Liz CapozziPresentation at Community Foundation is call to action for funders.
Palm Beach County is home to more than 2,500 nonprofit organizations, second only to Miami-Dade in the state. But by nearly every financial measure, those organizations are under-resourced for the work they do and the community they serve.
That was the central message Thursday when Leah McDermott, program director at the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, presented a survey of 1,000 Florida nonprofits to a packed room at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties in West Palm Beach.
Why it matters: The survey found Florida nonprofits are strained by financial volatility, human resources gaps and rising community expectations. Those challenges limit the ability to deliver services and plan confidently for the future.
Zoom out: The regional picture is stark. Across Southeast Florida, the eight counties stretching from Indian River to Monroe, 73% of nonprofits raised the same or less money in 2025 than in 2024. That’s 17% lower than the state average. A third have no reserve funds.
For the first time since the pandemic, staff burnout is rising statewide.
What they’re saying: “Fundraising is really hard to do.” McDermott said. “I can prove that to you. It doesn’t just have to feel hard. It actually is hard.”
Zoom in: Palm Beach County’s nonprofits employ more than 26,000 people, the sixth-highest in the state, and generate $6 billion in annual revenue, the eighth-largest in Florida. Wages have risen 13% since 2024, and the annual nonprofit salary is now about $60,000.
Yes, but: That average ranks 16th in the state, behind counties with far lower living costs. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage estimate for a single adult with one child in Palm Beach County is $44.29 an hour or about $92,000 a year.
The big picture: Federal uncertainty is adding to the pressure. More than one-third of nonprofits in the Southeast region said recent federal changes impeded their ability to deliver services. Organizations described funding cuts, increased demand and staff burnout as the primary effects.
McDermott’s call to action for nonprofit funders: Provide flexible funding for operations, offer multiyear commitments, reduce the administrative burden on grantees and support the nonprofit workforce.
Go deeper: The Florida Nonprofit Alliance conducts its survey annually. The full report and a new interactive economic impact dashboard are available at flnonprofits.org.
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