Hope for the Holidays

Amid signs of economic recovery, charity leaders say 2003 could end on a positive fund-raising note

In the midst of the busiest fund-raising season for many charities, The Chronicle conducted a spot check of nonprofit leaders to gauge how their organizations are faring. While many described the past year as particularly challenging — with foundation and corporate gifts especially hard to come by — numerous charity officials said they expected to conclude 2003 ahead of initial expectations.

Upbeat economic news, and surges on Wall Street, couldn’t have come at a better time, fund raisers say, with several organizations already reporting gains in gifts of stock. But the federal do-not-call registry, which took effect in October, has put a damper on the returns from telephone solicitations. Even though charities are permitted to call people who join the registry, some fund raisers say they have found that more Americans are unreceptive to solicitation calls of any kind.

Here’s what five charity leaders had to say about the fund-raising outlook:

• In Silicon Valley, Donors Aim Gifts at ‘Core Charities’
• Catholic Group Tries to Help Donors See What Their Gifts Do
• Climbing Back Up After a Difficult Fund-Raising Start
• A Kentucky College Hopes to Gain as Economy Improves
• On-the-Job Campaigns Benefit When Workers Feel Secure