Purpose and Notes
The purpose of the survey entitled Rapid Response: PHL Nonprofits and COVID-19 Survey is to help government officials and funders better understand how COVID-19 is impacting nonprofit organizations in the region. The findings will be used to tailor response efforts to support our nonprofit community and ensure those in greatest need can access critical resources.
Below is a summary of the responses by counties served (not where the organization is located as each organization could have selected more than one county).
Please note that these reflect the experiences of the organizations who responded to this survey. While this provides important information that government and philanthropy does not otherwise have, this survey was made available by email lists, press release, and outreach efforts only. It may not provide a representative picture of the needs of the entire nonprofit community in the region.
Please also note that were not enough responses for some counties, especially those located in NJ, for conclusions to be representative of that county.
Counties Served
Most organizations serve PA counties. About 75% of organizations serve Philadelphia County.
The highest counts are in Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties.
Approximately 25% of organizations serve New Jersey counties, including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties.
Current and Anticipated Impacts
All Impacts
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Current Impacts
Across all counties, over 75% of organizations are experiencing cancelled programs or events and disruption of services. About 45% are experiencing the opposite with increased demand for services.
A majority of organizations across all counties are experiencing disruptions to financial and human resources, specifically for funding, cashflow, staff and volunteer absences, and supplies and services provided by partners.
Fewer organizations, around 20%, are experiencing inability to invoice, staff layoffs and furloughs, and closure of organization. This is true across all counties.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Anticipated Impacts, 1-3 Months
Overall, organizations across counties are anticipating fewer impacts in 1-3 months. A majority of organizations are anticipating disruptions to funding and cash flow.
Nearly 50% of organizations in Atlantic County are experiencing cancelled programs and events, a rate higher than other counties.
About one-third of organizations across all counties are anticipating disruptions to human resources and operations.
About 10% of organizations across all counties are anticipating having to close.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Anticipated Impacts, 6-12 Months
Across all counties, organizations are anticipating even fewer impacts in 6-12 months.
Across Philadelphia, Camden, and Delaware Counties, over 25% of organizations are anticipating continued disruption of funding, cash flow, and staff layoffs or furloughs.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Current and Anticipated Impacts by Service Area
Organizations focused on human services in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware counties in PA, and Burlington, and Camden counties in NJ, are experiencing and anticipating more demand for services compared to average organizations. They are also anticipating more disruptions of supplies and services provided by partners.
Organizations focused on arts, culture and humanities across all counties are experiencing more disruptions of funding, human resources, and operations compared to average organizations, especially disruption of cash flow, staff layoffs or furloughs, and closure of organizations.
Organizations focused on education in all PA counties, as well as Camden County in NJ are anticipating more disruptions of funding, cash flow, and services to clients and communities, inability to invoice, and cancelled programs or events compared to average organizations.
Organizations focused on health across all counties are experiencing more disruptions of funding, cashflow, and supplies provided by partners but anticipating less disruptions compared to average organizations.
Organizations focused on public, societal benefit, or advocacy in PA counties are experiencing increased demand for services and closure of organizations compared to average organizations.
The other primary service / field categories did not have significant differences or enough respondents.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Human Services (141)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (77)
Education (62)
Health (30)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (23)
Other (13)
Environment and Animals (5)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (6)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Human Services (60)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (41)
Education (8)
Health (23)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (13)
Other (6)
Environment and Animals (4)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (3)
Chester County, PA (229)
Human Services (105)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (49)
Education (17)
Health (25)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (18)
Other (7)
Environment and Animals (5)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (3)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Human Services (78)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (49)
Education (26)
Health (25)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (14)
Other (6)
Environment and Animals (2)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (4)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Human Services (101)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (47)
Education (19)
Health (27)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (15)
Other (7)
Environment and Animals (3)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (3)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Human Services (3)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (11)
Education (4)
Health (7)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (3)
Other (1)
Environment and Animals (1)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (2)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Human Services (14)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (12)
Education (4)
Health (10)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (4)
Other (3)
Environment and Animals (0)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (3)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Human Services (19)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (21)
Education (10)
Health (12)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (5)
Other (1)
Environment and Animals (1)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (3)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Human Services (3)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (10)
Education (4)
Health (6)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (2)
Other (1)
Environment and Animals (1)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (2)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Human Services (4)
Arts, Culture and Humanities (9)
Education (4)
Health (7)
Public, Societal Benefit or Advocacy (2)
Other (1)
Environment and Animals (2)
Religious or Faith-Based Affiliation (2)
Number of Employees/Volunteers (on average, in the past 12 months)
Across all counties, most organizations have few employees, between 1-20 each of full-time salaried and part-time hourly employees. Few organizations have full-time hourly staff.
Most organizations across all counties have many volunteers, between 20-100+.
Few organizations have contracted staff, and of those who do, most have very few (between one and four).
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Barriers to Working from Home
Overall the most common barrier to working from home was that services can only be provided in person. This was true across all counties.
Among organizations serving Philadelphia, technology limitations were more likely to be selected as a barrier than in organizations serving all other counties, and organizations serving other Pennsylvania counties were more likely to select technology as a barrier than organizations serving New Jersey counties.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Decrease in Volunteer Participation
Across organizations serving all counties, organizations were most likely to see most of their volunteer participation cease, with the greatest number of organizations indicating between 81 and 100 percent decreases. This was selected by between about 35-50 percent of respondents in each county.
The next most common responses were no decrease or a 1-20 percent decrease, each selected by about 15-20 percent of respondents in each county.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Annual Operating Budget
Across all organizations, the most common annual operating budget of respondents was $1 million to $2.49 million, generally representing around 20 percent of organizations.
Among organizations serving Pennsylvania counties, there were also relatively more respondents with operating budgets between $200,000 and $999,999 annually.
Organizations serving New Jersey counties had a more even distribution of annual operating budgets.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Anticipated Annual Revenue Loss
Across all organizations, most organizations anticipated either 1-20 percent revenue loss or 21-40 percent revenue loss.
A smaller percentage (typically around 15-20 percent of organizations) anticipated 41-60 percent revenue loss.
Relatively few organizations anticipated no revenue loss or revenue loss greater than 60%.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Primary Field / Service
Across all organizations serving Pennsylvania counties, Human Services was the most common primary field or service, followed by Arts, Culture, and Humanities.
In organizations serving all New Jersey counties except Burlington County, Arts, Culture, and Humanities was the most common primary field or service. In Burlington County, Human Services was the most common primary field or service, followed closely by Arts, Culture, and Humanities.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
Number of People Served Annually
Overall, most organizations served more than 2,500 people annually.
About 50 to 60 percent of organizations serving Pennsylvania counties served more than 2,500 people annually, while over 70 percent of organizations serving New Jersey counties served more than 2,500 people annually.
Philadelphia County, PA (357)
Bucks County, PA (158)
Chester County, PA (229)
Delaware County, PA (204)
Montgomery County, PA (222)
Atlantic County, NJ (32)
Burlington County, NJ (50)
Camden County, NJ (72)
Cape May County, NJ (29)
Cumberland County, NJ (31)
