More than a year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the crisis are still being deeply felt by many charities across the country. Our latest Sector Monitor survey shows how the pandemic continues to challenge the sector and suggests that recovery will be challenging for many organizations.

  • More than 4 in 10 charities are still facing declines in revenue
  • Among these charities, the average revenue decline is 44%, unchanged since our last survey in late 2020, and more than half are dealing with revenue declines of more than 40%
  • On the other hand, about a third of charities are now reporting that their revenues are about the same as before the pandemic and almost a quarter report increased revenues

56% of charities are struggling and their recovery is at risk. There are two groups that are still struggling and whose recovery is at risk:

  • Charities that have seen a significant decline in demand, largely because they have been unable to operate and therefore deliver most or all of their programs and services due to public health restrictions (14% of all charities).
  • Charities that are facing demands for their programs and services that exceed their capacity to deliver (42% of all charities). 

44% of charities are coping better and already recovering. The charities in this group report that they are keeping up with demand.

Charities that are struggling because of a significant drop in demand due to the fact that they are largely unable to operate:

  • Arts, culture and recreation organizations are more likely than other types to be in this category, as are smaller organizations and organizations that rely on earned income 
  • 82% of organizations in this category report decreased revenues and the average decline is almost 46%
  • Among Arts, culture and recreation organizations in this category, the average revenue decline is 59%

Click here to read Imagine Canada’s full press release about the report, which includes a look at the ripple effect of mental health impacts on staff at nonprofits and charities.