2016 PA Charitable Organizations Survey: Questions & Answer Summary

Member Group : Lincoln Institute

RESPONDENTS: 177 of 177

SECTION 1: Policy Issues

Q1 In general, do you think business conditions in Pennsylvania are BETTER, about the SAME, or WORSE than they were one year ago?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
BETTER 15.34% 27
ABOUT THE SAME 63.07% 111
WORSE 21.59% 38
Answered 176
Skipped 1

Q2 Looking ahead one year, do you expect business conditions to be BETTER, about the SAME, or WORSE than they are today?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
BETTER 22.16% 39
ABOUT THE SAME 44.32% 78
WORSE 33.52% 59
Answered 176
Skipped 1

Q3 Are employment levels at your organization HIGHER, about the SAME, or LOWER than they were one year ago?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
HIGHER 23.56% 41
ABOUT THE SAME 60.92% 106
LOWER 15.52% 27
Answered 174
Skipped 3

Q4 Looking ahead one year, do you expect employment levels at your organization to be HIGHER, about the SAME, or LOWER than they are today?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
HIGHER 21.71% 38
ABOUT THE SAME 64.57% 113
LOWER 13.71% 24
Answered 175
Skipped 2

Q5 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) passed a change in regulations that will increase the minimum salary requirements for "white collar" workers from $23,600 to $47,476. What effect will this have on your organization?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE PAYROLL COSTS 17.92% 31
SOMEWHAT INCREASE PAYROLL COSTS 24.86% 43
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE TIME SPENT TRACKING HOURS WORKED 16.76% 29
SOMEWHAT INCREASE TIME SPENT TRACKING HOURS WORKED 10.40% 18
NO EFFECT 24.86% 43
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 5.20% 9
COMMENTS

  • Also increase time tracking hours somewhat
  • Increase in time expended on payroll processing and associated costs of remuneration
  • In addition to incrased payroll, the systems necessary to track hours is also an unbudgeted expense.
  • And increase costs!
  • Our Executive Director is likely to have to become a volunteer Director
  • Increased payroll costs, time spent tracking hours, and other costly operational impacts.
  • Creates major havoc with our schedule
  • Potential for morale issues with individuals who have been exempt employees their entire careers.
  • Hard to tell right now – will increase time tracking as well
  • Increase payroll and increase time spent teaching hours, and less going towards our exempt purpose.
  • Significantly decrease employees’ hours worked.
  • It will lower morale and make it very difficult to do Saturday and evening events !
  • Makes hiring more employees significantly harder
  • Test
  14
Answered 173
Skipped 4

Q6 IF your organization will experience a negative impact due to the new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulations (see previous question), how does your organization plan to pay for the increased financial and/or time costs?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
REDUCE STAFF HOURS IN OTHER AREAS 30.17% 35
ELIMINATE ONE OR MORE PAID STAFF 14.66% 17
REDUCE SERVICES 11.21% 13
RECRUIT ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER HOURS 15.52% 18
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 46.55% 54
COMMENTS

