In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many charities and other nonprofit organizations have reported a decline in contributions due to “donor fatigue,” where the major disasters absorb so much of the stream of charitable contributions that the stream dries up for the smaller organizations that depend on such contrbutions for their day-to-day operations.
Did the same “donor fatigue” manifest itself after the September 2001 terrorist attacks? Are there any reports that compare the extent of private giving in the wake of the terrorist attacks to the relief efforts following hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
Some donor fatigue was observed after September 11th.
But it’s unclear whether it was connected to the terrorist event or the general decline in the economy. Perhaps a statistical analysis could shed light on that.
http://www.directrelief.org/sections/information_center/articles/washington_times_102405.html
http://www.nptimes.com/Jul02/npt2.html
I was Director of Operations of our local Humane Society when 9/11 hit, and “donor fatigue” certainly hit us hard. I don’t remember the exact figures, but Christmas is usually a big time for us and that year it just wasn’t.
I was working for the March of Dimes (still do) and it hit us brutally. 2002 was not a good year. We didn’t really pick up again until 2004, really.