The economic challenges of today's world are bearing
down on everyone, including the nonprofit sector of New Hampshire. These are
times for "all hands on deck" because it is only through a strident partnership
with business and government that we can preserve quality of life in New
Hampshire. These times call for
innovation, collective planning, leadership, resource sharing, and clarity about
how connected the nonprofit sector is to everyone's life and the social and
economic engines of our state.
We have devoted this section of our website to resources and news
items that may help nonprofit boards and staff leaders navigate these tough
times, make sound decision about their program and operational costs and develop
new partnership for the future.
MapShot: Foundations Respond to the Economic Crisis
In these tough economic times, the Foundation Center is providing ready access to information that will help nonprofits and foundations alike as they respond to increased needs. The Center is collecting and making available the most recent data on U.S. foundation support to aid those affected by the crisis. The data is presented using an interactive map. For New Hampshire, they currently list grants to 13 recipients totalling $709,814. They will be updating the map daily.
Learn more...The National Council of Nonprofits – to which you belong through your membership in The NH Center for Nonprofts– has launched the “
Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center” on its website. When you visit this new site you will find it is divided into three sections: an overview of the seriousness of the economic decline, analyses about how the economic decline is hurting nonprofits, and action steps you can consider to weather this storm.
NHCN has been a proud member of NCNA for many years and this year, through dues we pay to NCNA, our members automatically become NCN members. It is a great addition to your membership to have an action-oriented, advocacy connection in DC that is linking all of us here in New Hampshire with avenues for advoacy across the country.
If you have suggestions or ideas about what nonprofits can do during these challengieng times here in New Hampshire please write us at
info@nhnonprofits.org. We will post a selection of responses on our webstie and forward some to the National Council of Nonprofits.
Opportunities in Lean Times
The economic crisis that is unfolding is causing great anxiety that no sector is immune to. Fieldstone Alliance proposes that in turmoil there is also opportunity and they have complied some resources for nonprofits.
http://www.nhnonprofits.org/knowledgecenter/opmanagement/financialoperations.cfm#opportunities When Layoffs Are Necessary, Nonprofits Need to Be Planful
Unfortunately, with the state of the economy today, layoffs may be an option that some nonprofits need to explore. Fieldstone Alliance has an article on how to prepare for this event and ways to make the process work as effectively as possible.
Read more... In Bad Economic Times, Focus on Impact
Faced with the need to cut back, investing in projects designed to increase
productivity and efficiency (such as moving forward with the planned addition of
a chief operating officer) can mean cutting elsewhere. And that means possibly
affecting the number of people a nonprofit group serves over the short term. The
problem is, when an organization is stretched too thin to operate efficiently,
or when cost-saving investments are delayed for too long, ultimately it is the
beneficiaries who suffer as quality declines.
Read more... Managing in Tough Times: 7 Steps
Tough times force hard choices. And these are rapidly becoming the toughest
times most of us have ever seen. Even for nonprofit leaders who are accustomed
to 'making much of little,' the repercussions of the unfolding economic downturn
are likely to pose unprecedented challenges. It’s hard to imagine that many (if
any) of us in the sector will escape unscathed.
Read more... Sustaining Nonprofits During Economic Downturns
As economic downturns reduce household incomes and lower investors' and
consumers' confidence in the economy, nonprofits face especially troubling
times. On one hand, most nonprofits' incomes fall during these recessionary
times: private contributions decline as individual, corporate, and foundation
donors are less inclined to give; governmental funding declines or disappears;
and earnings from endowments shrink along with their capital market values. On
the other hand, economic downturns put added demands on nonprofits' already
dwindling resources: more clients ask for increased help; fewer volunteers,
concerned about their own household incomes, willingly give their time to
nonprofit service; and budgets for many routine activities — such as public
outreach and maintenance of buildings and vehicles — are cut so that every
possible dollar can be channeled more directly into client services.
Read more... Fundraising in Lean Times: Are Grants the Answer?
This article from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management's website offers some thoughts on how the economic situation may impact fundraising strategies.
http://www.nhnonprofits.org/fundingcenter.cfm Nonprofits Look to New President for Improved Policies
With a major economic crisis pressing on America's families and communities, the nation's nonprofit organizations are looking to a new presidency for help in responding.
http://www.nhnonprofits.org/knowledgecenter/nonprofbasics/advocacylobbying.cfm#jhcstudy What Might an Obama Presidency Mean for the Nonprofit Sector
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has released a special report on what the Obama presidency might mean for the nonprofit sector and the people it serves. This report looks at Mr. Obama's stances on tax policy, national service, arts, education and much more.
http://philanthropy.com/free/articles/v20/i14/obama.htm State and National Publications Feature Nonprofits and the Economy
In an article this month, NHBR spoke with nonprofit leaders from around NH about the impact the economy is having on the sector.
Read more... The NY Times had a feature spread on November 11th with multiple articles on various aspects of the nonprofit sector.
Read more...
