Nonprofits Under Siege During Coronavirus Pandemic

Click here for the latest coronavirus news, which the BDN has made free for the public. You can support our critical reporting on the coronavirus by purchasing a digital subscription or donating directly to the newsroom. These past few months have taken a serious toll on every American, especially those who recently lost their jobs and are struggling to find work, keep food on the table for their families and do everything possible to avoid becoming sick themselves. The coronavirus has attached its tentacles to almost every aspect of our lives and has placed enormous strain on the 1.5 million local, regional and national nonprofits who are struggling to provide these much-needed services against a backdrop of significant losses in individual, corporate and foundation funding. [Our COVID-19 tracker contains the most recent information on Maine cases by county] A recent survey of some 880 nonprofits by the Charities Aid Foundation of America found almost 95 percent have been negatively affected by the spread of the virus; 15 percent have been forced to suspend their operations, another 60 percent have suspended or eliminated their regular programs and services and more than 70 percent have witnessed a significant reduction in the total number of contributions they normally receive, according to the survey. One Alabama nonprofit leader put it best recently when she said, “I find the ironic thing is the nonprofit sector has been decimated but yet people are relying on them to be part of the answer.” I could not have said it better. As a nonprofit professional who has seen the ebb and flow of fundraising efforts during other life-changing events, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this kind of stranglehold on nonprofits.