Report: LA Nonprofits Detail Impacts of COVID-19, Racial Equity Efforts, and Increased Demand

Los Angeles— Oct. 24, 2022 — Los Angeles nonprofits were on the frontlines of local communities’ response to the COVID pandemic and racial reckonings of the past two years. NFF's 2022 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey: Los Angeles Results details the experiences of 212 Los Angeles County nonprofits in combating COVID and addressing other community needs. The report also examines racial disparities in how Los Angeles County nonprofits are funded. Findings include:  

• 86% of LA respondents saw service demand rise from the end of 2019 to the end of 2021 

• 89% developed new or different ways of working during the pandemic that led to positive outcomes; 49% think these could be permanent changes 

• Advancing racial equity is a major programmatic focus for 55% of LA BIPOC-led organizations, as compared to 16% of white-led ones. 

• 65% of white-led organizations reported a 2021 surplus, as compared to 45% of Black-led ones. 

“The NFF survey, already a national reference point for the work of nonprofits, takes a big leap forward with this detailed work in Los Angeles,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA. “Here in LA nonprofits are profoundly engaged, filling civic gaps, serving marginalized communities, and never standing aside.  Amplifying the voices of the nonprofit community will do much to ensure that government and philanthropy are ready to step up to ensure the health of this vital sector.  On that, so much of the future depends.” 

The report released today offers more in-depth analysis into the Los Angeles County results of NFF’s US State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey. The respondents come from all across the County, including areas like Antelope Valley and Southeast LA that are often under-represented in research about Los Angeles nonprofits. The LA version of the survey was developed and conducted in collaboration with the Committee for Greater LA (CGLA), the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA (PBI), and Advisory Committee members including:  Antelope Valley Partners for Health, California Community Foundation, California Immigrant Policy Center, Khmer Girls in Action, SELA Collaborative, and the Social Justice Learning Institute. 

“This report shines a light on the racial inequities that nonprofits in Los Angeles continue to face, while recognizing the creative and inspiring ways LA’s nonprofits meet the growing needs of communities hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Miguel A. Santana, Chair of the Committee for Greater LA and President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. “Addressing the systemic issues that lead to racial disparities and financial vulnerabilities for BIPOC-led organizations is critical the Committee’s mission of building a more equitable Los Angeles.” 

The report builds on early findings discussed at a virtual panel led by PBI, CGLA, and NFF in June. It analyzes how LA County nonprofits adapted their services in response to rising demand, despite funding and financial challenges, and racial disparities that persist in funding for nonprofits led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) versus white-led nonprofits. It also looks at Los Angeles nonprofits’ experiences with County funding, and how they are working to advance racial equity.  

“Healthy communities require healthy nonprofits,” said Annie Chang, Vice President of NFF. “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.”  

The survey was funded by Bank of America, which has been supporting NFF’s State of the Nonprofit Sector Surveys since 2010.  Partners at the national level include Ambit 360 Consulting and EVITARUS.  

About Nonprofit Finance Fund 

Nonprofit Finance Fund® (NFF®) is a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate. For more than 40 years, we’ve worked to strengthen nonprofit organizations and improve the way money flows to social good. We believe that alongside others we must build a more equitable and just social sector, and are committed to helping community-centered organizations led by and serving people of color access the money and resources they need to realize their communities’ aspirations. To learn more, visit https://nff.org/  

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