A large majority of nonprofits in the Los Angeles region saw demand for their services increase between the end of 2019 and the end of 2021, a study conducted by the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) finds.

Funded by Bank of America, the report, 2022 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey: Los Angeles Results  (19 pages, PDF), detailed the experiences of 212 Los Angeles County nonprofits in combating COVID while addressing other community needs. According to the report, 86 percent of respondents saw service demand increase, with 67 percent reporting expanded programs or services and 53 percent reporting that staff took on duties outside regular job descriptions all or most of the time. During the pandemic, 89 percent of the organizations surveyed developed new or different ways of working that led to positive outcomes, with 49 percent indicating that the changes could become permanent.

The report also examined racial disparities in how L.A. County nonprofits are funded, and found that 65 percent of white-led organizations reported a 2021 surplus, as compared to 45 percent of Black-led ones. The report also found that advancing racial equity was a major programmatic focus for 55 percent of BIPOC-led organizations in the area, as compared to 16 percent of white-led ones.

“Healthy communities require healthy nonprofits,” said NFF vice president Annie Chang. “This analysis details the opportunities and challenges facing LA nonprofits, especially for BIPOC-led nonprofits, and recommends actions that government and philanthropic funders can take now to back the community leaders who do so much for our county.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Juan Monino)