Fund raisers are normally far more confident than other people, said Paulette Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as she announced the results of her organization’s study of giving in 2007 and the outlook for the current year.

So when only 58 percent of fund raisers say they expect donations to increase in the coming year, that should be taken as a somber measure of the state of giving, she said.

Odds are the most pessimistic are fund raisers for small groups, since those organizations are seeing signs of a slowdown more seriously than bigger organizations, the study found.

How is the economy affecting your organization? Are some solicitation techniques working better than others because of the economy? Click on the comments link below to let us know how your organization is faring.