So you survived the apocalypse. Now what the hell do you do? I liked the Shamen on the beach in Lima warding off the impending EoTW* that's the bet to take. I have a colleague, Professor Bruce Lloyd, a very erudite fellow at LSBU who does a lecture to my students every year on "Forecasting the Future" so if you want to know what's going to happen, just ask Bruce. In reality, of course, he reminds us that nothing is certain but some things are more certain than others. So it's a question of balancing risks and asking the right questions. Let me know if you'd like a copy of his last session it is worth thinking about.
So 2013 is upon us what is the outlook for fundraising in the UK? Double or triple dip resession looks horribly likely. The government's retreat from the Big Society continues. A lot of the cuts have not yet hit the proverbial fan. From April onwards I predict a steady stream of charities and groups going out of business or, at best, merging with others who are struggling. Some larger charities will be able to help out (National Trust to bail out the English Heritage Blue plaques for example?) but they themselves are at risk of beign squeezed by the bigger commercial providers of contract services.
What's more whilst there are some individual winners the predicted rises in legacies is yet to happen as the baby boomers really do try and live forever (or at least til beyond 2020). So there is still time to get a legacy strategy sorted. And I mean a real strategy with a vision that will appeal to the baby boomers and not more of the same old,same old.
Doing a session at the Institute of Fundraising Consultants Group in the afternoon of the 30th January at the DSC so come along if you'd like to hear more of my Cassandra and EoTW* predictions plus a couple of nuggets that I think could be gems in 2013.
Meanwhile may 2013 bring you everything that you've worked your fundraising socks off for. What's more, if you don't believe we've got to work even harder have a look at what NfP Synergy is saying about trust and confidence and be very afraid!
*End of the World
