The Nonprofit Sector Girds for … the R-Word

The current economic situation is sufficiently dire that when the Association of Fundraising Professionals meets in San Diego for its annual conference early next week, it will devote a session to what the industry can expect if and when the downturn continues. The Chronicle of Philanthropy will carry the Q-and-A by AFP president Paulette V. Maehara live Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe led a piece yesterday headlined "Steeling for possible dry spell" with this cheery question:

Will nonprofits be the next casualty in the shaky US economy?

As writer Sacha Pfeiffer noted, the sector has been doing fairly well over the last several months, all things considered, and even should things get a lot worse, big-ticket donations shouldn’t fall off too much. However, "modest donations by middle-class contributors to smaller organizations, which often care for the most vulnerable populations, are more likely to dry up even as demand for their services is spiking."

Long-range planning is never a fun topic, and it’s one of the easiest tasks to drop to the bottom of your to-do list. There are always, you think, more pressing things for you to address than something months or even years on the horizon. But economic cycles happen, and planning for them is no mere luxury — it’s a necessity. Especially for those smaller nonprofits the Globe cited, determining how to cushion yourself from economic troubles while still serving those who need you more than ever should be a central concern. And your fundraisers should keep that in mind when they’re pitching donors — targeted gifts are nice, but if the rent and electric bill don’t get paid, carrying out the mission gets a hell of a lot harder. | 501(c)

Tags: Association of Fundraising Professionals, nonprofit and economy, recession