By adrienne mayse
Courier & Press correspondent
Monday, December 8, 2008
Local nonprofit agencies are hoping that despite the poor economy, donors will find ways to give this holiday season. Otherwise charities will be figuring out how to do more with much less.
After a year of decreased individual giving to charities nationwide, nonprofits are relying heavily on end-of-the-year donations.
The holidays are traditionally an important fundraising time for many nonprofits, as donors make once-a-year gifts or rush to give a little bit more before tax season hits.
And this year, it's even more critical that holiday donations are high, said Suzanne Coffman, director of communications for GuideStar, a national resource center for nonprofits and their donors.
Both the size and number of individual gifts are down this year at a time when many nonprofits are reporting that demand for services is up, Coffman said.
"It's probably going to be a pretty grim season for nonprofits," Coffman said.
As people stretch to buy Christmas gifts for family and friends, they may cut charities from their Christmas lists. And when individuals don't give, it hurts.
"Three-quarters of charitable giving in this country is done by individuals," Coffman said. "The small $10, $20, $100 contributions add up."
Experts advise nonprofit organizations to work harder this season to let their donors know how important their gift is, while figuring out what they'll do if those donors don't come through.
Nonprofits will have to "put their resources into activities that are most critical to the organization's mission," Coffman said. "The bad news is (they) may not be able to do everything."
At the Southwestern Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, efforts are under way to communicate with donors about just how far their money is stretched already.
"We want everyone to know what we do, to know how frugal we are with each dollar," said Emily Zander, community relations coordinator for the chapter. "The little that they can give is going as far as it possibly can."
While economic signals are less than encouraging, Zander said the chapter is hopeful that enough holiday dollars will come in this year.
"Our community is a great one," she said. "They always come through for the Red Cross because they know just how important our services are."
If holiday giving does fall short, said Gary Fowler of Matthew 25 AIDS Service, the impact will be im-mediate and deeply felt.
The organization provides support for people who have been diagnosed with HIV and AIDS.
"Individuals would be put on a waiting list before they could get their life-sustaining medications," Fowler said. "In the interim, they could suffer from a more decreased immune system, so the progression of the disease could continue at a rapid rate. Right now we don't have a waiting list."
On top of cuts in medication assistance, the charity also might be forced to cut down the number of monthly visits allowed to its food pantry.
Matthew 25 serves 500 individuals and their families in the Tri-State, as well as providing HIV/AIDS prevention services to the general community.
At Albion Fellows Bacon Center, a shelter for battered and sexually assaulted women and their children, signs are encouraging that holiday giving will be on par with previous years, said Executive Director Candice Perry.
Holiday giving is especially important to the shelter because the organization depends on the kindness of donors to ensure their residents have a good Christmas during a heartbreaking time in their lives.
"We have people waking up here on Christmas morning," Perry said, "and we want to make the holidays as special for them and their children as we can."
Courier & Press correspondent
Monday, December 8, 2008
Local nonprofit agencies are hoping that despite the poor economy, donors will find ways to give this holiday season. Otherwise charities will be figuring out how to do more with much less.
After a year of decreased individual giving to charities nationwide, nonprofits are relying heavily on end-of-the-year donations.
The holidays are traditionally an important fundraising time for many nonprofits, as donors make once-a-year gifts or rush to give a little bit more before tax season hits.
And this year, it's even more critical that holiday donations are high, said Suzanne Coffman, director of communications for GuideStar, a national resource center for nonprofits and their donors.
Both the size and number of individual gifts are down this year at a time when many nonprofits are reporting that demand for services is up, Coffman said.
"It's probably going to be a pretty grim season for nonprofits," Coffman said.
As people stretch to buy Christmas gifts for family and friends, they may cut charities from their Christmas lists. And when individuals don't give, it hurts.
"Three-quarters of charitable giving in this country is done by individuals," Coffman said. "The small $10, $20, $100 contributions add up."
Experts advise nonprofit organizations to work harder this season to let their donors know how important their gift is, while figuring out what they'll do if those donors don't come through.
Nonprofits will have to "put their resources into activities that are most critical to the organization's mission," Coffman said. "The bad news is (they) may not be able to do everything."
At the Southwestern Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, efforts are under way to communicate with donors about just how far their money is stretched already.
"We want everyone to know what we do, to know how frugal we are with each dollar," said Emily Zander, community relations coordinator for the chapter. "The little that they can give is going as far as it possibly can."
While economic signals are less than encouraging, Zander said the chapter is hopeful that enough holiday dollars will come in this year.
"Our community is a great one," she said. "They always come through for the Red Cross because they know just how important our services are."
If holiday giving does fall short, said Gary Fowler of Matthew 25 AIDS Service, the impact will be im-mediate and deeply felt.
The organization provides support for people who have been diagnosed with HIV and AIDS.
"Individuals would be put on a waiting list before they could get their life-sustaining medications," Fowler said. "In the interim, they could suffer from a more decreased immune system, so the progression of the disease could continue at a rapid rate. Right now we don't have a waiting list."
On top of cuts in medication assistance, the charity also might be forced to cut down the number of monthly visits allowed to its food pantry.
Matthew 25 serves 500 individuals and their families in the Tri-State, as well as providing HIV/AIDS prevention services to the general community.
At Albion Fellows Bacon Center, a shelter for battered and sexually assaulted women and their children, signs are encouraging that holiday giving will be on par with previous years, said Executive Director Candice Perry.
Holiday giving is especially important to the shelter because the organization depends on the kindness of donors to ensure their residents have a good Christmas during a heartbreaking time in their lives.
"We have people waking up here on Christmas morning," Perry said, "and we want to make the holidays as special for them and their children as we can."
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