Florida Nonprofits Survey 2023

Florida Nonprofit Alliance has been conducting regular surveys within the Florida nonprofit sector since April of 2020, as the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic launched uncertainty and fear across our state. Our three reports in 2020 and the annual check-ins in 2021 and 2022 have provided an overview of the sector’s strengths and a real time look at the challenges it is facing.

2023 marked the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, and we knew from the 2022 Report that a majority of nonprofits in Florida were not as concerned about the pandemic and its effects. The 2023 survey, for the first time, did not include questions specifically about the pandemic, and is instead a look at how nonprofits fared in five major categories – programs, people, finances, fundraising, and barriers to success – in the calendar year 2023.

The 2023 report highlights the state of Florida nonprofit organizations in three categories: things that are going well for the sector (Positives), things that are challenging (Pressure Points), and things that the sector needs (Present Opportunities).

 
Positives

  • Program and service delivery continues to be a strength for the sector. Two thirds of nonprofits are providing services fully in person. Half of the nonprofit organizations report serving more people in 2023 than in 2022, and the majority are serving more people now than in pre-pandemic 2019.  Nonprofits are benefitting from volunteer activity. Volunteer absences have dropped 30% since the height of the pandemic, and over half of nonprofits are using volunteers at the same or increase rates from 2019.
  • Financially, organizations feel slightly more secure. Half of nonprofits in Florida had a larger budget in 2023 than in 2019, pre-pandemic, and organizations are slightly more likely in 2023 to have not seen a decrease in unrestricted funding. And nonprofits are slightly less concerned about cash flow and loss of income than they were in 2020 and 2021.
  • Fundraising was slightly more stable than in previous years. 59% of organizations generated the same amount or more income from fundraising activities in 2023 compared to 2022 - a 39% increase from 2020.  
     

Pressure Points

  • Both costs and demand for services are increasing. 50% of nonprofits are experiencing increased costs for recurring expenses, and 36% have seen decreased fundraising for program expenses. 28% of organizations had increased demand for their programs and services, which will be hard to meet if costs are also up and fundraising is down.
  • Nonprofits need new sources of funding. A record 42% of nonprofits say fundraising is their biggest challenge and 62% of nonprofits say they need more funding. 72% of organizations receive a significant portion of their fundraising from existing individual donors, and existing corporate donors, foundation grants, and fees for service all generate more revenue than new corporate donors, foundation grants, and fees for service. In order to grow, nonprofits need access to individuals and institutions that do not currently fund them.
  • More volunteers are needed. 42% of nonprofits say more volunteers is a resource they need. More than one third of nonprofit organizations have challenges finding program volunteers. About 20% of current volunteers and Board members are experiencing burnout.
  • CEO transitions are happening frequently and will continue to do so. One third of current CEOs will leave their jobs by 2026. More organizations experienced a CEO transition in 2023 than were expecting one in 2022, so there may be even more transitions – either quick or unplanned – to come.
  • Changing advocacy needs. At the state level, there are more bills that include nonprofit organizations than ever before, and Florida nonprofits may need support – education and funding – to be sure they are either complying with or challenging legislation that affects their ability to meet their mission.


Present Opportunities

  • Convince more individuals to give to formal nonprofit organizations. This will allow nonprofits to be more financially secure, to continue meeting the demand for their services, and to have a greater impact in their communities.
  • Increase availability of health insurance providers. 21% of nonprofit organizations that would like to provide health insurance access to staff cannot find an insurance provider. Finding a solution in the current health insurance marketplace is very important to nonprofits, and will take private companies, government, and nonprofits working together to find a solution.
  • Support nonprofit staff. Even though 17% of organizations have open staff positions, and 15% are experiencing voluntary staff resignations, 1 in 5 organizations did not offer any work options for their staff in 2023. Organizations can look for ways to support staff, especially in allowing hybrid work when possible. Increasing benefits, like health insurance options or paid time off, is another way that may support employees and decrease staff turnover. Funders can also support these activities by giving unrestricted funding that can be used for pay increases or other benefits.
  • Increase unrestricted revenue for nonprofits. This allows for building of reserve funds (27% of organizations have no reserves, and one third have used some or all of them since the beginning of the pandemic) and support for staff as mentioned above. It also allows nonprofits to implement and adapt their programming based on what is best for a community, rather than based on a funder’s interests.
     

To read the full report, click here.

To download the press release, click here.

To view the recording of the research release, click here.

To view the presentation slides, click here.

 

 

Thank you to Wells Fargo for generously sponsoring this research.

 

If you have any questions about this research, please contact Leah McDermott at lmcdermott@flnonprofits.org.