Two-fifths of charities have become more concerned about their ability to deliver services over the course of the past week, according to a survey from Pro Bono Economics (PBE).
PBE is conducting a weekly tracker to find out how coronavirus is affecting charities. Over the course of 16 and 17 June 2020, a total of 184 respondents filled in the survey.
Some 40% of respondents said their level of concern about the pandemic's impact on their ability to deliver had increased over the previous seven days. Just under half of respondents, 49%, said their level of concern was broadly unchanged, while 10% said their expectations had improved.
Nine in ten charities, 92%, said they expected Covid-19 to reduce their income over the coming six months relative to pre-crisis plans. Two in five expect a reduction of up to 25% and one in three think their income will be 25% to 50% lower. Nearly one-in-five thought the drop would be more than 50%.
Anoushka Kenley, research and policy director at Pro Bono Economics, said: “This could be a week of change for some organisations, as charity shops re-open and the easing of physical distancing raises the prospect of returning to more traditional means of service delivery.
“But that picture is likely to look very different for different organisations.”
Nine in ten charities said they expected Covid-19 to have a negative impact on their ability to meet their objectives over the next six months, with 39% saying they expected it to be a “large” negative impact. Nonetheless, 7% said they thought it would have a positive impact.
Increase in demand
A large majority of respondents, 74%, said they expected to see an increase in demand for their services over the next six months, compared to pre-crisis expectations. Two in five expected to see an increase of up to 25%, while 17% expect an increase of 25% to 50% and a further 17% expect to see more than a 50% increase in demand for their services.
Meanwhile, 14% said they expected to see a fall in demand for services.
Kenley added: “As time has gone by, so concerns about what happens once the immediate health crisis eases have risen up the agenda. Difficulties with planning for the future remain the second most pressing issue for charities right now, and many organisations have told us that they are worried about what the funding backdrop will look like in 2021.”
Civil Society Media is a communications partner for the survey
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