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The more I work on the subject of fundraising in a recession the more I have come to realise that the biggest problem that will affect our sector has not yet hit us.
This problem arises from the fact that our country cannot possibly afford the dramatically rising national debt now being built up in consequence of current policies of spending our way out of trouble. Even if we may think we can afford this, the international community will soon demonstrate that it is not prepared to lend us what we need at a price we can afford.
As soon as a new incoming regime begins to start to make unavoidable major public spending cuts, the power of the public sector itself will be deployed to fight to defend jobs and pay through strike action and other means. This will inevitably mean that the burden of the cuts will fall rapidly and dramatically on any public spending (however efficient) which is not directly related to the pay and conditions of public employees - and that means public funding of the voluntary sector.
This will throw an enormous additional financial burden for protecting the poorest and most deprived in our communities directly onto the voluntary sector, which will have to raise its fundraising game to an extraordinary extent. I believe that those voluntary organisations which currently rely on statutory funding and have little other fundraising income sources or endowment funds, will suffer a massive hit but what is infinitely more important is the effect that this will have on their beneficiaries.
It is imperative that all voluntary organisations who will be affected by this now make rapid assessments of their fundraising capability and training needs so that they may be as ready as possible for when this enormous shake up hits us.
Anthony Clay, Trainer, Fundraising in a Recession