Above watch: Charities and non-profit groups across our province rely heavily on donations from generous Nova Scotians, but those donations are in short supply these days. Global’s Natasha Pace reports.
HALIFAX – It’s been a trying year for several Nova Scotia charities who say income from fundraising has declined substantially.
The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia held its annual walk last weekend but didn’t come close to meeting its goal.
“We raised about $18,000, so a little less than half of what we had anticipated,” said society president Donna Methot.
With less money coming in, more of a strain is being put on many non-profit and charitable organizations.
“We kind of need to re-budget,” said Methot. “Maybe you can’t offer that program or can’t offer it as much. You just can’t do what you want to do.”
The Schizophrenia Society isn’t alone — a number of local charities say they’re also having trouble with money.
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“It is difficult to get volunteers and projects going without funding,” said Judy Misner, founder of the Psoriasis Society of Canada.
Misner’s organization doesn’t plan to hold its annual walk this fall because there isn’t enough support.
“I’ve been doing this for 32 years and the last few years have been the worst for donations that I can remember,” she said.
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With a limited amount of volunteer time and money to give to charity, experts say the fundraising landscape is very competitive. That’s especially true for smaller charities that must compete with larger, more well-known events. There is also an abundance of similar fundraising events such as walks and runs for various causes.
“Those events rely very heavily on the participant having a strong connection to the cause and that may not necessarily be the case,” said Anne Melanson of Bloom Non Profit Consulting Group.
Melanson said as demographics shift, online crowdfunding is taking over with younger donors.
“It allows them to connect more with their peers and get involved in the kind of causes their peers are getting involved in,” she said.
While charities continue to search for new ways to attract donors, Methot said she wishes the government could do more to help.
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