The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) launched its initial ‘State of the Sector' survey in 2008, when economic crisis threatened the viability of many organizations. The last few years have seen some stabilization and recovery for nonprofit organizations and nonprofits are adding jobs and finding time and resources to focus on strategic initiatives.
But as they are emerging from the short term crisis that has occupied resources over the last seven years, nonprofits are being confronted with the realities of organizational sustainability. Organizations are looking to make the right investments to secure their long-term future, but are faced with some difficult challenges.
In 2014, the social sector experienced extremes of both promising innovation (the Ice Bucket Fundraising Challenge) and overwhelming challenges (New York City's largest and oldest human services nonprofit bankruptcy filing).
2015 Key Findings
Under-resourced communities are going without because nonprofits can't meet demand. Americans —particularly those in low-income communities—are still struggling to secure jobs, affordable housing, and healthcare.
- 76% of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for services—the 7th year that a majority have reported increases.
- 52% couldn't meet demand—the third year in a row that more than half of nonprofits couldn't meet demand.
- Of those who reported that they could not meet demand, 71% said that client needs go unmet when they can't provide services.