for ordinary organizations and nonprofit people like you and me? I'll leave you with three takeaways. Read more.