It could be lights out for some nonprofits in

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of , which helps raise monehy for hundreds oflocal agencies, held a town hall meeting Jan. 16 for nonprofits to share their challenges. About 300 people attended representing more than180 organizations. “I think it’s pretty much a certainty that there will be some nonprofits that will closeup shop,” said Milton president of United Way. “The pressures are very intense. The smalledr organizations are the ones most likelyat risk.” “Everybodt talked about fairly significanr shortfalls in their fourth-quarter fundraising,” Little said of the meeting.
Alici Philipp, president of , thinkz that just as bankruptcy courts provide an orderl y way for businessesto dissolve, it would be a good idea for localo nonprofits that close their doors to have some ways to providse for successful programs and, wherde possible, staff. “Legally, morally, how do you thinkk about handing off programsto others?” she “We’re going to have situationws like that.
As much as we wish we wouldn’t, I bet we The economy really began to go downhill last just a monthafterd Atlanta’s United Way launchedx its annual campaign to raise $82 “The campaign has seen its challenges as many of the traditional donords have had to tighten their belts,” Little “We are not immune from what the othetr nonprofits are seeing.” Malika White, a United Way spokeswoman, followedd up in an e-mail saying that it is still a littlee too early to tell whether Unitesd Way will be able to make its goal. Ed a partner with Deloitte, is this year’s campaign chairman.
“We are projectinfg that we may come a littlre short ofthe $82 millionj goal,” she said. “Ed and the campaig n committee are working diligently to help us reach the In December, United Way’s leaders recognizes that some agencies needed immediate financial help to meet the growin needs. It launched a “critical campaign to raise $2.5 millioh that it could pass on to theneediesgt nonprofits. Little said that so far, Uniter Way has received commitments (pledges and for $1.3 million. Of that, it has received $550,000 in It has already dispersed the firstt round of grantsto agencies, and it will continue to do so as the moneyt comes in.
“The economy is having an extraordinary impactf on the people served by Little said. “We are seeing the growth of the new poor becausof bankruptcies, housing foreclosures, retirement and reduce d portfolios.” Nonprofits that rely on governmeny support are particularly vulnerable, according to people attendingf the town hall meeting. “Probably most are experiencingfunding shortfalls, especiallty if they have big chunks of their monehy coming from the government,” said Nanc y Longacre, vice president of the Georgis Center for Nonprofits. “Anyone who has a lot of moneh coming from the stateis concerned, and shoul be.
” Metro Atlanta nonprofits are planning to write a letter to House Speaker Glennj Richardson to urge state leaders to “be as surgicak as possible as to how thosde budget cuts will be undertaken,” Little Longacre had more evidence that nonprofits are struggling Her organization took part in a national survey in November that indicatexd 25 percent of nonprofits either have gone through or are anticipatinhg layoffs. “Most nonprofits are looking very carefully at cuttiny budgets andat efficiency,” she “Most already are very You can cut to a point, and then your biggesr expense is always going to be salaries.
” Atlanta’es 25 largest nonprofits had a total of 8,283 full-time employees as of September 2008, according to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s list of the city’s largest nonprofift organizations. Little said nonprofits also willbe creative. “I think there are opportunities for some consolidation or Little said. “There are also opportunitiex forsharing back-office operations like Everybody is going to have to be open to new ways of doingf business.” Nonprofits can’t expect government to bail them out, yet thosr agencies often are society’s “safety net” for peopld with the greatest needs.
As Littlw said: “The Atlanta region cannot affor to have the human services community wind up in tatters atthis