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In a tough December, it's crunch time for charities

Donations down while need up at many nonprofits

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 16, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Katherine Streker, an American Red Cross staff member, makes phone calls for the group's Mile High Chapter in Denver recently. "We missed our goal for November, so we have a lot of money to raise in December," said Nicole Adair, marketing manager.

Photo by Brian Lehmann / The Rocky

Katherine Streker, an American Red Cross staff member, makes phone calls for the group's Mile High Chapter in Denver recently. "We missed our goal for November, so we have a lot of money to raise in December," said Nicole Adair, marketing manager.

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Caroline Wall volunteers to be available once a month for a middle of the night call if disaster strikes the metro area. But the retail manager spent a recent day off from work making some urgent phone calls herself.

It's crunch time for nonprofits such as the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter, one of the many charities that relies heavily on December donations to fund much of the work it does in the community all year. The economic downturn has added extra urgency to its fundraising appeal this year.

"We know these are pretty difficult times," said Wall, who joined other Red Cross volunteers last week to make phone calls from a room previously used only for incoming phone calls from residents hit by area catastrophes. "Some people are saying they're not in a position to give this year."

The Denver-based nonprofit came in shy of its November target. With two weeks to go, it has raised about $150,000 toward its December goal of $500,000. The average donation it receives: $50.

"This is the classic example of what we refer to as 'all hands on deck,' " said Charley Shimanski, who became the new CEO of the Red Cross chapter last month. "The public doesn't realize we get no government funding."

All over Colorado, charities have been engaged in the year-end push to raise money. For those in health and human services, demand for charitable services has increased because of the hardships people face as they lose their jobs or homes.

"I've heard from several nonprofits that donations are flat or down while the need is up," said Sharon Knight, the interim president of the Colorado Nonprofit Association, the trade group representing the organizations that make up the state's huge charitable sector.

Arts and cultural groups also are bracing for expected cutbacks in foundation giving and other support.

The Curious Theatre met its end-of-year fundraising goal with a matching grant from the Gay and Lesbian Fund. But it purposely avoided making a big plea for gifts from its existing donors. Instead, it will wait until early next year to offer expanded benefits to members who contribute at a certain level.

"It's always difficult as a fundraiser to compare yourself to people who need shelter and food," said Diana Gatschet, development director for the contemporary theater company. "But, in times like these, we are able to improve people's quality of life and offer a temporary escape."

Many donors give at this time of year in a last-minute attempt to ensure they can claim a deduction when they file their tax returns in April. Charitable gifts also tend to increase around the holidays.

But this year is proving to be an especially challenging time to ask for money.

"We're all vying for the same donors and their ability to give," said Planned Parenthood's Gail Kelley, who huddled with other nonprofit executives at the Allied Jewish Federation last week to swap stories and concerns about a slowdown in charitable giving.

A survey conducted this fall by the Colorado Nonprofit Association revealed that many residents said they would be unable to give as generously this year because they're supporting friends and family in need.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver expects revenues to be down about 25 percent. "People are still being very generous but by and large people are giving less," said CEO John Arigoni. "They are making choices and narrowing their gifts to one or two groups."

Still, "the sky is not falling," he said. "We've been around 47 years, and we're going to be around in another 47. Things are tougher, that's all."

Comments

  • December 16, 2008

    7:07 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    LOUIE writes:

    Every year my family gives back to various charities; this year is harder only because there are so many charities hurting. The other thing is, because there are so many scam artists that pose as charities on the phone, I often dismiss them with out a second thought. I never have cared for phone solicitations because of all the scams we have recieved over the years. so we acually approach the charities directly ourselves in our giving.

  • December 16, 2008

    7:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    leslieforlife writes:

    Evil, racist Planned Parenthood is vying for the same charitable
    dollars as the rest of Colorado Non-profits?

    Pass the Kleenex please!

    Perhaps the sales of their Christmas abortion certificates
    will carry them through these tough economic times?

