Charitable Giving Rebounds From Recession’s Low

Charitable organizations often feel the effects of recessions along with the rest of society: Just as the need for many charity services rises, their income drops, since it is frequently based on donations. Fortunately, there may be a sign of hope for such organizations, as a new study by Blackbaud shows a trend toward increasing charitable giving.

The new report focuses on fundraising trends based on monthly findings from The Blackbaud Index and featuring commentary from Dave Strauss, president and chief executive officer of SCA Direct. Additionally, Blackbaud announced the release of a new specialty index focused on environmental and animal welfare organizations.

“With the elections behind us, and the economy and markets improving, fundraising results have started to stabilize,” said Chuck Longfield, Blackbaud’s chief scientist and creator of The Blackbaud Index. “The Blackbaud Index of Charitable Giving has shown positive growth for four consecutive months, however, the U.S. is still a long way from putting its economic house in order. I expect 2011 to continue the trend of the past 4 months with slow but steady improvement across most industries and organizations.”