New Survey Helps Gauge Future for Ohio Nonprofits

John Glenn College of Public Affairs researchers are committed to finding answers to the unique challenges COVID-19 presents to the nonprofit world. Professor Erynn Beaton partnered with Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organization and Philanthropy Ohio to produce the multi-wave Ohio Nonprofit COVID-19 Survey. Beaton and her team of students set out to identify the greatest needs of Ohio’s nonprofit sector to inform policymakers, funders, media and other decision makers about how best to support the sector during this time. The survey began in early 2020 and will continue until the nonprofit sector has fully recovered from the pandemic. “It’s my hope that this research will help raise awareness of the strain on nonprofits right now, so that they can garner the financial support needed to stay in operation,” Erynn Beaton stated.

So far, two waves of the survey have been administered, one in April and one in August, which was sent to all public charities registered in the state of Ohio. Results capture reactions, concerns, planned actions and impacts on organizations across the sector. A second report was recently released sharing the survey responses from the second wave. The findings suggest nonprofits operating well below typical budgets are concerned about how long their reserves can hold them. Respondents asked for assistance in generating funding and volunteer support.

Master of Public Administration student Liz Colchin was a part of the effort and shared how COVID-19 impacted the team’s research workspace. “This research project has been unlike any other that I have been a part of,” Colchin stated. “For one, we met exclusively online throughout the project. This posed its own difficulties; however, we were able to write a meaningful report that will amplify the voices within nonprofits that may not typically be heard,” she said. Colchin added she is optimistic that the results will create connectivity within the sector.

Colchin went on to say that the report shows that many nonprofits are continually improving and adapting to the pandemic, but there are still agencies that have not been able to stabilize. As the situation continues to worsen, shuttering operations indefinitely becomes a real concern for many. “It is clear that no nonprofit is alone in their struggles. My final plea to readers: there is something each of us can do to support the nonprofit sector. Make a donation, volunteer, offer pro-bono consulting or support, or simply spread the word about a nonprofit in your area. You can do something.”