While the dominant headlines during the recession have focused on the decrease in giving to nonprofits, this is not the entire story.
We have just completed an analysis of giving to ECFA members. It revealed that for ECFA members renewing membership in the last six months there has been a net gain in giving of 2% from 2009 to 2010. Pre-recession giving compared to three years later was $6.18 billion in 2007 and $6.32 billion in 2010, or an increase of 3.3%.
It is very significant that this segment of the giving world was resilient and maintained itself during a difficult economic time. This suggests a strong commitment of givers to the Christian faith and the generosity of God’s people.
The recessionary impact on giving was more significantly felt by smaller charities. Organizations with annual revenue above $10 million reflected an increase in giving for the 2007-10 period of 3.1%. While the organizations under $10 million annual revenue saw a decrease of 3.2%.
Of the 552 member’s data studied, 43% reflected an increase in giving between 2009 and 2010, 44% showed a decrease and the data for 13% was about the same (plus or minus 2%).
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