At a conference in Washington last week, Jon Duschinsky, an international fundraising expert, told his audience that American charities might soon be competing with organizations worldwide for donations. With the rise of online giving, donors are no longer hampered by geographic boundaries when choosing organizations to support.
Mr. Duschinsky, founder of Bethechange Consulting in Paris, said that globalization is forcing non-profits to realize that their world is changing. For example, American donors who are interested in medical research are no longer limited to supporting American hospitals or scientists. They can easily find information about new research and clinics worldwide.
Mr. Duschinsky highlighted Guidestar (www.guidestar.org), a database of American non-profits where donors can research charities. Guidestar now has a website in Britain (http://guidestar.org.uk) and has begun Guidestar Europe (http://guidestareurope.org) which will include Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and Holland.
Within five years or less, Mr. Duschinsky believes that websites like Guidestar will give donors the necessary tools for researching and supporting global, not just national, charities.
“International giving could blow the socks off of the charity world, and blow a lot of organizations out of the water,” he said.
While Mr. Duschinsky realized that international giving does come with tax issues, he pointed out that many studies have shown that tax deductions are not the main reason for charitable giving.
The Washington conference Mr. Duschinsky made his comments at was sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Washington chapter.
Information taken from: Sue Hoye. “Charities Will Soon Face Global Competition for Donors, Fund Raiser Predicts.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy. http://philanthropy.com.
--Ashley High is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online.