GIVING USA

The Giving USA report findings released last week weren’t a big surprise.

- Individuals donated $229.3 billion to charity last year, a decrease of 6.3 percent. Giving through bequests also dropped: $22.7 billion was contributed through wills, a 6.4 percent decline. Gifts from individuals, including bequests, accounted for 82 percent of all charitable giving in 2008.

- Foundation grants decreased only slightly, 0.8 percent, totaling $41.2 billion. Grants from private, community and operating foundations made up 13 percent of the total contributed last year. But, there are reasons this drop will have a more long-term affect on grantmaking.

- Corporate donations totaled $14.5 billion in 2008, an 8 percent decrease. Half of that was in in-kind contributions and half of that was pharmacological. Corporations provide 5 percent of all giving.

The big take away: diversify your income streams. Tall order, I know. What are you most reliant on? Note that individuals not only provide the lion’s share of gifts, they are the most loyal.

The days of drive-by donor relationships are over. Learn how to massage your supporters with a series of effleurage and petrissage (stroking and kneading) to keep them copacetic with the changes at your organization. If you need a road map on donor relations, call me: 847.227.7174.