Two Events to Bring Relief and Ideas for Challenged San Diego Nonprofits

Feb. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Help is on the way for area nonprofits struggling to respond to increased demands for services amidst declining funding. In March, two local events will respond directly to requests for help from area organizations by providing new fundraising and marketing strategies. The events, scheduled for March 5 and 10, are sponsored by the San Diego chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the American Marketing Association (AMA) respectively.

On, March 5 the AFP will host “Finding Fundraising Success in 2010: A new culture of giving – A new model for results.” The event features renowned fundraising expert Kent Dove, who has spent five decades creating new models for nonprofit fundraising success. The San Diego Chapter of the AMA will hold its 12th Annual Cause Conference on March 10. The conference features a marketing and a fundraising track, each designed to help nonprofit professionals create new strategies and tools that they can bring back to their organizations.

"These events are in direct response to requests for help we’ve heard from our nonprofit community,” says Deirdre Maloney, owner of Momentum, San Diego, AFP board member and co-chair of the AMA’s Cause Conference. “Fundraisers know that it is critical to understand the most recent trends and innovative strategies in order to persevere through this difficult market and meet the needs of those they serve. That’s why AFP invited a proven fundraising expert to its event on March 5, and why the AMA conference will include a track specific to fundraising strategies this year.”

A new report about the impact of the economy on San Diego nonprofits was released earlier this year. Titled “Operating in Uncertain Times: How Economic Conditions have affected San Diego County’s Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sectors”, the independent study surveyed more than 125 of the region’s largest nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. The full report is available online and was sponsored by the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research at the University of San Diego.

“The study proves quantitatively what so many of us in the sector have known intuitively. San Diego nonprofits have been hurt by the recession,” said Pat Libby, Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Education & Research at the University of San Diego. “It’s also illustrates an opportunity for organizations to truly assess their strengths and weaknesses, and to plan for a better tomorrow by focusing on the most important programs and fundraising strategies for their own survival and success.”

AFP’s event on March 5 will be held at the Mission Valley Doubletree. For more information visit www.afpsd.org. The 12th Annual Cause Conference on March 10 will be held at the Joan B. Kroc Center for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. For more information visit www.sdama.org.

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FACT SHEET: Key Statistics about San Diego Nonprofits and Charitable Foundations

• San Diego is home to over 9,000 nonprofit organizations.

• San Diego nonprofits are stretched almost to the breaking point. Increased demand for nonprofit services coupled with declining revenues and a shortage of cash reserves leaves San Diegoʼs nonprofit sector in a precarious position. A lingering state budget crisis makes matters worse in a region where the county relies heavily on nonprofits to deliver services that in other places are provided by the government.

• A workforce at risk. Aggressive efforts to balance budgets have resulted in reduced or frozen salaries and benefits, staff layoffs and asking increased hours of staff without additional pay. This coupled with an overall reduction in funds for professional development may offset any recent gains toward increased professionalism and leadership development in this sector.

• Shifting funding priorities for San Diego foundations. Many foundations will increase focus on their grant-making in the coming year. With several of San Diegoʼs largest philanthropic foundations narrowing their funding priorities to focus on specific issues and/or geographic areas reduces the opportunity for nonprofits to seek funding from local partners.

• Looking ahead: The economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, but recovery to the nonprofit sector may lag behind other sectors as organizations work to rebuild reserves and organizational assets to pre-recession levels. This is especially true for nonprofits providing services to the unemployed as employment is typically one of the last areas to recover in a recession.

• Other Key Statistics
− Eighty-nine percent of charitable 501c(3) nonprofits and one-hundred percent of foundations felt that the recession had a negative impact on their organization.
− As a result of changing economic conditions, 58% of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for services.
− Two-thirds of nonprofits reported decreases in revenue of up to 30%.
− On average, charitable foundations reported decreased assets ranging from 10-30 percent.
− Forty-two percent of nonprofits used reserves to cover budget shortfalls.
− Only one-third of nonprofits have more than 6 months worth of operating reserves set aside.

All statistics cited are from the January 2010 report “Operating in Uncertain Times,” sponsored by the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research at the University of San Diego.

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The San Diego American Marketing Association is the premier professional development
association for San Diegoʼs marketing community, with more than 240 members. For more
information on the local chapter, please visit www.sdama.org. For more information on the national organization, visit www.marketingpower.com.