Blackbaud State of the not-for-profit sector survey

Blackbaud launched its State Of the Not for profit Industry (SONI) Survey in the United States in 2004, with the objective being to provide an overview of critical information to help not-for-profit organisations better benchmark their operations. This is the second year that Blackbaud Europe has released the survey here in the UK and, due to an overwhelmingly positive response last year, the content is closely aligned with that of last year’s survey and was put together in consultation with the Resource Alliance.

The survey is undeniably heavy on fundraising topics: however it also covers other areas relevant to any not-for-profit organisation, fundraising or otherwise, such as staffing, demand for services, accountability, use of the Internet for marketing (and fundraising), organisational challenges, etc.

We believe that SONI benefits from asking the same questions to each segment of the sector in order that meaningful comparisons can be made, and there has been significant interest in taking the survey (unchanged) to other constituencies – both in other countries and other segments of the not-for-profit sector – to further profile and compare different groups of people.

We welcome any feedback on the survey’s content and would ask you to forward your comments to tricia.ryan@blackbaud.co.uk, who will ensure these are fully considered when the 2009 survey content is being finalised.

Martin Jervis,
Managing Director,
Blackbaud Europe Ltd.

Cadburys saying people like chocolate. Shock Horror.
I'm on the 12 steps chocolate diet - never be more than 12 steps from chocolate.

Sandre, you are right about a different name being more appropriate.

How about 'state of begging charities sector'?

Or

'state of a small minority of a small sector that bothered to reply to us'?

Surveys can be written to give the sort of results you want. If you target those who love you best, even better for the organisation.
But whether survey results then bear any relation, even in passing, to reality - thats another question.
Reminds me, must do the survey wehn I get into work next week.

Maybe we should put this into the same category as Cadbury saying people like chocolate, or SMART cars saying we all like ugly little runabouts :-)

Blackbaud want to sell their fundraising database, and that's all the survey is about - maybe we should try to hold them to the same standards of honesty their clients have to observe, and make it clear that it is a partial (in both senses) exercise aimed primarily at building their market.

Cheers

Gerry

Gerry Beldon FInstF
Director, 26-01 CIC
www.26-01.com