Slow economic recovery for nonprofits gives even more of a reason to partner

A new study from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC), a collective of six organizations that study nonprofits, was released this month detailing slow economic growth for nonprofits. The Late Fall 2011 Nonprofit Fundraising Study found that 59% of nonprofits received the same or less in contributions in the first nine months of 2011 compared to the first nine months in 2010. For the other 41%, there was a 5% increase in giving compared to 2010. While funding seems to be declining or stagnant for the majority, 65% of the nonprofits surveyed reported that there was an increased demand for their services compared to last year. Click here for the full report.

The Late Fall 2011 Nonprofit Fundraising Study highlights that like individuals, nonprofits have also suffered from the down economy. The irony is the very organizations that are supposed to help those in need are in need themselves. So where does this leave them and how can they address this burden? This is the precise situation in which partnerships are extremely valuable. Nonprofits must pool their resources (material and human) so that they can continue to do the great work that they do.  After all, an ever increasing amount of people in the community are counting on them.