Contributions to nonprofits, demand for services increase

For three consecutive years, most respondents to GuideStar.org’s nonprofit economic survey said contributions to their organizations either increased from the previous year or remained about the same. For four years in a row, a majority of nonprofits have also reported that demand for services has grown as well.

Fully a half of October 2006 respondents said contributions had increased compared to 49 percent in 2005 and 50 percent in 2004. The last three years have held steady and are up substantially from 39 percent reporting increased support in 2003 and only 28 percent in 2002.

Only 19 percent of participating nonprofits reported decreased contributions in 2006 – down slightly from 2005 (22 percent) and 2004 (23 percent). In 2003, 35 percent reported cuts in contributions and, in 2002, almost half (48 percent) said donor support was down.

Every year from 2003 to 2006, about 70 percent of respondents have reported that demand for their services had increased year over year. GuideStar received 3,820 responses to its online survey between Oct. 9 and 23, representing at least 1,371 nonprofit organizations across the country. Click here for all the numbers and a complete report on the survey.