NRC Survey: Mid-Year Results Indicate Slight Slowdown in Giving

Nonprofit organizations set sights on 2020
 

Just over half (52 percent) of surveyed nonprofit organizations reported that gift receipts as of mid-2019 were improved over mid-2018 in a survey conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative in October 2019.  This is a drop of six percentage points compared with a year prior.

The mid-year value for increased charitable receipts from the NRC has been an average 8 percentage points below the year-end results. If this holds true for 2019, with 52 percent of organizations reporting increased receipts over last year at mid-year, NRC estimates approximately 60 percent of organizations will report increased charitable receipts compared with 2018. This will be lower than in most prior years when 62 to 65 percent of participating organizations reported an increase in gift received. The one exception was in 2016 when just 60 percent reported growth in charitable revenue.

PREDICTIONS FOR 2020

The Fall 2019 NRC survey asked nonprofit fundraising practitioners about their planning for 2020. Among all survey participants, 65 percent project a better year for fundraising than 2019.

Anticipated large-scale national events are prompting some organizations to take action: 38 percent of respondents reported planning around a potential recession, and 29 percent expect to change some strategies and tactics because of the 2020 presidential campaign. The most important planning topic, though, is staffing: 42 percent of organizations are adjusting their approaches to account for staff changes and turnover.

In terms of fundraising strategies, respondents listed relationship-building and improved communications with donors as their preferred methods to maintain and grow giving in 2020.

About the Survey

The Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC) conducts surveys twice a year. Reports are available at www.NPResearch.org. This survey was conducted online and respondents form a convenience sample. There is no margin of error, as it is not a random sample of the population studied. Reported results are statistically significant using chi-square analysis.

About the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC)

The NRC is a coalition of fundraising and charitable organizations dedicated to gathering and analyzing the most accurate data possible to help charities become more effective at fundraising. NRC members have direct experience collecting information from nonprofits concerning charitable receipts, fundraising practices, and/or grantmaking activities. NRC partners are the Association of Fundraising Professionals; Association of Fundraising Counsel; CFRE International; and the Giving USA Foundation.