Giving Compass' Take:

• A report titled, The Voice of Charities Facing COVID-19 Worldwide, surveyed nearly 550 nonprofit organizations and found that many are experiencing negative effects of COVID-19. 

• The effects range from a decrease in contributions to staffing disruptions, among others. What is the best way forward for donors who want to help these struggling organizations?

• Learn how funders can help nonprofits weather coronavirus. 


Most nonprofit organizations globally report being negatively impacted by COVID-19, a report from the Charities Aid Foundation of America finds.

Based on a survey of nearly five hundred and fifty nonprofits in ninety-three countries conducted between March 24 and 26, the report, The Voice of Charities Facing COVID-19 Worldwide (11 pages, PDF), found that 96.5 percent of respondents reported negative impacts related to the virus, including a drop in contributions (67.9 percent); travel restrictions disrupting contact with clients, donors, and recipients (63 percent); issues with client relations (56.4 percent); disruptions to staffing (48.6 percent) or operations (37.6 percent); increased costs (34 percent); and disrupted supply chains (31.1 percent).

Among all respondents, 41.2 percent anticipate a drop of at least 21 percent over the next twelve months, while 18.2 percent expect to see a decline of between 16 percent and 20 percent and 11.6 percent anticipate a decline of between 11 percent and 15 percent; only 2.6 percent expect to see an increase in revenue. The most common action taken by organizations in response to the virus was canceling major events (87.9 percent), followed by updating employees regularly (82.5 percent), having all or some employees work remotely (77.4 percent), implementing new health and safety procedures (72.6 percent), and revising short-term goals (72 percent).