Bentz Whaley Flessner Advisory: Giving Through Tough Economic Times

It appears as if most economists believe there is a good chance the United States may slip into a recession in 2008. Whether you think there is coming recession or not, one thing is clear: the current downturn in the stock market will be a challenge for fundraising this year.

What does this mean for you?
The answer to this economic challenge is not to give up on fundraising should a recession arrive in 2008; but rather, the solution is to work harder and smarter than you did in 2007. Consider the following strategies.

Read more of this January 2008 Advisory on the Bentz Whaley Flessner website and learn what steps you can take to strenghten donor relations through this tough economic period.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Philanthropy 400

The Chronicle's annual rankings of the charities that raise the most money can be found here (note: subscription required). This year's data shows that the nation's most-successful groups increased contributions by 4.3%. A great resource.

Study Finds That Companies That Companies Give More to Charity are More Profitable

Herb Greenberg, from The Wall Street Journal, reports that companies that give more to charity tend to be more profitable. Research conducted by Dover Management shows "that companies with a good relationship between philanthropy and operating earnings have outperformed the broader index by 3.5 percentage points a year over a five-year period."

Read the full 10.27.07 article from the Wall Street Journal.

Community Foundations

Community foundations saw an increase in grants, assets, and donations in 2006. Two studies report on community foundation trends: Columbus Foundation and Council on Foundations.

Full-text article (includes synopsis of surveys) by Sue Hoye is available via Chronicle of Philanthropy, 9.20.2007.

The Brand of Clinton

Bill Clinton has become a leading brand in the giving industry. Having left the White House under something of a cloud, he has since transformed himself into one of the hottest brands in the booming business of giving away money.

This is a remarkable piece of rebranding, to say the least, for a man never blessed with spare cash to give. "I entered the White House with the lowest net worth of any president in the 20th century, and I left it $10m-12m in debt," Mr Clinton says. Speaking fees have helped of late, but only a bit. His genius has been to get other people to attach his name to their money-like a sort of philanthropic version of Donald Trump-to increase its impact.

Full-text article via The Economist, 9.20.07.

We Can't Rely on the Kindness of Billionaires

This article discusses generational wealth and philanthropic giving trends in regards to mega-gifts, family foundations, and Bill Clinton's book, "Giving".

Article by David Nasaw available via The Washington Post, 8.23.07.