{"id":20229,"date":"2025-10-28T19:19:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/20229\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T19:19:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:19:14","slug":"brooklyn-org-survey-reveals-nonprofits-struggling-with-rising-costs-funding-cuts-and-growing-demand-brooklyn-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/20229\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooklyn Org survey reveals nonprofits struggling with rising costs, funding cuts and growing demand \u2022 Brooklyn Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"trump\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Org says local nonprofits are concerned that potential federal funding cuts under the Trump administration could further strain organizations already facing rising costs and increased demand for services.<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of REUTERS\/Kent Nishimura, File photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

After hearing anecdotes about financial struggles among New York City nonprofits due to federal funding cuts, Brooklyn Org<\/a> \u2014 a platform for local philanthropy and advocate for Brooklyn\u2019s nonprofit community \u2014 conducted a survey to better understand the impact on local organizations.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBrooklyn Backs Brooklyn \u2013 Nonprofit Survey\u201d collected online responses from 86 nonprofits across New York City, including 62 from Brooklyn, between Sept. 22 and Oct. 10, 2025. The survey aimed to assess the current funding landscape, operational challenges and community needs.<\/p>\n

The findings offer a stark picture: many organizations are grappling with rising costs, federal funding cuts, overextended staff, and increased demand. The survey underscores the critical need for more government and philanthropic support for community-based organizations that know their neighborhoods and residents best.<\/p>\n

According to the survey, 86% of nonprofits reported higher costs for providing services over the past 12 months, with more than half noting increases of 10% or more.\n<\/p>\n

Sixty percent experienced cuts in government funding, including 42% who reported reductions of 20% or more. Nearly 41% saw declines in individual donations. More than half said they are concerned about their organization\u2019s financial stability in 2026 and their ability to meet their mission next year.<\/p>\n

The cuts also affect day-to-day operations. Forty-seven percent of nonprofits reduced non-personnel expenses, 36% implemented hiring freezes, and two-thirds reported a decline in staff morale. Still, 58% said they maintained service quality, and 53% expanded services despite limited resources.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brooklyn Org President and CEO Jocelynne Rainey joins volunteers during the second annual Brooklyn Org Volunteer Day on Saturday, April 26.Photo courtesy of Paul Frangipane<\/p>\n

At the same time, demand for nonprofit services is rising. Ninety percent of surveyed organizations reported increased need for support, including housing and utility assistance, food pantries, and after-school programs, as New Yorkers face soaring grocery, utility and rent costs.<\/p>\n

Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, president and CEO of Brooklyn Org, told Brooklyn Paper the survey was conducted to understand how nonprofits are coping in what she called a \u201cvery chaotic and turbulent time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found out that it\u2019s clear that nonprofits are facing a major squeeze,\u201d Rainey said. \u201cAffordability is not only hitting individual people, it\u2019s hitting nonprofits.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Rainey referenced the \u201cOur People\u2019s Pulse\u201d survey, commissioned by Brooklyn Org in early 2025, which found that 61% of New Yorkers said it is increasingly difficult to meet basic needs such as housing, food, healthcare and education.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiddle-class New Yorkers are really struggling around affordability. They might be able to afford food still, and get gas, but because of the increased cost, it\u2019s making them a little more hesitant about giving and philanthropy, because they have to take care of their own family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In response to growing funding needs, Brooklyn Org has committed to 25% more grants this year.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that the need is going to be really deep,\u201d Rainey said.\u201dBut we also know that philanthropy like ours cannot close the gap that the federal government is creating.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

She warned the crisis could worsen on Nov. 1, when nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers<\/a> are expected to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program<\/a> (SNAP) due to the government shutdown, raising concerns about hunger. Rainey emphasized that both nonprofit financial struggles and frozen SNAP benefits affect everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been in a relentless moment in New York City, starting with COVID, then George Floyd, and after George Floyd, the immigrant crisis, which brought more New Yorkers to the doors of the nonprofit,\u201d Rainey said. \u201cAnd now we have this. It\u2019s going to be even worse, now that we have government employees who are unemployed, and we have SNAP benefits being cut as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Mixteca Organization Inc. in Greenwood Heights.File photo by Jessica Parks<\/p>\n

Robin Redmond, executive director of Flatbush Development Corporation<\/a> (FDC), which provides housing support and eviction prevention, told Brooklyn Paper the survey helped her organization understand the challenges facing other nonprofits and prepare for increased service demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it\u2019s nice to see that you\u2019re not going through this alone, and to see other organizations are facing the same struggles and see what some of the other issues organizations have,\u201d Redmond said.<\/p>\n

She said higher unemployment, inflation, looming changes to medical coverage, and predatory landlord activity have increased demand for services that were already difficult to meet \u201con a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Redmond reported that the number of families seeking housing assistance has grown 25%, with 350\u2013400 families living in Flatbush Gardens, one of Brooklyn\u2019s largest housing developments, currently in housing court fighting eviction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat used to be 70 calls a month has now gone to 100 to 125,\u201d she said. \u201cFood insecurity and housing insecurity are so high right now with the families that we serve; it\u2019s frightening.\u201d<\/p>\n

One survey participant, Mixteca<\/a>, is a community-based organization in Sunset Park serving the Mexican and Latin American immigrant community through health, education and social and legal services.<\/p>\n

Lorena Kourousias, Mixteca\u2019s executive director, said the organization remains committed to its community.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWith public benefits shrinking and the political climate turning against immigrants, standing strong together is more important than ever. When we back Brooklyn, we back the immigrant families who keep this borough thriving,\u201d Kourousias said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Brooklyn Org says local nonprofits are concerned that potential federal funding cuts under the Trump administration could further…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20230,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,13709,13710,13711,13712,6420,2564,6721,6079,13713,13714,9,24,370,6202,63,10867,13715,12825,13716],"class_list":["post-20229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-brooklyn-org","tag-dr-jocelynne-rainey","tag-federal-funding-cuts","tag-flatbush-development-corporation","tag-food-insecurity","tag-government-shutdown","tag-housing-crisis","tag-inflation","tag-lorena-kourousias","tag-mixteca","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-newsletter","tag-nonprofits","tag-nyc","tag-philanthropy","tag-robin-redmond","tag-snap-benefits","tag-survey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}