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Let the good times roll: The potential horrors of a post-recession world

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 4 Nov 2009

The recession is over in the US. Done. Dusted. Glad that’s over. Phew.

Even beleaguered old Blighty could emerge from the confines of recession by the end of the year, according to some economic soothsayers. Hooray. Let the charity sector delight in the new world order!

But what will charity messages look like in the post-recession world? At the onset of recession the sector abounded with Darwinian warnings that only the charities that can evolve will survive, that it will take ingenuity and cunning and a dash of divine intervention to keep donors giving, that, in short, the sky may fall in – or if not, it will be propped up by rickety old 2-by-4s.

Many have taken the ingenuity route, but many too have opted for updating their supporters on the imminent collapse of the sky. Pleas to ‘keep on giving’, direct mail acknowledging that times are tough for individuals but reminding them that times are indeed tougher still for charities struggling with increased demand and decreased donations.

But  the rub is, that it wasn't always true. There has been a general drop in donations, but not all charities have seen a surge in pressure on their services. Beth Breeze, in a recent article for PF, reports that only a fraction of charities work in areas that are affected by increases in disadvantage and poverty associated with the recession.

And while a relative minority were directly affected by the 'double whammy', an analysis of media coverage of charities in relation to the recession showed that the vast of majority stories portrayed organisations as vulnerable. And although the suggestion may cause the innocent eyes of charity fundraisers and advertisers to open wider, aghast, charities have been complicit in creating this apocalyptic mis en scene. And fair enough, the sector had some of its best appeals during the last twelve months (NSPCC, Children in Need, Red Nose Day, Parkinson's Disease Society and Crisis to name a few) .

How will the sector fare once the Recession has become past tense and the world tires of living in crisis mode? Has civil society demonstrated it is an integral component of the economic, cultural and social fabric of the country or has it pitched itself as the sector of last resort?

Once the dust has settled, and the world gets out it's duster to see what is underneath there may just be a few charities that will have to start reminding their supporters about what it is they do, and not just what kind of crisis they are in. Crying poor may gain sympathy in a recession, but it will likely seem old hat by the time the recovery gets around.

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Directory: Crisis | National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro | Beth Breeze