Some experts and nonprofit directors fear that the worst is still ahead. It could take until the end of the year, after fundraising campaigns are concluded, for some groups to assess the impact and whether they need to seek new funding sources or cut services. Some foundations that invest in the stock market are finding that they might have to become more selective or decrease their giving, said Trudy Jacobson, development director for Maryland Nonprofits, a statewide association.
"Appreciated stock gifts are a tremendous funding source," said Walton of the United Way. "People who pledge annual gifts pay with appreciated stock, and it's a good tax write-off. But right now, appreciated stock is hard to find because the market has taken such a dip. There will be some that cannot give at the level they did before."
Walton said that the United Way, which supports groups such as the American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels, has not yet begun its annual workplace giving campaign but that the charity expects support to be down, especially among lower-wage earners.
Moveable Feast, which delivers meals to homebound patients with AIDS and breast cancer, says the cost of preparing and delivering 3,100 medically nutritious meals a week in the Baltimore area has risen up to 15 percent, or about $3,000 a month. So far, the group has avoided cutting services, instead scrambling to find farms and bakeries to donate food.
In the Baltimore area, the Salvation Army has been able to provide some help to most who contact the agency through its busy telephone switchboard, Coulson said.
"My biggest concern is that those that are having difficulty getting through and give up and those who aren't accustomed to asking for help are still sitting there with cutoff notices or putting it on their credit cards, and the crisis will come into play in November or December," Coulson said.
Richard Spencer, 56, a self-employed painting contractor from West Baltimore, said that the high cost of heating bills over the winter caught him by surprise and that before he knew it, his BGE bill grew to $1,800.
"Work has been a little slow and I got behind," Spencer said.
He thought he qualified for a social services grant of $600 but was later told that no money was available. After he called dozens of agencies, the Salvation Army said it could offer two $500 grants if he could come up with the rest.
