Recently I came across a blog posting titled Benchmarking with a Warped Stick.  The author, who chooses to remain anonymous, seems to hold some negative opinions about the two of the most recent benchmarking studies – specifically the Giving USA Study, and Convio’s Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Study. 

The author states that, “Unfortunately, not all benchmarking studies are created equal. Some studies are nothing more than lazy half-assed analysis from vendors hawking thinly veiled sales pitches”.  Obviously, being the author of one of these studies I know first hand how much work they are to complete, and therefore I respectfully disagree. 

But that’s not the point.  The point is that everyone is entitled to an opinion and we are all lucky enough to live in a time, thanks to the internet, where we have an easy way to share that opinion with others. 

So let’s hear from you, the Fundraising professionals tasked with understanding the nonprofit fundraising landscape and how your results fit into it.   Should organizations like Convio, and Giving USA continue to offer these sorts of insights to the nonprofit community, or is this simply self-serving marketing fluff?