“Don’t blame the economy” seems to be a popular mantra among some fundraisers lately. These optimists appear to believe that financially struggling households will continue to give just as much as they always have … they’ll just eat less, or forgo paying next month’s electric bill or health insurance premium. Somehow, lower disposable incomes will be overcome by clever social networking tactics.

Here’s a sample of such thinking … Charities can’t blame ‘economic climate’ for falls in income, from Civil Society Fundraising in the UK, seconded by our own US pal Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now … Don’t blame the economy for faltering fundraising.

I’m not persuaded by these economic Pollyannas. Their position is akin to saying that retention rates are unaffected by death … we can simply cancel out the mortality factor by better subject lines in our email appeals. Good luck with that when the Boomers start dying off in massive numbers next decade.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want any fundraiser to use ‘economic downturn’ as an excuse to simply wring their hands in acquiescence or for failing to innovate or for making plain dumb decisions. And to be fair to both these articles, the authors proffer examples of mistakes in strategy and tactics that would surely compound the injury to fundraising of any charity or nonprofit that made them during a down economy (or any economy for that matter).

But still, the economy does matter. Personal financial uncertainty and insecurity does matter. Diminished disposable incomes do matter. Irrevocably lost assets do matter. Only someone who has not experienced any of these could even suggest otherwise.

I view fundraisers like farmers.

Arguably, farmers face more ‘uncontrollables’ than most fundraisers, but they persevere all the same. There can be no doubt that the weather does set limits on what is achievable by way of production in any given season. But once they get over complaining about the weather, farmers have no choice but to get on with it, and make the best of their situation. And indeed the good ones — the ones who have cultivated their soils properly — can withstand a drought far better … and rebound faster.

I’ve seen numerous studies of how the top 10% or 20% of farmers do very well year after year, thank you, while the bottom 50% barely make ends meet, or sink in debt. Another example of Pareto’s principle.

I think that’s the proper analogy for fundraisers weathering the economic doldrums.

Respect the ‘weather’. Recognize its impact on the ‘soil’ you’re cultivating. But always aim to be in the top 20% of ‘farmers’, capitalizing upon all the best practices and strategic planning you can.

Tom