January 23, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
A new survey of Americans sheds light on what they think President Obama should focus on — and perhaps where their philanthropic priorities lie.
According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Americans primarily want the president to focus on the economy, with 85 percent saying it should be a “top priority.”
The results of the survey, which polled 1,503 people by telephone in January, were not unexpected given the recession. But Pew did note with some surprise that several issues — environment, crime, immigration, and health-care costs — had become less of a concern for many respondents.
Protecting the environment, in particular, appeared to be receiving less emphasis and fell most precipitously in public opinion. In 2008, 56 percent identified it as a top priority, but today 41 percent do.
Views on other nonprofit-related issues stayed relatively steady. For example, last year 51 percent of respondents said helping the poor should be a top priority of the president, while 50 percent said the same in 2009.
What do you think? What do the survey’s results mean for fund raising? Click on the comment button below to share your views.
