Wednesday, July 7, 2010

What Do Those Giving Numbers Mean?

July 1st marked the beginning of a new fiscal year for an uncountable - but huge - number of nonprofits in academia, health care, the arts and just about every other category. This start coincides with many governments' fiscal calendars. For most of us a new beginning carries the promise of brighter times and a rosier future.

But coming off a substantial drop in giving in 2009, and 2008, clouds of uncertainty are fogging the mirror. One reason for concern is that the Giving USA Foundation data - summed up here in the last blog - simply did not pass the sniff test of actual experience rather than the statistical extrapolation (on which GUSA numbers are based).

In that context Ruth McCambridge and Rick Cohen opined in a two-part takein The Nonprofit Quarterly is well worth reading. Entitles "Giving USA and You: Cognitive Dissonance Anyone?" Ruth's argument, briefly put, is a few very large foundaion grants skewed the picture. Rick's main point is aggregate corporate giving appears to have gone up because of non-cash gifts, an increasing tranche for company philanthropy.

Take a look at these two provocative essays. (www.nonprofitquarterly.org)

And if your new fiscal year just started, may you prosper.

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