    "Last year (2006) Planned Parenthood received over $300 million dollars from government grants and contracts. However, Title X is the biggest piece of the pie as it makes up approximately 23 percent of Planned Parenthood’s total government funding. In other words, last year an estimated $70 million was given to PP though Title X, more than any other single organization in the country." (http://www.stopp.org/wsr070725.htm)

  • December 16, 2008

    8:29 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Marshdale writes:

    Leslie:
    So whats your point? Would you rather be paying to put these women in prison for getting an abortion? How about we dump these unwanted orphans at your doorstep. I'm sure you have the resources to feed, cloath, shelter and educate them. Look, I don't care for abortion much either. It's a lousy form of birth control, but so is the faith based balogny. The fact of the matter is that teens are going to have sex. Some families are lucky enough to have an adult influence around all of the time others are not so lucky. Those kids are the ones who tend to take chances. Some kids just have lousy parents. We can't help that. My point is that we need to be realistic and find a better way to prevent teens from becoming pregnant in the first place.

  • December 16, 2008

    9:10 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    FCZ writes:

    Uncle Sam Will Pay $450 Billion This Year Just to Cover Interest on National Debt .

    the fourth largest expense in the federal budget behind Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense spending.

    Soon number one ?

  • December 16, 2008

    9:16 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jay045 writes:

    The comment about Planned Parenthood minimizes the fact that most of those dollars are for health services for low-income women. Planned Parenthood also provides family planning services (contraception) for adults and pregnancy prevention programs for teens. The dollars received by Planned Parenthood cited in the comment are for all 50 states. Do you think poor women in large states like Florida, Texas, New York and California deserve access to healthcare services, especially when they have few other options?

  • December 16, 2008

    9:31 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Willy writes:

    I prefer to give my time and money to local charities so I can see the results. The charity that gets most of my time and money these days is Innner City Health Center which provides low/no cost health care to those who cannot afford it.

    The economy is hurting everyone. If you can't afford to give money, donate some time as a volunteer.

  • December 16, 2008

    10:28 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Romanesco writes:

    "Do you think poor women in large states like Florida, Texas, New York and California deserve access to healthcare services, especially when they have few other options?"

    If you're an ultra-conservative religious zealot who preaches abstinence and derides birth control and proper sex education, probably not...

  • December 16, 2008

    11:15 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Queen_Gorgo writes:

    Yes, Planned Parenthood vies for charitable dollars. They'll be getting plenty of mine this month along with several food banks, cancer causes, environmental groups and other non-profits.

    Here's a great piece about the moronic movement to de-fund Planned Parenthood:

    The Pro-life Case for Planned Parenthood

    http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/huma...

    "If you define pro-life as preventing abortions, Planned Parenthood is the most effective pro-life organization in the history of the world. No, it doesn't give teenagers the idea of having sex. That idea comes to them quite naturally, thank you very much. What Planned Parenthood does, more comprehensively than anyone else, is to distribute the means and knowledge to control your risk of getting pregnant when you don't want to be pregnant. And those two things, combined with pressure to exercise that control assiduously, are the surest way to prevent abortions. If you wait till women are already unhappily pregnant, you're too late."

    Clearly the Colorado people have spoken on Leslie's radical view that a fertilized egg is a fully fledged person deserving of full legal protection, BY A THREE TO ONE MARGIN. Still, these loons who believe that birth control is murder (thepillkills.com) will keep coming aftrer the common sense education, information, and medical services that Planned Parenthood provides so that all people can exercise reproductive choice in making personal, private, medical decisions.

  • December 16, 2008

    11:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbowen43 writes:

    According to the "compassionate conservative Bush" mantra the rich will be gladly supporting charities because they got the tax cuts and it would be something Jesus would approve of them doing.

  • December 16, 2008

    11:25 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    roger44 writes:

    I watched my step Dad give to the American cancer society as a kid, but none of them were around when Mom was dying of cancer at the age of 44. No faith in charities.

  • December 16, 2008

    11:35 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Willy writes:

    Bowen - that is a silly comment. The "rich" (and corporations) do the majority of the funding for charities and each individual determines for themselves if it is related to their religion. Take a look at the donor lists of major charities. They are public.

  • December 16, 2008

    12:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mrwiizrd writes:

    According to the "compassionate liberal Obama" mantra the rich will be taxed into supporting unwarranted government programs because he knows whats best for each individual citizen and it would be something Jesus would approve of him doing.