Americans Still Battling Recession-Imposed Hunger

Though there are signs that the recession is gradually becoming a thing of the past, millions of people in America are still going hungry. This informative video by Nonprofit Times focuses on this situation. A staggering ninety four percent of all Salvation Army food programs saw requests for food increase in 2010. Well over sixty percent of all these programs experienced an increase in demand of fifteen percent or more. The problem is that sixty percent of all Salvation Army programs have not received the necessary increase in funding to cope with the elevated flood of requests. In fact, many programs have had to deal with decreases in funding across all channels...public, private and governmental.

Some positive news
In a survey conducted not too long ago, as many as fifty five percent of respondents mentioned that their shelves were only half full or less. On a more positive note however, the Salvation Army has reported that thirty six percent of its programs have experienced higher funding levels, and twenty three percent of all programs benefited from higher levels of volunteerism. These kinds of positive figures reveal that the recession has not broken the spirit of American generosity.

Promptness Is Key To Receiving That Second Gift

According to a study done among 100,000 donors, it's not a good idea to wait too long before making a request for a second gift. The findings of the study done by the fundraising firm Amergent reveal that the sooner a donor has the opportunity to make their second gift, the better it is for their long-term revenue potential. The study highlights the fact that if a donor makes a second gift within a period of 60 days, their revenue per donor figure of $86-$97 is almost double the value of those making one gift per year of $45.

The bottom-line finding of the Amergent research study is that the shorter the period of time between two gifts by the same donor, the better. Nonprofit organizations would therefore do well to strike while the iron is hot.

Fundraising Expenditures Set To Increase For Nonprofits

From the 17th of April 2011 nonprofits will be experiencing an increase in their fundraising expenditures. This is the subject of this clearly articulated video by Nonprofit Times. The United States Postal Service has increased its rates by an average of one and three quarter percent across the board. This increase is due to occur almost two years subsequent to the previous rate dilemma experienced by USPS. The increase is based on a price cap calculated by the Independent Postal Rate Commission, and is derived from CPI (Consumer Price Index) information.

Endeavoring to make up for shortfalls
The United States Postal Service is intent on bouncing back somewhat from its $456 million loss in November of 2010. A total loss of $6 billion was suffered in 2010. USPS also hopes to contribute toward some of the $5.4 billion that it currently owes to retired employees. This rate increase news will certainly place strain on nonprofits that focus heavily on the postal channel in driving their fundraising campaigns and searches for donors.