  • Pre-approval for overtime, changing exemption status
  • N/A
  • Rattle the cup more. Try to control hours worked.
  • Most likely, simply lose $$ at the bottom line. Excess revenue will be reduced by the amount we pay for overtime. Not having any track record it is difficult to say how much the organization will lose due to the changes in DOL regs.
  • NA
  • Requested more local government funding and doing more fundraising to pay for it.
  • NOT AN ISSUE
  • We’ll absorb the extra work load.
  • We are likely to have to diversify so we can justify a paid position at the new level.
  • Modify work schedules based upon requirements more frequently
  • will have to require that staff not work overtime unless unavoidable. This will reduce hours worked/available.
  • Adjust benefit offerings and cost sharing and restrict overtime costs
  • Create policies/processes for implementation. No real perceived financial anticipated
  • Post-pone other staffing needs
  • don’t expect a negative impact, but if we realize one, we will have to eliminate other paid positions
  • Changes in the Child Protectice Services Law make it difficult and risky to offset hours with volunteers.
  • Increase income for the association.
  • Adjust
  • All of the above
  • N/A
  • Increased government contract revenue to accommodate the law
  • Can’t afford, so must limit employees’ hours worked.
  • N/A
  • Staff that are under the threshold now have to punch a time clock and we aren’t able to allow over time so most of that work is going to the very few exempt staff. We are finding this to be a very difficult transition.
  • Have exempt staff work more hours to cover hourly employees tht can’t work over 40 hours due to time in a half for over 40 hours.
  • re-allocation of money from other areas
  • OUR STAFF SERVICE PREGNANT WOMEN WITH DOULAS SERVICES WE NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH OVERTIME THAT WILL BE & IF IT HAPPENS OVER WEEKEND IT’S HARD TO GIVE COMP TIME IN THAT WEEK SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE ENCOURAGING COMP TIME WITH SUPERVISOR APPROVAL FOR OVERTIME WE WILL REVALAUTE IN 6 MONTHS
  • FInd additional income sources to supplement
  • ALL OF THE ABOVE
  • riase more $
  • nOT APPLICABLE
  • Monitor hours more carefully for employees which fit in this category.
  • just make sure that there are no overtime hours.
  • reduce benefits
  34
Answered 116
Skipped 61

Q7 Would your organization support legislation that would put in place incentives for an on-time STATE budget process?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 28.00% 49
YES, WITH BOARD APPROVAL 40.57% 71
NO 9.71% 17
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 21.71% 38
Answered 175
Skipped 2

Q8 Would your organization support legislation that would progressively penalize state lawmakers for missing the state budget deadline, with penalties increasing for each day past the June 30th deadline?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 29.31% 51
YES, WITH BOARD APPROVAL 38.51% 67
NO 6.90% 12
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 25.29% 44
Answered 174
Skipped 3

Q9 Would your organization support an increase in the Personal Income Tax (PIT) from 3.07% to no more than 3.4% specifically to support human services?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 9.20% 16
YES, WITH BOARD APPROVAL 27.59% 48
NO 21.84% 38
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 41.38% 72
Answered 174
Skipped 3

Q10 Would your organization support imposing a new natural gas drilling tax of up to 6.5% specifically to support human services?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 16.00% 28
YES, WITH BOARD APPROVAL 27.43% 48
NO 13.14% 23
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 43.43% 76
Answered 175
Skipped 2

Q11 Would your organization support imposing a new public health tax (ie: sugar tax, soda tax) of 1.5 cents per ounce specifically to support human services?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 14.94% 26
YES, WITH BOARD APPROVAL 24.14% 42
NO 21.84% 38
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 39.08% 68
Answered 174
Skipped 3

Q12 Would your organization support allocating a portion of the taxes generated by Pennsylvania’s gaming industry to support human services?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 18.86% 33
YES, WITH BOARD APPROVAL 40.57% 71
NO 10.29% 18
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 30.29% 53
Answered 175
Skipped 2

SECTION 2: Organizational Issues

Q13 Since the beginning of calendar year 2016, has overall income to your organization from all sources:

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY 1.85% 3
INCREASED MODERATELY 30.86% 50
STAYED ABOUT THE SAME 42.59% 69
DECREASED MODERATELY 19.14% 31
DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY 4.94% 8
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 0.62% 1
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q14 Generally speaking, do you expect to see your total 2017 revenue INCREASE, DECREASE or STAY ABOUT THE SAME as it was in 2016?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE 1.85% 3
MODERATE INCREASE 27.78% 45
STAY ABOUT THE SAME 49.38% 80
MODERATE DECREASE 15.43% 25
SIGNIFICANT DECREASE 4.32% 7
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 1.23% 2
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q15 Has your organization’s funding from STATE government INCREASED, DECREASED or STAYED ABOUT THE SAME over the past five years?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE 1.26% 2
MODERATE INCREASE 8.81% 14
STAYED ABOUT THE SAME 52.20% 83
MODERATE DECREASE 12.58% 20
SIGNIFICANT DECREASE 8.18% 13
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 16.98% 27
Answered 159
Skipped 18

