London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Future not looking bright for non-profits

Future not looking bright for non-profits

Charities face a battle for survival in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, a sector expert Jennifer Burland Adams said.
Jennifer Burland Adams, the chief executive of Wavecrest, which provides consultancy services to the non-profit sector, said groups were badly struggling with finances and the ability to use volunteers.

She said: “The majority have either severely restricted their services or paused completely.

“This means that many non-profit employees have been laid off or had their work hours and salaries reduced.

“As the island begins its phased approach to reopening, non-profits are looking at how to do this in a way that best protects their staff and volunteers, and those who they serve.

“The current climate is one of deep concern for the future as non-profits assess their cashflow positions, funding opportunities and how they can best emerge from this crisis.”

Ms Burland Adams said that the pandemic had caused an increase in demand for essential services, including for feeding programmes, homelessness and senior care.

She added that the Third Sector Co-ordinated Crisis Response Effort had worked tirelessly to provide urgent help, backed by the private sector.

She explained: “As the island moves away from emergency response to recovery, and as unemployment grows, there are huge questions about who will fund theses programmes going forward, and whether the other non-profit services, which our population relies on, have enough funding to survive, let alone thrive.”

Mr Burland Adams said that she believed some non-profits were at risk of having to fold.

She highlighted research from last year that showed that 25 per cent of non-profits had no surplus cash and that 65 per cent had less than six months’ operating expenses saved.

Ms Burland Adams was speaking after the Bermuda Community Foundation announced last week that its emergency fund scheme, viewed by many as a lifeline during the pandemic, was beginning to wind down.

She added that donations and fee-for-service, which many charities rely on for income, were also at risk.

Ms Burland Adams said that organisations that had educational programmes, camps or charged admission had suffered a fall in revenues.

Organisations with thrift shops or rental equipment had also taken a hit.

She added that most non-profits were “very worried” about donations.

Ms Burland Adams said: “Eleven per cent of funding last year came from fundraising events, and obviously traditional events are impossible right now and likely to be unpopular for some time.

“Additionally, with the incredible generosity seen from companies to the emergency response, there is concern in the non-profit sector that there will not be enough funding left for those non-profits who serve an important need in the community, but were not on the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis response.”

Ms Burland Adams said that the pandemic had caused “particular concern” about the use of volunteers.

“About 65 per cent of volunteer hours donated last year were by seniors or others considered vulnerable,” she said.

“That’s more than 63,000 hours in 2019, and with that population being most as risk from Covid-19, many non-profits will struggle without their support.”

Ms Burland Adams said that the island’s private sector “goes above and beyond” to support non-profits.

She added that governments in the United States and Britain had reduced taxes for non-profits, created grants and committed millions in cash for loans.

Mr Burland Adams said: “In Bermuda, this sector plays a vital role in our society.

“From organisations which provide healthcare like Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre and Vision Bermuda, to support services like Family Centre, WindReach and Tomorrow’s Voices, to youth programmes in sport, history, the arts, animals and the environment, more support is needed and it is needed now before we lose valuable resources that have no replacement.”

Groups catering for medical care, community mental health and seniors were among those to benefit from $1.5 million that was pledged to the BCF after the outbreak hit Bermuda.

Myra Virgil, the BCF managing director and chief executive, said more details would be provided this week on a plan to move to a “more sustainable phase for the future”.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×