Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) released the results of its 2013 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey last week, and the findings are not surprising:

• Need continues to rise, and it’s harder than ever to keep up – 52% of respondents were unable to meet demand over the last year
• Organizations are trying new ways to keep services flowing (partnerships, upgrading of technology, advocacy) and are seeking new types of funding to improve sustainability – 23% of respondents will seek funding other than grants or contracts, such as loans or investments, over the next 12 months
• Government support rarely covers the full cost of contracted services and payment is frequently late – over 60% of respondents with government funding reported overdue government payments
• Most nonprofits are getting by with little cash on hand – 1 in 4 nonprofits has 30 days or less of cash on hand

For most nonprofits, the findings of the recent foundation survey in The Chronicle of Philanthropy will therefore not be welcome – despite an improving stock market, the nation’s biggest foundations expect to be cautious with their grant making for 2013, and only 28 of the 81 foundations that provided The Chronicle of Philanthropy with grant-making estimates plan to raise their spending in 2013.

For the full NFF survey and other highlights, click here.

The NFF Survey Analyzer is a tool that allows you to explore questions that cut across budget size, geography and other categories and is available here.