by Barbara B. Pingrey
On Wednesday, June 10, Giving USA released its findings on charitable giving in 2008. Giving USA is a public outreach initiative of Giving USA Foundation™ which endeavors to advance philanthropy through research and education. The results of this most recent study are both disturbing and encouraging at the same time.
Remembering that the economic conditions we are now experiencing were not on many people’s horizons even 12 months ago, this study shows giving exceeding $300 billion for the second year in a row. Yet the decline from 2007, when adjusted for inflation, is 5.7%. This is the first year of decline in current dollars since 1987 and the steepest drop-off since 1956.
Although nearly every category of nonprofit is feeling the impact of a reduction in giving, amazingly, just when people need help with basic needs, one of the hardest hit groups was social services. This area saw a 16% decrease at the same time when 54% of the service providers reported an increase in demand. And this demand continues to rise.
Boulder and Broomfield Counties are fortunate to have in place agencies, programs and systems that are innovative and successful in addressing the human service needs of the area. The programs use evidence-based practices and are able to substantiate their successes. All this is great---but the fact remains that there is a saturation point even for the best program; a point where the needs exceed the financial capacity. So the question for the rest of us is, "In this economic climate, how do we increase the capacity and for how long can we do it? "
There’s no magic wand, no easy answer. But if we continue to work together, we will continue to move forward. Our regional human services strategic plan is a good start. We will find ways to create greater efficiencies, eliminate duplication of services, provide for agencies to spend more time on direct service provision, and share our successes with the community. And then we can build on those successes. Donations and funding are, of course, critical to these successes; but they are not the only pieces. Given this new report and the immediate economic forecast, we all will need to explore every possibility to make certain our communities and the people in them have food, shelter, medical care and other essential services that sustain their very lives.
You can read the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article on the report here, or click here to read Giving USA’s press release. If you’d like information on how you can help through giving, advocacy or volunteering, contact us at info@unitedwayfoothills.org or 303-444-4013.
