Not-for-Profits across Ontario continue to feel the aftershocks of the recession, though many have used the downturn to launch new partnerships or explore alternative revenue streams, according to a survey released by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

Following up on conversations first held in January 2009, the OTF returned in the fall to ask 100 Ontario not-for-profit organizations how they were faring, and what actions they had taken to cope with lowered donations, sponsorship or funding as well as higher demand for services.

There were notable changes in the status of organizations:

The positive…

• More than 72% of respondents reported collaboration was increasing in the sector
• A large majority of organizations (87%) have now developed plans to manage through the current economic uncertainty
• There have been minimal layoffs or cutbacks in services (they're coping but stretched)

The negative…

• More than 75% of respondents indicated that their organizations were feeling the effects of the  recession (compared to about 30% in January)
• Almost two-thirds of organizations surveyed reported a decline in funding over the past year
• 68% of respondents reported the fundraising climate was worse (34%) or the same (34%) as in January 2009
• About 30% of respondents reported some reduction in the number and value of corporate sponsorships
• 68.9% reported experiencing an impact on their programs and services as a result of the downturn – 77% for social service organizations, 56% for arts organizations, 67% for environmental organizations (which may see opportunities to increase revenue, community engagement or further environmental goals)
• Food banks reported an average 25% increase in demand for services across the province
   

QUOTE

“On the bright side, a majority of respondents indicated collaboration was increasing,” said OTF CEO L. Robin Cardozo. “Several organizations noted that, in tough times, agencies are often forced to come together to look at what they have in common and how to support each other. That’s a good thing.”

QUICK FACTS

 Examples of what the Ontario Trillium Foundation heard:

• In Toronto,an environmental organization said some institutional funders or donors who in the past may have given $10,000 - $15,000 have pulled back, giving in the $2,000-to-$5,000 range
• In Eastern Ontario, a credit and family counseling service was swamped with 1,000 new clients coming through the doors - in one month alone
• In Southwestern Ontario, an employment resource centre reported that by July client numbers had doubled over the previous year
• Organizations with endowment funds continue to face low returns on their endowment funds and the possibility of several more years of low investment earnings

Examples of collaboration/resiliency:

• In Leamington, the Ontario Association of Food Banks partnered with local farmers to bring 300,000 pounds of fresh peppers to food banks in the area after donations from food manufacturers dropped significantly
• In Toronto, several women’s shelters have come together, with support from the province, to undertake a collective strategic planning exercise
• In Cochrane and other northern communities,  credit counseling agencies are exploring a joint marketing plan to make their advertising go further
• Ecology Ottawa is collaborating with low-income housing providers to find ways to lower energy bills for their buildings

MORE

Read more about the results of the OTF’s Challenging Times survey

Read what other surveys have shown

Learn more about the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Follow L. Robin Cardozo on Twitter

FULL PHOTO CAPTIONS

PHOTO ONE: A sign of the economic times, it’s been another record-breaking year of sales at The Clothes Line, a thrift store in Alliston, Ontario. Operated as a source of revenue for CONTACT – South Simcoe Community Information Centre, the store has been able to provide much needed funding for CONTACT’s community programs while offering quality, affordable clothing and goods to those in need.  (photo courtesy of CONTACT)

PHOTO TWO: Staff and volunteers pack ‘good food boxes’ at FoodShare Toronto’s Field to Table Centre. An Ontario Trillium Foundation survey of not-for-profits in Ontario revealed food banks saw demand increase by an average of  25% in 2009.

PHOTO THREE: The recession’s increased demand on food banks, coupled with a drop in food donations, moved the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) to find new sources of food, a new Ontario Trillium Foundation survey has found. Peter Quiring, President, Nature Fresh Farms in Leamington and Joanne Santucci, Executive Director, Hamilton Food Share, celebrate the bounty of a new fresh food donation program that saw 300,000 lbs of fresh peppers donated to Ontario food banks through to the OAFB.