Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, not-for-profit organizations appear to be in a significantly better place in terms of overall employment than they were at the end of 2021, according to the Nonprofit Employment Data Project at George Mason University.

It reports that the industry lost about 1.64 million jobs as of May 2020 and was still down by nearly 500,000 workers in December 2021. But the sector recovered the job losses by October 2022 and may have added new jobs in the final months of last year. The not-for-profit workforce, as of December 2022, was estimated to include about 107,000 more jobs than in 2017 — an increase of 0.86%. The researchers caution, though, that their estimates are based on the assumption that not-for-profits kept pace with the overall private economy and that is far from a certainty.

Related Read: How Not-For-Profit Organizations Can Tackle Shortages in Staffing

How to stop fundraisers from heading for the door

It is estimated that 46% of professional fundraisers plan to leave their current employers within two years and 9% plan to leave the field altogether within that same time period. These numbers were shared in the new report What Makes Fundraisers Tick, which is based on research conducted for Revolutionise International and the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.

The report digs into fundraisers’ motivations, with an eye toward boosting retention. Among the most common motivations are well-being, competence, autonomy and connection, as well as the ability to make a difference for a cause they are passionate about. For example, being treated with respect as professionals and receiving support from leaders and boards rank high as motivators. Lack of professional growth, autonomy and board support are cited as draining or de-motivating factors. Notably, salary and benefits do not figure prominently in either list of factors.

Related Read: Has COVID-19 Hurt Your Public Support Test Percentage?

Tech not-for-profit releases free assessment tool

Not-for-profit technology organization, NTEN, has launched a free comprehensive tool other not-for-profit organizations can use to analyze their technology practices and procedures. The tool, known as Tech Accelerate, is intended to help not-for-profits with decisions, planning and investments, through data and benchmarks.

NTEN has conducted research into not-for-profit technology investments — from staffing levels to budgets — for more than a decade. Through this research, it has identified key indicators of the practices and procedures correlated with organizations utilizing technology effectively. Based on these indicators, Tech Accelerate provides users with both a “tech adoption” score (on a scale of struggling, functioning, operating or leading) and a risk assessment (low, medium or significant). NTEN says organizations already have used the tool to apply for grants or support fundraising, inform strategic planning or budgeting, and build technology roadmaps.

If you have questions about the tax or operational implications of various credit card uses at your organization, contact Jurgita Kalina at [email protected] or 312.670.7444. Visit ORBA.com to learn more about our Not-For-Profit Group.