Q16 Has your organization’s funding from the FEDERAL government INCREASED, DECREASED or STAYED ABOUT THE SAME over the past five years?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE 4.40% 7
MODERATE INCREASE 7.55% 12
STAYED ABOUT THE SAME 45.28% 72
MODERATE DECREASE 10.06% 16
SIGNIFICANT DECREASE 6.29% 10
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 26.42% 42
Answered 159
Skipped 18

Q17 Has your organization been engaged in any challenges over your property tax exemption over the past two years?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 6.83% 11
NO 81.99% 132
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 11.18% 18
Answered 161
Skipped 16

Q18 Are you concerned that your municipal or county government may challenge your property tax exemption next year?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 12.96% 21
NO 70.99% 115
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED  16.05% 26
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q19 Has anyone from your organization registered as a lobbyist under the Pennsylvania Lobbying Disclosure Act?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 6.21% 10
NO 88.20% 142
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 5.59% 9
Answered 161
Skipped 16

Q20 Has your organization lobbied on any public policy issue at any level of government during the past year?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 21.60% 35
NO 71.60% 116
DON’t KNOW/REFUSED 6.79% 11
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q21 Does your organization plan to lobby government at any level on any public policy issue during the coming year?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
YES 26.54% 43
NO 55.56% 90
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 17.90% 29
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q22 Would you say the current level of public trust in charities is:

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
HIGH 9.88% 16
MEDIUM 77.16% 125
LOW 8.64% 14
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 4.32% 7
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q23 Would you say the level of public trust in charities as gotten BETTER or WORSE over the past few years?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER 0.62% 1
SOMEWHAT BETTER 20.99% 34
STAYED ABOUT THE SAME 41.36% 67
SOMEWHAT WORSE 30.86% 50
SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE 0.62% 1
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 5.56% 9
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q24 Which sector do you believe will best address the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s social and economic challegnes?

Answer Choices Response
Percent
Response
Count
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 3.09% 5
STATE GOVERNMENT 22.22% 36
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 2.47% 4
NONPROFIT SECTOR 40.74% 66
FOR PROFIT SECTOR 6.17% 10
NONE OF THE ABOVE 5.56% 9
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED 12.35% 20
Other Responses

  • A successful collaboration among all above-listed groups
  • It will take a combination of sectors, the issues are very complex. Nonprofits need to advocate for policy, state legislators and the governor need to come to agreement. Federal policy and funding will be a factor, but cannot be the solution. Business has to succeed to improve the state economy, but if we don’t address poverty and education it will all be for naught.
  • All of the above working together. People have to be mobilized, too
  • A mix of all sectors. No one sector can fix the problem
  • Nonprofits are doing the work of the government – taking care of the social and economic issues, but I think the general public feels that government shouldn’t be doing those activities, and nonprofits just "have their hands out like everyone else"
  • No one group is effective in dealing with issues. A leadership coalition is needed with people who know how to fix what’s wrong.
  • It needs to be a combination. No one sector will do it.
  • Please not that challenges is spelled incorrectly in this question.
  • Services – falls to the non-profits Funding should come from State
  • IT COMES DOWN TO FUNDING AND ALL AGENCYS & GOVERMENT WORKING ON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN NOT IN SILOS
  • A combination of these.
  • Combination of the above
12
Answered 162
Skipped 15

Q25 What is your organization’s biggest concern as you prepare for 2016?

