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Local Voices

More Charities Meeting Fundraising Goals, Local Nonprofits Report Uptick in Local Donations

More than six in 10 nonprofits in the St. Louis region reported meeting their fundraising goals in 2012, and 64 percent said they raised more money last year than in 2011.  In a further sign of optimism, 59 percent believe they will raise even more money in 2013.

 

The results were part of annual surveys of area nonprofits and local corporate and foundation grantmakers, conducted by The Rome Group, a local consulting firm serving the nonprofit sector. A total of 214 organizations of all sizes completed the survey, representing all parts of the region. The results of the survey were presented to an audience of more than 400 nonprofits, grantmakers and community representatives at the annual Philanthropic Landscape event on July 18 at Washington University’s Edison Theater.

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The local results are consistent with national numbers from Giving USA that reported total charitable giving in the U.S. in 2012 was 316.23 billion dollars. That represents an increase of 3.5 percent from 2011, or a 1.5 percent increase after adjusting for inflation.

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“This is the third year in a row that total giving in the country has increased,” said Amy Rome, principal and founder of The Rome Group. ”That is clearly a positive sign that things are looking up. In our won surveys, every sector, from the arts to human service organizations, reported an increase last year. That is definitely good news.”

 

Among the grantmakers surveyed, 56 percent gave more in 2012 than in 2011 and another 39 percent gave the same amount as the prior year.  Nearly four in 10 expect to give more in 2013 than in 2012, while 44 percent plan to give the same as in 2012. Rome noted that that 56 percent of the grantmakers surveyed are once again accepting grant proposals from nonprofits that they had not previously funded.

 

The biggest challenge facing nonprofits in 2013 appears to be meeting demand for services with current staffing levels. Both nonprofits and grantmakers expressed concern about organizations’ ability to respond to higher demand for services in light of resource cutbacks over the past few years. “The next few years will still be tough as the pace of recovery remains slow,” said Rome. Other nonprofits reported worries about relying too much on uncertain government funding programs.

 

Half of all nonprofits also said they anticipate staff leadership changes within the next five years. Funders recognize the problem this creates. Only 35 percent said nonprofits currently have the right staff leadership needed to face the challenges ahead. They cites a lack of emphasis on developing leaders in the organization as the biggest challenge nonprofits face with regard to the future leadership of their organizations.

 

“Finding and developing leaders is going to be a primary focus for the nonprofit sector over the next decade,” said Rome.

 

The Philanthropic Landscape event featured presentations on this topic from six area leaders, including:

  • Elizabeth George, Vice President of Deaconess Foundation;
  • Dee Joyner, Senior Vice President, Commerce Bank;
  • Reena Hajat Carroll, Executive Director of the Diversity Awareness Partnership;
  • Castor Armesto, Founder of the Latino Leadership Institute;
  • Lisa Melandri, Director of the Contemporary Art Museum; and
  • Dr. Kelvin Adams, Superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools.

 

“Building the sector’s future leadership is critical to the health and viability of our community,” explained Rome. “This is a topic that will continue to get increased focus as we move forward.”

 

The results of The Rome Group’s surveys can be viewed at www.theromegroup.com.

 

About The Rome Group
The Rome Group is the St. Louis area’s leading consulting firm serving the nonprofit sector. It specializes in helping nonprofit organizations build capacity by planning for the future, focusing their development and fundraising efforts, and identifying opportunities for leadership, growth and success.

 

 

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