Private donors who gave generously in the past may be facing their own financial problems may not be so generous now. With businesses closing, many local nonprofits are hurting for donations. Most local businesses that have supported local nonprofits in the past could be cutting down on their contributions during the time of Covid-19. Brian Greene, CEO of Houston Food Bank, says some groups are doing betters than others. "The more the organization is in basic needs, the more that their donations have NOT gone down. The other types of organizations are definitely hurting and they are worried about long term sustainability."
Greene is relieved that his group is fairing better than he had expected, but he's worried about smaller groups that make positive contributions to life in Houston may not seem so essential, and may be in trouble. "Fortunately for us, the donations are a lot better than I thought they would be. I was really worried the people would be really afraid to give, but they recognize that the need is great." Sadly, he says the groups that are not dealing with social services are hurting. "I'm very worried about arts nonprofits - the culture organizations. They are very valuable to our community, making this a great place to live."