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Stretched to the Limit: economic impact survey, Alberta’s nonprofits & charities by the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. Results from October 2009.
No one needs to be reminded that times are tough; as we develop
coping mechanisms for the current economic situation, many nonprofit
organizations are unsure of what the future will bring.
The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) has released
data from its third survey of nonprofits in Alberta, and results line
up with the general atmosphere: Nonprofits have been hit hard by the
economic downturn and are afraid of what further economic hardship may
bring.
The sector has done a good job of coping with the various impacts of
the recession. Organizations have looked to streamline their
operations, letting go of staff where necessary while trying to
maintain programs. Cost cutting is done in areas that will not affect
programs; in some instances this results in greater collaboration,
partnerships, and mergers. Many programs have been saved by these
efforts.
Another major impact of economic hard times has been an increase in
service demands, especially in the health and social service sectors.
Respondents in this survey revealed that many clients are coming to
them who have never had to look for outside help before. As
organizations are struggling to find finances to meet existing needs,
the demand for their services is increasing.
The CCVO’s survey shows that nonprofit organizations have seen
decreases in revenue received from every source: fundraising campaigns,
corporate support, earnings, government grants, and every other type of
support.
While organizations have efficiently dealt with tighter budgets up
to this point, this survey indicates that there is little room for them
to deal with further constraints if current conditions continue.
The survey data represents responses from organizations across
Alberta, although most participants were from nonprofits in Edmonton
and Calgary.
For more information on this or the CCVO’s other surveys on economic
impacts of the recession go to their website at
www[dot]calgarycvo[dot]org.
Read this report if you work in the nonprofit sector and would like
to know how your organization measures up with current trends.
You can find this report in our library, or download the PDF online through our library catalogue.
Review by Jennifer Hoyer
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Sunday, 05 February 2012 
