2022 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report Shows Vital Role Nonprofits Play in San Diegans’ Lives and the Need for Increased Support

The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego (USD) has released its 2022 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report, which tracks the health and vitality of our region’s nonprofit sector and philanthropy that supports it. This year’s report found the issues that San Diegans care about most are those where nonprofit organizations play a vital role in addressing (i.e., housing, climate change, wildfires, jobs that provide a livable wage and mental health). Yet, when it comes to the health of our nonprofit sector itself, San Diegans rank it last in their list of priorities.

This year’s State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report also found San Diego County nonprofits are well positioned to innovate to meet challenging community needs and advance the quality of life in our region. However, the sector’s ability to realize its full potential is most immediately threatened by the impacts of inflation and competition for qualified workers. 

• 80% of nonprofit leaders surveyed reported increased prices for program-related costs
• 75% reported pressure to raise salaries to meet increased cost of living for workers
• 46% reported a decrease in the value of investments, 45% reported a decrease in the value of individual donations

Additionally, as fewer people are able to make ends meet due to the impacts of inflation, demand for nonprofit services will continue to go up. 

• 50% of nonprofit leaders surveyed reported a waiting list for services and programs
• 60% percent of nonprofit leaders predict they will need to hire for new positions in the coming year
• 66% report difficulty hiring as they compete with the for-profit sector for talented staff on an unlevel playing field

“We can’t afford to take our under-resourced nonprofit community for granted,” notes Emily Young, Executive Director of The Nonprofit Institute. “As we enter the giving season, I encourage everyone to support organizations working on the causes they care about and to ask their friends, family and elected representatives to do the same.” 

The Nonprofit Institute’s annual report represents a broader commitment by the University of San Diego to serve as an anchor institution dedicated to research and education that directly benefits our region. 

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.