12 Million More Non Profits!?

12 Million More Non Profits!?

by Bill High

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that the nonprofit world is expected to grow…by 12 million new organizations.

As the nearly 80 million Boomers head toward retirement, some become altruistic, and some need something to do. So they create nonprofits and work on doing something good. Some will fund these nonprofits themselves. Some will seek funding from others.

Under any circumstances, it translates to more noise in the charitable space. Some of it will be good. Some of it will be bad.

Consider that the number of nonprofits has virtually doubled since 2001 to 1.5 million nonprofits.  Think about what happens when the number goes up to 12 million nonprofits. Our mailboxes won’t be able to hold all the direct mail pieces!

While I say that “tongue in cheek,” let’s resist the urge to create some kind of Congressional committee to “monitor the situation.” We don’t need an immigration service for nonprofits.

Instead, we can let the market dictate those who will survive and those who won’t. On the other hand, the message to charities ought to be one of clarity. Be clear about your message, your mission and your value. Without that clarity, many won’t survive the coming noise. 

The message to donors is likewise one of clarity. Be clear about what you believe in, the areas of interest, and the criteria you use to support organizations. Without that clarity, the noise may be deafening and at the least confusing.

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Published January 18, 2012

Topics: Giving Trends

Charitable GivingGiving TrendsNonprofits

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