52% of charities say the credit crunch has affected the work they do, according to a report by the Charity Commission. Almost two-thirds of charities with an annual income of £1 million-plus also said they were concerned the downturn would have a significant impact on their work. Just over one in 10 have upped their fundraising efforts and 6% have taken to drawing on their financial reserves. Charities face that double whammy of a drop in income as well as an increased demand for services. Source: Sky News 17-03-2009

And yet . . .

Comic Relief defies the credit crunch. Comic Relief defied the recession by raising a record £57 million for charity. The BBC1 extravaganza broke the previous record of £40.5 million, set in 2007. Source: Mail on Sunday 15-03-2009

So who is right? From our perspective we just need to keep being smart – smarter about using our database, smarter and more imaginative about our fundraising efforts and smarter in our approach to potential supporters. Being small let’s us do this, so there’s a lot to be said for being small and smart.

But brainstrust doesn’t always feel small!