The first barometer of fund raising in 2009 is now available as The Chronicle releases its annual Philanthropy 400 rankings showing that the nation's biggest charities predict a sharp drop this year.

Charities on the Philanthropy 400 - the groups that raise the most from private source -- say fund raising is likely to drop by a median 9 percent.

As the tough times continue, charities are coming up with creative ways to approach their fund raising, especially as they gear up for the busy year-end fund raising season.

How can you learn what techniques and messages work best in these tough economic times? What are smart charities doing to rein in costs and make their appeals more effective? What are the key factors fund raisers should consider as they approach the year-end giving season?

Read the transcript of our discussion that addressed those questions and other issues about how to improve your fundraising.

Click on the window below to view the replay of this archived discussion.