Our COVID-19 Impact Survey was designed to capture the ongoing impact of the pandemic on our Nonprofit Partners. The Pandemic Report is a culmination of the hard work of many individuals who came together to share their experiences on the significant impact of the pandemic.

Read the report Summary or download the report.

Profile of respondents

In February 2022, we surveyed our Partner Network, a powerful group of New York City youth development nonprofits, to better understand the pandemic’s impact on their organizations, programs, and staff. The data provided by our Nonprofit Partners form a rich trove of insights and potential avenues for action.

We share this report to deepen our collective understanding of how the pandemic has affected youth development nonprofits, how these organizations have evolved in response, and the resources and tools we must mobilize as we look toward the future. A future where all young people and their communities have the resources and support needed to flourish.

1Organization’s Budget Size 2Executive Leadership by Race 3Founder Led 4Organization’s
Service Category

32%

Leadership Challenges

We have all suffered trauma and loss over the past 24 months, and for most of us the best path forward involves getting back to work, helping to serve those in our community.

James Wilson
Executive Director, GallopNYC

Biggest Challenges Facing Leaders Right Now

For nonprofit leaders, the past two years have tested their agility. Becoming crisis management experts, these leaders have created innovative program models, developed new partnerships, and rallied staff and volunteers to rise to the challenge of meeting emerging community needs. Two years in, nonprofit leaders have identified the following as their top leadership challenges:

71%

60%

53%

39%

34%

32%

31%

21%

19%

16%

Staffing Turnover

600
STAFF POSITIONS LOST

3,400
VOLUNTEERS LOST

11

%

Decrease in Total Full-Time Staff vs. Pre-Pandemic

23

%

Decrease in Total Part-Time Staff vs. Pre-Pandemic

27

%

Decrease in Total Volunteer Base vs. Pre-Pandemic

0

50

100 Partners experiencing an increased demand for service since the start of the pandemic

65% of Non Profit Partners reported an increased demand for their services or programs. Despite the need to shift how those services were delivered, they were still essential to the community.
‍
Of our Nonprofit Partners that experienced an increase in demand for their services, a little over half were able to at least meet some of the demand, but only a third were able to fully meet this increased need.

64.5%

Demand
Increased

29%

Demand
remained
steady

6.5%

Demand
decreased

NONPROFIT PARTNERS’ RESPONSE

Despite the shortage of several essential resources, such as staffing and funding, so many of our inspiring Partners continued to combat this crisis, doing everything possible to ensure services were offered to their communities.

To accommodate new and increased community needs, the majority of Youth INC’s Nonprofit Partners adapted their program models to better respond to their communities. Partners formed new and vital relationships to tackle food insecurity, provided school supplies and technology (e.g., iPads, laptops) to allow students to continue to learn from home, and advocated for greater access to Wi-Fi at housing shelters to assist their communities.

84%

CHANGED PROGRAM MODELS TO ACCOMMODATE NEW COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT AROSE DURING THE PANDEMIC

60%

STARTED A NEW PROGRAM OR SERVICE

60%

ENTERED A NEW PARTNERSHIP OR COLLABORATION

53%

EXPANDED A PROGRAM OR SERVICE

Looking forward

Despite demonstrating great resilience through this unprecedented time, our Partners identified four key areas where Youth INC could offer the most support during pandemic-related recovery, including:

Grantmaking: Providing multi-year, general operating support and connections to new funding opportunities.
Board Governance: Facilitating deeper Board engagement as well as diverse governing board placements.

Operational Effectiveness / HR: Managing staffing shortfalls, staff quality, and retention.
Professional Development: Offering more support and training for mid-level and frontline staff.

We will continue to empower our non-profit partners, so that we can continue our mission to transform the lives of NYC youth.

opportunities for action

Through the generosity of institutional and individual donors, we’ve disbursed $3 million in grants to our network of Nonprofit Partners over the past three years while continuing to provide our capacity-building services.

These interventions paid huge dividends, reflected in our Nonprofit Partners’ unyielding dedication, agility, and perseverance in ensuring the young people of New York City thrive. As we begin a new chapter of rebuilding, your support will help us continue to provide our Nonprofit Partners with the support they need to navigate the ongoing challenges they face

We distributed

$3 million

in grants and helped mobilize our supporters to resource our nonprofit partners.

Thepandemicreport

Considerations for a post-pandemic future for youth development nonprofits

Profile of respondents

32%

Leadership Challenges

Top Pandemic Related Challenges Cited by Respondents

60%

56%

53%

40%

39%

37%

34%

34%

32%

24%

16%

16%

15%

2%