Charities look to extend their giving seasons

Deborah Steinkopf, the spokeswoman of Nonprofit Association of Oregon, said organizations' ability to endure the seasonal shifts in giving may depend on their capacity.

Larger and older organizations have the capacity to appeal to donors year round, Steinkopf said, while smaller nonprofits focus on the most optimistic time of year.

"If you don't have designated staff for fundraising you're probably going to focus on the year-end campaign," she said.