From C-One's Resource Center
C-One Survey Results
Miami-Dade Nonprofits Describe the Effects of the Economy

Center On Nonprofit Effectiveness (C-One) joined forces with Donors Forum of South Florida in March 2009 for a regional survey of nonprofits.

Miami-Dade highlights include:

• When asked what type of support nonprofits were most interested in receiving to help them deal with the economic downturn, the top five choices were:
  1. Funding for general operating
  2. Funding for capacity building efforts
  3. Support for board recruitment and engagement
  4. Technical assistance support through increased
  access to volunteer experts
  5. Support for volunteer recruitment and engagement
  
• Nonprofit operating reserves are scarce, leaving little to no margin for gaps in funding.
  
• Already, nonprofits have made changes related to the economy. Demand for services has increased. Many have broadened their client base, and some have added programs. More than one-third eliminated staff positions, signaling a possible "doing more with less" strategy. Nonprofits expressed concern about operational efficiencies and program quality.
  
• The confidence nonprofits have in future fund development is mixed. In the context of staff cuts, nearly half expressed concern about the effects on fundraising capacity. However, for the majority of every funding stream considered, more than one-third of respondents anticipated being able to raise the same amount or more in 2009 (compared to 2008).
  
• Raising more money by engaging new funders is the number one preferred strategy identified by nonprofits. This contradicts the grant making strategies identified in a separate survey of South Florida funders. Among the least preferred strategies identified by nonprofits is making major changes to their programs.

Download Summary of Survey Results >>

From C-One's Resource Center
Leading Conversations About Scaling Back:
Miami-Dade’s Nonprofit Leaders Identify How They Would Prepare
By Linda Schotthoefer, Center On Nonprofit Effectiveness (C-One), powered by Hands On Miami.

Plan B is what happens when fundraising projections don’t pan out. Scaling back or eliminating programs is a possibility for any nonprofit executive. Eighteen percent of local nonprofits recently surveyed have scaled back programs due to the current economic downturn. Fifteen percent have eliminated programs.