Responses

  • We are preparing for 2017 though being ahead of our time has always been problematic.
  • Increase in minimum wage law
  • Being able to find sustainable funding.
  • The Trump Administration
  • Decreasing revenues
  • flat income v. increasing costs, esp salaries
  • That the government’s over regulation will have caused burdens on the small businesses that we rely upon for support; causing them to drop or lessen their support for our charitable organization.
  • 2017: redo website, Google grants, fundraising
  • changes in policies & regulations, state & federal budget
  • sustainable funding
  • prepare for 2016? That happened in 2015.
  • Internal stability; funding
  • Too much state and federal regulation and paying for employee health insurance costs.
  • Unemployment in our region.
  • changes in environmental legislation
  • As an all-volunteer non profit we must find younger folks willing to devote their time and energy to preserving, and protecting, our community’s historic core.
  • Inadequate financing of overhead.
  • Do you mean 2017? Maintaining specific governmental funding. Assuring compliance with the myriad of regulations.
  • budget
  • We are fortunate to be somewhat fiscally sound. However, we are concerned about the DOL/FLSA rules and the impact to the bottom line. We need funding streams (gov’t, foundations) to understand nonprofits need assistance in daily operating expenses to keep the mission alive. Operating expenses are vital to all nonprofits, but the revenue stream for the services offered often do not match the expense to provide those services.
  • As we prepare for 2017, our biggest concern is funding outside our grants. We are hoping to create more of a sense of community right in our small town.
  • Do you mean 2017? Recruiting qualified staff to meet the demands of our services.
  • Out sourcing
  • State budget issues may reduce state aid to public libraries. Also VERY concerned about the election of Trump and conservative Republicans. Tax cuts will result in cuts to critical nonprofit services. Concerned?–changed that to TERRIFIED.
  • Reduction inMedical/social service funding at state and federal level.
  • funding
  • We represent arts and culture. Your survey only proposes funding for human services. If part of that also was an opportunity for arts and culture we would support that. My biggest concern is the political and social divisiveness of our nation. The nonprofit sector needs to play a leading role in bringing people of opposing viewpoints together to craft realistic solutions and to find points of commonality. We need to reinforce the due process of government, while still pressing for progressive reform. We can’t dismiss the concerns of conservatives, we need to understand them better. Not everyone is radically conservative and unreasonable. We need to reinforce the middle, on both sides.
  • – funding levels for the organizations basic needs as well as paying staff adequately
  • Reduced government support, and changes in municipal support for tax-exemption
  • How we will work around the mandated salary increase and increased financial support from public and private sources.
  • Staff turnover
  • Personnel costs.
  • Financial viability
  • The belief that the "best" non-profits are focused on social welfare issues – your questions indicate that bias.
  • Lack of sufficient funding to provide services that the community wants and needs
  • Ongoing and insufficient funding from counties and third party Medicaid insurers that hasn’t been increased in over a decade, and hasn’t covered the cost of client services in that timeframe as well. Increased expenses and limited flexibility to provide therapeutic services as the result of the FLSA threshold change.
  • Newly appointed leadership at federal level
  • As we prepare for 2017 our biggest concern is a loss of revenue from state and federal funds. Together these two sources are 2/3 of our budget.
  • Managing the public’s demand for our services, with stagnant state funding.
  • Flat funding is really a budget cut – we have rising costs in salaries, benefits, utilities, supplies, etc – so not seeing increases means we cut other things. In general, nonprofits have cut everything but staff and I believe that’s where the next significant savings will come from. Also very worried about the ability for the state to pass a budget on time or without significant delay.
  • Funding in an increasingly competitive non-profit environment.
  • Care delivery systems at all levels are failing and do not work. Staffing is insufficient for almost all nonprofits and the increasing burden of regulatory requirements forces staff to spend their time filling out forms, not providing services. There has got to be some middle ground. Certainly don’t increase oversight.
  • Raising enough money
  • Funding and ongoing community engagement.
  • Funding
  • Money
  • Health insurance for employees
  • Impact of election on business climate, funding.
  • For 2017, to increase membership and fundraising.
