Canvassing the Recession

Oh, werd?
So, it is official. We have been in a recession. (Duh.)
But what does this mean for non-profit fundraising?
Well, if you canvass in the midwest states of Michigan and Indiana, money has been predictably hard to come by. On the other hand, lots of young, smart college grads are finding employment hard to come by as well, so the staffs are stocked with savvy canvassers finding ways to make each night work.
If you canvass in Ohio, times have been tough for years. The state is bleeding jobs, and locals are nervous about losing their biggest polluters because they also happen to be the biggest employers. Predictably, well-respected organizations like Ohio Citizen Action are struggling.
If you canvass the relatively wealthy East Coast, the effects of the recession are still hard to understand.
For example:
MillionDollarHomeMom: "I can't afford to donate this year."
KPd.: "No worries. People are helping out with their voices, too. We need letters to the State Assembly. "
MillionDollarHomeMom: "That's good, because they asked me to donate a dollar to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital at Williams-Sonoma today, and I'm like, how much can you give, ya know?"

Really?