This article is written by Matthew Tucker and is part of the Webjam Charity Channel
The bank bailouts and sliding house prices have made spending less and saving more a necessity for many of us. Combined with rising living costs the pressure is now on all our budgets; including those of charities and fundraisers.
The credit crunch will also affect another important factor in the third sector namely public generosity. The media have made the financial crisis an unavoidable reality; pick up any newspaper or switch on the TV and you are bound to find advice on how to make cutbacks and earn extra cash on the side.
People’s pockets are not as deep as they used to be. If times get worse then a thrifty outlook may become the norm. But recession is a time when charity is needed most by those worst affected by the downturn. Now, more than ever, is the time to stay charitable; especially true for our Governments.
In September of this year Gordon Brown and Bill Gates announced a pledge of around £1.5billion to help the fight against global malaria. This is a significant step toward combating world poverty but it pales in comparison to the proposed $700billion cash injection into the economy put forward by President Bush just weeks later.
When motivated to do so, Western governments can find vast sums of money. $700billion would eradicate all world poverty for over two years.
None of us have billions of pounds down the back of our sofas and not everyone is in a position to give. But we can refresh a person’s sense of perspective on their situation, especially when comparing with others around the globe. Whilst we in the West now have the financial crisis much of the world has an ongoing food crisis. We may worry about the best-priced garage for our next tank of petrol or slashed credit limits in the approach to Christmas, but others worry about how to feed their families from one week to the next. The current crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo has displaced 250,000 people in the last two months. Thousands have no food and need humanitarian aid quickly.
Major UK charities are already developing tactics that deal with the credit crunch. Oxfam are tuning in to the public mood by appealing to the public to design their campaign posters to be displayed on giant digital billboards in London. If you can think of a powerful message that will shake people out of their credit crunch gloom then visit the Be Humankind Campaign.
But restrained donations have not yet gripped the West as a whole. A cause that has received tremendous support in the face of hard economic times is the pledge from Western donors to rebuild Georgia in the wake of the conflict with Russia. The predicted pledge figure stood at £1.8billion with the actual sum exceeding expectations at £2.7billion. The Georgian Prime Minister, Lado Gurgenidze, said that “at a time like this, to show such support is something that no Georgian will ever forget.”
If you are raising money for an event or charity during these difficult times then the danger is to be more pushy and heavy-handed. Here are some tactics that won’t cause a stir:
• With the recession, more people are now choosing to give to charity by donating clothes, books and toys rather than cash. Take advantage of this by holding a bring-and-buy sale. It may have been done many times before, but this will prove popular in the current climate. • Shoppers are increasingly turning away from supermarket brands to charity shops to get the best deal. Oxfam’s annual sales have reached a healthy £80million this year. Encourage people to visit a charity shop at least once a week, not only will they find bargains but they will have more cash left over for giving to your charity.
Despite the current recession, figures from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations reveal that while donations to charity may not have fallen yet, this will only be maintained if Christmas donations equal previous years. Here are a couple of easy Christmas fundraising ideas:
• Are you struggling with Christmas shopping? Lost with what to get loved ones? Then give to a charity on your friends’ and family’s behalf – put the donation receipt in their Christmas card and see them smile.
• Don’t like your Christmas present this year, or received something you already have? Give it to a charity shop, or get a cash exchange and make a donation.
This article is part of the Webjam Charity Channel Flickr image from annia316's photostream
