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Nonprofit fundraisers are reporting a fairly stable fundraising climate that is slightly less positive than six months ago, but slightly more positive than one year ago, according to the Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI) released today by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Fundraisers' overall optimism about the climate for giving in the United States increased 1.6 percent over this time last year, but was down 1.4 percent from the Summer of 2006. Fundraisers for public benefit, environmental and international nonprofits and those working in human services organizations reported slightly less optimism than those from other types of organizations

The PGI, similar to a Consumer Confidence Index for charitable giving, includes three indexes, on a scale from 0 to 100, based on a semiannual national survey of fundraisers. The Present Situation Index gauges the current giving environment. The Expectations Index assesses the climate for the next six months, and the overall PGI is an average of the current and future indexes. Higher scores indicate more positive or optimistic attitudes about the climate for giving.

According to the latest survey, the overall PGI was 87.6, decreasing from 88.9 this past summer and up from 86.3 in December of 2005. The Present Situation Index was 85.8 (-0.9 percent from Summer 2006, and +1.1 percent from December 2005) and the Expectations Index was 89.5 (-1.9 percent from Summer 2005, and +2.2 percent over December 2005).