Even in America, generosity has its limits. That's the fact most ministries and charities are now facing after reports from earlier this year indicated that Americans were giving despite the economic downturn.
Instead, nonprofits across the country have been hit with a double whammy with decreased budgets and increased demand. "Nonprofits are generally at the whim of the economy ... but we've never seen anything like this," says Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA. "Increasing numbers of our own volunteers and employees have been forced to become clients of our services."
According to a recent World Vision survey, three out of four adults in the United States have changed their giving habits because of the economy, with one in three donating less to charities. Only 10 percent of Americans are giving more in 2009 than they did in 2008.
"It gives you a mindset to be more creative," says American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. "We're thinking even better and more innovatively than we were 10 months ago."
Interestingly enough, the volunteer climate remains a little cloudy. Despite numerous nonprofits reporting a surge in non-staff helping hands since the recession began, a report released last month by the National Conference on Citizenship showed that 72 percent of Americans now spend less time volunteering and "performing other civic activities."
Whether or not volunteerism is actually on the rise, the response from nonprofits having to trim both budgets and staff has been almost universal: Organizations are honing in on fewer elements and concentrating on their primary goals. "It's a very useful process—to rethink and prioritize," says Kymberly Wolff, senior vice president for resource development at international aid organization CARE. "What many nonprofits do is become very scattered, trying to do all things for all people. This crisis has forced us to become very strategic, and concentrate on serving those who need us the most." [AP, 9/30/09; christianpost.com, 9/29/09]
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