With donations down and demand up, N.S. non-profits seek extra help this winter

With donations down and demand up, Nova Scotia charities are bracing for a difficult holiday fundraising season during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pat Bradshaw with the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia said non-profits across the province have taken a big financial hit since March.

In a recent survey, 40 per cent of respondents said their donations are dropping, while 58 per cent said they lost revenue because they couldn't hold regular fundraising events due to public health restrictions, Bradshaw said. 

Meanwhile, there are more Nova Scotians in need of help during the holiday season. 

"As we have the second wave upon us, and more people losing their jobs and facing layoffs and challenges, it's getting more and more intense as we go by," she told CBC Radio's Mainstreet in a recent interview. 

Lynne McCarron, executive director of United Way Cape Breton, said her organization has been frantically trying to help people with the most immediate needs during the pandemic. 

That's meant providing over $700,000 to 51 organizations since the spring, she said. 

"The requests are four times what I have to give, so that's significant. I mean, some of these organizations are really struggling. Wait lists are growing.... and funding is down, so it's quite challenging. They need all the help they can get," she told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Cape Breton this week. 

United Way Cape Breton's latest round of funding closed at the end of October. The organization had $459,000 in financial requests and $122,000 to spend, McCarron said. 

The federal government provided aid to charities as part of its wage-subsidy program earlier this year, but for many organizations, that's not enough.

A different way to give

McCarron is encouraging Nova Scotians to find new ways to give if it's not possible to make a financial donation this year. 

"Anything you can do in terms of kindness is going to make somebody feel good, whether it's being polite to them when you're frustrated and in a hurry, or if it's a financial donation, or whatever it is that you can do," she said.

It could be as simple as opening the door for someone who has an armful of groceries, McCarron added. 

Sara Napier, CEO of United Way Halifax, said she's thankful for the people who have stepped up to help already.

"We're really grateful for the fundraising that is happening, but there's no question that everyone really needs more investment to keep on doing the good work that's required to keep that quality of life equitable for as many people as we can," she said.

Napier said the stress of raising money the last few months has taken a toll on people in the non-profit sector who are eager to help others. 

Bradshaw said one person likened trying to keep up during COVID-19 to living through Hurricane Dorian — but for eight months.

"While there's glimmers of hope and they've pivoted and they're partnering and they're innovating, they're exhausted," Bradshaw said. 

"These people that are working so hard to serve the community need a pick-me-up. They need a boost of community rallying and saying, 'We care. We support.'"