According to Philanthropy Journal, the eighth annual State of Fundraising survey from the Association of Fundraising Professionals found that 46 percent of organizations raised more in 2007 than in 2008, and about 14 percent say fundraising was flat.

“This is probably the most challenging environment that most fundraisers have seen in their lifetimes,” Paulette V. Maehara, president and CEO of the association, said in a statement. “The dip in fundraising is particularly discouraging given the increased demand for services in these very difficult economic times.”

All fundraising techniques, from direct mail and telemarketing to planned giving and online appeals, saw decreases last year. Almost eight in 10 organizations cited the economy as one of the top four reasons for their difficulty in fundraising, and more than half cited it as the top reason.