May 10, 2012 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Charities that provide food, shelter, and other basic necessities have struggled to keep up with exploding demand for services in the sluggish recovery. But donors have stepped up their giving to cover at least some of the increased needs, a new study suggests.
Still, holding onto those new donors has been a challenge; some of the charities say many donors stopped giving after two years or more.
The number of donors to 13 religious shelters nationwide increased by 12 percent, to 15,555 people, from 2008 to 2010, before declining slightly last year to 15,421, according to an analysis of donations of $10,000 or less by Brewer Direct, a marketing-consulting firm.
The dollar value of donations during that time increased by 30 per cent to more than $1.8-million.
The size of the average gift grew from a low of $152 in 2008 to $175 last year, and the number of gifts made annually also rose, from 2.6 to 3.2 gifts per donor in 2011.
But the missions are now losing nearly 30 percent of their multiyear donors annually, so the future isn’t looking as bright, said Randy Brewer, president of the consulting company.
Some missions in the study did better than others. At the Allentown Rescue Mission, in Pennsylvania, for example, the number of donors increased in 2008 and 2009, but its total giving drooped by about 20 percent in those years. And while the mission is now raising as much as it did in 2007, fundraising is harder, says Gary Millspaugh, executive director.
“We know that a lot of active donors in their 60s and 70s are helping adult children who lost their jobs,” he says. “It is somewhat encouraging that we got more people to give, but the level of giving tells us that there are still difficulties in getting people to give more or the same as they used to. “
Mr. Brewer, the consultant, said he’s helping the missions try new ways keep more donors from withdrawing their support.
For example, some groups are asking for smaller sums and making phone calls to follow up on direct mail.
What ways have you found to keep donors from cutting their support to your organization?
Send an e-mail to Holly Hall.
