The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly affecting NGO’s across the world, many of whom are in a perfect storm where fundraising income is down, demand from beneficiaries is up, and operational challenges include working from home and staff needing to self-isolate or shield.
From conversations with my clients and contacts, some are managing OK and a few are doing better than they predicted, but a survey by international development network BOND revealed that 48% of NGO’s questioned are expecting to cease operations that support marginalised communities. More than a quarter of small and medium NGO’s also said they were at risk of closing within 2 years.
Interestingly, whilst half had made use of the government’s furlough scheme, only 1 in 10 said they were likely to make use of the replacement furlough scheme that starts in November.
Now more than ever, organisations need to be even better stewards of their relationships with supporters, with compelling cases for support and a clear understanding of the impact they want to make. If you think it’s time to review these things, get in touch as we can help.