In their recent report, State of Nonprofits 2023: What Funders Need to Know, the Center for Effective Philanthropy is doing all of us an incredible service by lifting up the experiences and perspectives of nonprofits around the country in this uncertain moment. I am intrigued to see how the new report’s findings mirror so closely with what I hear from leaders of the nonprofits we support at The California Wellness Foundation — especially on the issue of staffing.

What’s heartening in the CEP survey is that nonprofit leaders actually give funders credit for some favorable changes in practice. These include more unrestricted support, streamlined application and reporting processes, and other practices that chip away at the burdens that philanthropy historically has imposed on nonprofits.

But in order for philanthropy to truly respond to the day-to-day needs of our grantee partners, the CEP survey (and my own conversations with Cal Wellness grantees) lift up additional possibilities for action.  Five immediately come to mind:

  1. Maximize the power of our endowments to help nonprofits cope.
  2. Share knowledge and resources.
  3. Sponsor and fund more sabbaticals, retreats, and wellness offerings for nonprofit staff. 
  4. Help identify talent. 
  5. Take flexible, long-term support to the next level. 

Read the full article about funder practices by Judy Belk at the Center for Effective Philanthropy.