  • State funding
  • going out of business due to lack of sustainable income.
  • Attracting and retaining staff
  • Money needed to maintain services
  • Visitation and planning events.
  • Maintaining high quality programs for all participants, employing and retaining high quality individuals, maintaining financially security.
  • How the 2016 Election will impact us
  • Affording additional needed staff
  • Uncertain political changes
  • Gravely concerned over the future directions of the president elect and his cabinet, specifically towards income disparity, racial tensions, and socio-economic discrimination
  • Income to pay the bills
  • Renewal of the cohort #7, 21st CCLC grant..
  • The new administration and the possibility that our federal funding will be cut or eliminated.
  • Perhaps the question should be 2017, not 2016, since the year is almost over? TYPO? Preparing to meet unlimited needs in our community where there are shrinking funding opportunities.
  • New funding sources
  • Finding the resources to cover our expenses
  • A proposed increase in the county’s library tax.
  • The policy changes that will be made by a DT administration and his appointees who so far look like people who will take away from people who have the least to give.
  • Impact of Revenues relevant to government and individual financial unknowns
  • unrestricted funds for administrative cost
  • Inadequate space
  • How to continue to move out purpose forward in the midst of governmental changes… State and Federal
  • The outcome of the recent presidential election will have a significant impact on our major donors, and consequently on us.
  • How a Trump presidency will DRASTICALLY impact our ability to provide health and social services to low income populations.
  • Securing funding
  • Increasing revenue to supply more scholarships
  • Trump’s uncertainties
  • fundrasing
  • Funding and staffing on a shoestring budget.
  • Assuming the question is for 2017? Our concern is the impact of Trump presidency on federal policies and funding, specifically the ACA.
  • The wording of these surveys is often careless or reflects a "can’t see the woods for the trees" bias. Note questions 15 and 16. They assume that all respondents receive federal and state money. They lack an appropriate "We do not receive state/federal money" choice. Your results skew without it. This sort of error is also obvious on other questions. You need to have a knowledgeable but neutral reviewer look this over before you cast it out on the Internet. The best you can do may be to find someone in your organization who is committed to your mission but is a natural-born contrarian.
  • Obtaining contracts for our employment program
  • how the change in presidency will play out for human service agencies in the coming years.
  • GRANTS from fed and PA state entities which will allow us to carry out our planned programs.
  • uncertainty at Federal level with the new Administration
  • Funding.
  • Making payroll
  • Raising money.
  • Always funding.
  • Decreasing federal financial and public support for human services-related programs
  • AS WE PREPARE FOR 2017 WE ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY THE ROLLBACK OF ACA & SOCIAL SERVICE & EDUCATION WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR CLIENTS. WE NOW WILL HAVE TO SPEND TIME & MONEY JUST TO MAINTAIN BASIC SERVICES FOR OUR CLIENTS
  • How the new Presidential administration will effect the work we do and the impact on the communities we serve.
  • Student access to education and student debt
  • 1. Employee recruitment and turnover, especially at the direct support worker level due to stagnant wage levels, and 2. Health insurance costs
  • decreased and turbulent funding combined with increased regulations.
  • Always funding. the United Way is decreasing funding, the state hasn’t increased since mid 1970. We have a production area where we employee individuals with disabilities at the same bringing in revenue for services. Employment of disabled is being challenged at this time WOIA.
  • flat funding, new OT rules and the massive health Care increase to our staff
  • Increasing funding to achieve strategic plan
  • I assume you mean 2017. Government funding at all levels!
  • allocation of state funds for purchased services
  • Funding
  • Homelessness and lack of public transportation for our clients.
  • loss of rights for many people if federal government leadership changes
  • Revenue
  • SUSTAINABLE FUNDING
  • Funding sustainability
  • We hope the budget will pass on time in 2017.
  • CMS required electronic records, Meaningful use, PQRS, MIPS reporting and added cost for personnel report, cost of Maintenance/Support
  • Fundraising
  • Do you mean 2017? Increased costs vs. only moderate increase in revenue.
  • Funding
  • Adequate funding that will allow us to pay our direct support staff a decent living wage for the professional work they perform supporting individuals with disabilities.
  • Funding
112
Answered: 112
Skipped: 65