Inflation creates challenging fundraising landscape for local charities
Dec. 9—ANDERSON — When Maj. Mike Wolfe and some of his volunteers with Anderson Salvation Army recently went shopping for food items to fill holiday baskets for needy families, they experienced some sticker shock.
"I'm looking at hams that I bought at $1.59 a pound a year ago, and now we're seeing them for $3.30 a pound," Wolfe said.
"Our food costs have doubled, but donations haven't doubled. We're hit with the same inflation as anyone else — things like meat and other staples are doubling in price. It really hurts."
The U.S. economy's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been hampered by inflation at or near record levels for most of the year. With the holiday season in full swing, local organizations aiming to ensure a merry Christmas for needy families and children are also feeling the pinch.
Although unemployment has fallen to its lowest rate in more than four years and there are signs that the Federal Reserve's moves to raise interest rates may be starting to achieve their intended effects of slowing inflation, some charities have struggled to keep up.
According to nonprofit GivingTuesday and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the number of donors nationwide has fallen throughout 2022, driven mainly by steep declines in donations of less than $500.
Locally, Wolfe said that as of the first week of December, the Salvation Army's annual red kettle campaign had raised about $39,000 of its $100,000 goal — down about $6,000 from the same time last year.
He said the organization's overall holiday fundraising goal of $225,000 is up slightly from last year, and he expects nearly 1,300 families to sign up for help with food, toys and clothing before this year's Monday, Dec. 12, deadline.
"A lot of it is uncertainty," he said. "With some people, there's more of a wait and see (attitude), so they're not going to commit. They're not sure if we're going into recession, so that affects their gifts."
Volunteers with the Alexandria Toy Drive said they tried to stock up on merchandise in several categories earlier in the year to avoid price increases, but note that even then, their dollars didn't go as far as in years past.
"We go shopping Monday (Dec. 12), so we will see what we're really up against," said Terri Brenner, who has overseen the annual toy drive the past 13 years. "I mean, we know it's challenging. You go to the grocery store, and where you used to get $50 in groceries, now you're spending $110."
Another local group, Secret Families of Madison County, held its annual delivery day last weekend. Volunteers dropped off presents, $50 Christmas dinner gift cards and decorated trees to 111 families referred to the organization by schools throughout the county.
Although that number represents the most people the group has assisted in 13 years, treasurer Danielle Brossart said the average price of helping a family rose by nearly $100 this year. Fortunately, she added, organizers were able to tap into surplus funding left over from last year.
"I believe that big cushion really saved us, because I don't believe we got as many donations as we did last year."
She noted that, although the ministry's focus has been on families of children in elementary schools, its list of families is growing to include those in middle and junior high schools. Thus, she said, the need for monetary and other donations next year will be even more urgent.
"We're going to try to increase the number of families at those newer schools," she said. "We're going to need to step up our fundraising efforts because I know we won't be able to meet those needs without focusing more on that in 2023."
Follow Andy Knight on Twitter @Andrew_J_Knight, or call 765-640-4809.
