Almost two-thirds of Dutch charities see income hit by COVID

More than 62% of Dutch charities saw their income fall between January and September, while 52% expect it to fall even further in the coming months, according to a joint study by Netherlands fundraising regulator CBF and Radboud University.

The study surveyed 324 charities with a total income of €2.56 billion, and found that, in total, they have seen income fall by around €81 million since January. The majority (79%) attribute this mainly to a decline in individual donations, particularly from one-off gifts and events fundraising, with only 17% of charities seeing a decline in regular giving income. Overall, medium-sized charities have seen the greatest losses: on average just over 10% of net income compared to income in 2018.

Donations have increased for some however – 15% of survey respondents – although this tends to be among the larger charities.

The study indicates that the pandemic has also impacted corporate support, with around 29% of charities reporting that they have seen losses to this income stream.

The survey also questioned respondents about the effect of the coronavirus on their activities. It found that the majority had stopped some regular activities, while almost half have postponed to a future date. Nearly 40% however have launched new activities in response to the pandemic, or offered events virtually. This is more common among larger charities, with around 60% able to adjust existing plans to fit the circumstances, compared to 40% in medium-sized organisations. Smaller organisations on the other hand are more likely to have had to postpone.

The survey took place in September and is the second of three aimed at providing a better understanding of both the short and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Dutch non-profit organisations. CBF and Radboud University previously ran its survey in May 2020, with the third scheduled to take place in February 2021.