A new survey, released in October 2008, shows that committed donors aim to stay the course despite the financial climate. Bolder Giving in Extraordinary Times, a US non-profit initiative committed to inspiring and supporting people to give at their full potential, conducted the survey to gauge how their constituents are responding to tough financial times. Of their respondents, 52 per cent planned to maintain their personal giving, 21 per cent intended to increase it, and 17 per cent expected their personal giving to decrease. The 1,300 givers surveyed (of whom around 10 per cent responded) came from across the US and from all donation levels, from high-net-worth philanthropists to donors of modest means.

Co-founders of Bolder Giving Christopher and Anne Ellinger, who have 25 years’ experience of philanthropy and who also founded the non-profit peer education network More Than Money, believe that the concept of giving courageously is relevant even during times of financial constraint. Says Anne Ellinger: ‘Even with reduced assets, many of us still have resources we can commit to causes we are passionate about. And even if the dollar amount decreases, we can be bolder by being more strategic, more focused, and more effective.’

Bolder Giving, launched in May 2007, challenges people to do just that: to be bolder in how they give, to what they give, and how much they give. Its key strategy is the power of personal stories. Its website features over 80 vignettes of remarkable givers, many of whom have given at least 50 per cent of their income, assets or business profits to address the critical issues of our times.

In the next few months, Bolder Giving’s website will offer interactive features including a ‘theme of the month’, live chats with extraordinary givers, a Bolder Giving Challenge, and a step-by-step curriculum based on the Bolder Giving Workbook.

For more information
http://www.boldergiving.org