2010 Looks Bright
by Jerry F. Smith, CFRE
"Thanks to the generosity of the alumni and friends for South Dakota State University, our "It Starts with STATE" campaign made great strides in 2009. Last year nearly $40 million in new commitments were made in support of our institution. As a result, we are nearly at 60% of our working goal ($190 million) midway through our campaign. 2009 was highlighted by five facility ribbon cuttings/dedications. Planned gifts continue to be a strong component of our growth, and our regional committee recruitment strategies are yielding very good results. We anticipate great success in 2010 as we strive to provide outstanding opportunities for Jackrabbit students, faculty members and staff." -- Keith Mahlum, Vice President/Development, South Dakota State University
2010 commences a new decade, and with that decade comes opportunity. For some organizations, giving remained strong last year. However, if your fund-raising efforts suffered a setback in 2009, the time is now to energize your program and hit the ground running!
"We have been blessed to have great campaign leadership, both in terms of our board, former board members and our physician champions. With the testimony of support provided by our medical staff, our community really appreciates the need for the campaign. As the old cliché goes, 'Our mission is not in recession.'" -- Mac Plummer, Vice President, St. Francis Hospital Foundation
According to the latest AP-GfK poll, 72% of Americans are optimistic about what 2010 has in store for the country. This is good news! In an Associated Press article by Charles Babington, the same poll reports that nearly three-fourths of Americans thought 2009 was a bad year. However, four in five of those same individuals are hopeful that 2010 will be better. While the past may look gloomy, the future is bright. In fact, in a survey conducted by Echo Research for American Spending & Saving Tracker, 12% of adults said they will actually give more in 2010 than they did in 2009. Another 58% said their giving will remain consistent with that of last year.
This economic slowdown reminds me of a quote from Charles Kettering,"Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down." I recently read that the difference in success and failure is not chance, but choice. You can make the choice to succeed in this downturn. Stay focused on the donors who have given to you in the past and have the ability to give again. For other prospective donors, remember the three C's: Contact, Cultivate and Close!
