The following is an excerpt from Forefront's Nonprofit Survey Report, released in January 2021.
To better understand how the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic affected nonprofits and what its continued impact is expected to be in 2021, Forefront administered a survey open to all Illinois nonprofits inquiring about their needs.
Nearly 500 respondents answered this survey, representing organizations that serve every county in Illinois. Respondents range from organizations with fewer than 5 staff to over 100 and those with annual budgets of less than $100,000 to over $10 million. Forefront also asked respondents to indicate whether the CEO or Executive Director of their organization identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC) to further track how the pandemic has affected nonprofits based in and serving BIPOC communities.
All survey responses were clear: organizations are suffering financially, recovery will take time, and flexible resources continue to be lacking and vitally important.
Forefront released an initial assessment of nonprofit needs throughout the pandemic in April of 2020. View the April report, Nonprofit Needs During COVID-19, here.