from staff
Public charities and private foundations continued to take a beating during the first five months of 2010, reported the GuideStar nonprofit research organization.
GuideStar said that 40 percent of participants in GuideStar’s first nonprofit economic survey for 2010 reported that contributions to their organizations dropped between Jan. 1 and May 31, compared to the same period a year earlier.
Another 28 percent said that contributions stayed about the same, and 30 percent stated contributions increased.
GuideStar issued a report, “The Effect of the Economy on the Nonprofit Sector: A June 2010 Survey.”
Among its findings:
• Eight percent of respondents indicated that their organizations were in imminent danger of closing.
• More than 60 percent of participants reporting decreased contributions attributed the drop to a decline in both the number of individual donors and the size of their donations.
• Among organizations that use volunteers, 17 percent used one or more in what had formerly been paid positions.
• About a third (32 percent) of organizations increased their reliance on volunteers, whereas 9 percent experienced a de-
cline.
• More than 60 percent said demand for their services grew between January and May compared to the year before.