You may have been dismayed by the Oct. 17, 2010, report in Chronicle of Philanthropy that showed an 11 percent decline in donations to the nation’s 400 biggest charities last year.

America’s top two charities, United Way Worldwide and the Salvation Army decreased by 4.5 and 8.4 percent respectively.  All together, six members of the top 10 club saw donations fall from 2008-2009.

While we can’t ignore the facts, we CAN do something about it.  Fundraising in these tough economic times must be disciplined, laser-focused and strategically planned.

Here’s an example:  While United Way organizations across the country declined last year, the Palm Beach County United Way increased donations by 10.5% to $14,100,719. 

Our colleague at CP&A, Donn Colee, was campaign chairman.  Donn attributes the campaign’s success to a strong and dedicated team following a well-planned and targeted campaign plan. 

Strategic planning and tactical execution are critical keys to success.  That’s why we emphasize planning as the first step in any campaign.  “Ready … shoot … aim” doesn’t work in philanthropy any more than it does in riflery.

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Practicing what we preach, the CP&A team recently completed our own initial strategic planning retreat.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll report some of what we learned in that first session.

Thanks for reading.  If you think we might be able to help you, feel free to give me a shout. 

Charlotte