AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new independent survey of over 300 U.S.-based non-profit organizations found that the vast majority are concerned about providing social care services to those in need in 2023, with many citing a significant uptick in demand for support during the critical November and December holiday season. The survey, sponsored by findhelp, the company modernizing America’s social safety net, found that more than 75% of nonprofits are worried about their ability to meet demand for services in the coming year. Plagued by economic concerns including inflation and recession, over 80% are overwhelmed with the growing demand for immediate access to food, housing and utility services over the next 60 days.
The survey, completed in early November 2022, queried senior executives and managers from U.S.-based non-profit organizations that provide food, healthcare, transportation, utilities, housing, legal aid, workforce, and employment support.
Key Findings Include:
- 62% of respondents stated that the demand for social care services has increased substantially among the communities they serve in the past year.
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82% report a large uptick in demand for social care services as the Thanksgiving and December holiday seasons approach.
- Nonprofits providing food and housing support expect the largest surges in demand, with 95% of organizations that provide food support and 90% that provide housing and utility support expecting an uptick.
- 76% are concerned about their ability to meet the demand for social care services in the current economic climate, with 30% saying they are very concerned, and 46% saying they are moderately concerned.
“Based on this data that shows the pressure nonprofits are seeing, and the unprecedented growth we’ve seen of people searching for resources on findhelp.org, I’m genuinely concerned our country is headed for some turbulent times,” said findhelp Founder and Chief Executive Officer Erine Gray. “The safety net that was built in the 1960s won’t cut it anymore. Meeting the crisis of our time will require a new way of thinking about how local organizations can help their neighbors. The government isn’t going to solve these problems. The private sector has to step up and help their neighbors.”
This crisis is exacerbated by ongoing inflation – higher prices for housing, gas, utilities and especially food. According to monthly U.S. government reports on consumer prices, the cost of food increased 13.5% in August, the largest 12-month increase in more than 40 years. Food banks are struggling to meet these needs while coping with decreasing donations, and more working people relying on them than ever before.
Recent data from the Census Bureau revealed that 25 million adults had not had enough to eat in the previous week. That was the largest number since December 2020, when COVID caused the unemployment rate to spike nearly 50% higher than it is today.
Furthermore, a survey conducted by the Urban Institute found that around one in five adults reported experiencing food insecurity. 17.3% of adults with jobs said they had experienced food insecurity.
Fundraising, Development and Donor Recruitment Remain Top Priorities
The survey also found that fundraising is a key concern for non-profit organizations as they head into the new year. 82% of respondents stated that fundraising, development, and donor recruitment is their major goal for 2023.
Non-profit organizations are also concerned about their ability to provide social care services within a two-to-three-day timeframe in the coming year because they face critical staffing shortages. More than half (52%) report that staffing shortages are to blame when their constituents experience delayed turnaround times in services.
“Many non-profit organizations do not have the resources required to deliver social care services to those in need within two-to-three days,” said Gray. “When they cannot provide the right support within the allotted timeframes, people will slip through the cracks and suffer dire consequences. This is heartbreaking on many levels.”
To combat this human services crisis, non-profit organizations are relying on findhelp.org, the nation’s leading social care network. They use findhelp’s platform to seamlessly connect people in need to verified social care providers that can help them efficiently. To date, findhelp’s platform has helped over 18 million people find social care services, giving them rapid access to food, housing, transportation, healthcare, legal aid, employment support and much more with dignity and ease.
For additional details on and results from findhelp’s survey, visit: https://company.findhelp.com/blog/2022/11/29/meeting-the-moment-community-organizations-nationwide-see-challenging-times-ahead/
About findhelp
findhelp is the company modernizing America’s social safety net for anyone who needs help or helps others. With the largest network of community-based organizations and proprietary technology that intelligently matches people with the resources they need, findhelp is the fastest and most reliable way to get help with privacy and dignity. findhelp is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has been enabling healthcare, government, education, and other organizations to connect people with the social care resources that serve them since 2010. For more information, visit http://company.findhelp.com.
