from The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

Strong Year-End Donations Helped Many Charities Rebound From Bad Economy

Sixty-two percent of 245 nonprofit organizations surveyed by The Chronicle reported that they raised more in November and December 2010 than at the same time in 2009.

… Charities that did well during the last few months of 2010 stepped up their efforts to reach potential donors and tried to show donors how much of a difference their giving made at a time when demand for services was rising and contributions were hard to come by.

Sending more-frequent – but shorter – appeals worked for the Foundation for Jewish Culture, a New York group that raised $27,000 in November and December, more than double its 2009 year-end total of $12,000. Total giving, though, was flat in 2010, at $1.9-million, although the foundation expects to raise $2.5-million in 2011.

In the past three years the organization has abandoned fund-raising galas but plans to host at least one in 2011. “It’s time to honor people and toot our horn a little louder,” says Elise Bernhardt, the foundation’s chief executive.