9. Charity trends

The charts and graphs that follow summarize the results of charitable solicitations in 2018 and compare these results to past years.

Bear in mind that charitable organizations use a variety of methods to raise funds to support their missions. The method many people think of first (contracting with a paid solicitor) is used by a relatively small number of charities. This activity is reflected in the charts which depict results of solicitation campaigns.

Solicitation campaigns in perspective

Number of registered charities as of December 4, 2018: 12,549
Number of charities listed by paid solicitors on campaign financial reports, 2018: 262
Percentage of all registered charities using paid solicitors: 2.1%

Total contributions revenue, registered charities, FYE 2017: $96 billion
Total contributions reported on campaign financial reports, 2018: $709 million

To be sure, a portion of the $96 billion in contributions reported by all registered charities include results of solicitation campaigns conducted in states other than Colorado, but it’s important to keep the overall fundraising picture in mind when considering the results of the solicitation campaign financial reports filed in 2018.

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