Survey Shows Animal Charities ‘Somewhat Confident’

Animal charities are 50 percent "somewhat confident" that they will be able to meet their year-end goals.

Due to the economic slump, many charities are bracing for a drop in year-end gifts in 2008 compared to 2007, according to a recent survey by Charity Navigator, a nonprofit charity evaluator.

Survey respondents indicated that year-end gifts — roughly the time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s — count for more than a quarter of their annual contributions.

Still, animal charities are 50 percent somewhat confident that they will be able to meet their year-end giving goal, according to the survey. Thirty-two percent reported they were not very confident and 8 percent were not confident at all. Three percent of animal charities surveyed felt completely confident and 7 percent felt very confident that they will be able to meet the goal.

Religion charities expressed the greatest confidence (10 percent completely confident) while international charities expressed the least (15 percent not confident at all).

Although a majority of the charities stated they are at least somewhat confident that they’ll meet this year’s goals, their goals appear to be less aggressive than 2007, according to Charity Navigator.

The median charity anticipates a decline of 15 percent in year-end giving in 2008 versus the previous year. International charities are predicting the largest decline (median decline of 20 percent), while animals, arts, culture, humanities and health charities are forecasting the smallest drop in year-end gifts (median decline of 10 percent), according to the survey.

Of the charities that anticipated a drop in funding, the median value reported was $72,000. International charities reported the biggest anticipated decline (median drop of $125,000), while environment charities reported the least (median drop of $32,500).

In related news, Charity Navigator noted that online giving may be stronger during the holidays than other types of giving, probably because of convenience. Network for Good reports that 45 percent of annual giving via their online donation system occurs during December.