Non-profit charities in the United States and other countries can halt their operations entirely as a result of the outbreak of the Corona virus, even as they donate billions of dollars in relief efforts From the epidemic.
Rick Cohen, chief operating officer of the US-based National Council for Nonprofits, quotes Bloomberg News as saying that many local nonprofits that rely on small donors face problems.
He said that the canceled activities, the sudden withdrawal of government funding, and the forced closure of stores that were sources of income, all led to the suspension of funding.
Charitable organizations around the world have suffered in recent months due to the interruption of income and fund-raising flows, as tens of millions of people have lost their jobs or faced greater financial difficulties.
The London Marathon, for example, was able to raise 66 million pounds ($ 80 million) for various British charities in 2019, but the marathon was postponed this year, after it was scheduled for April.
Cohen said in an e-mail, "Non-profit organizations face a state of destruction at the present time ... Some organizations also face a sharp rise in demand for their services, while some other organizations testify that funding is drying up, and some suffer from both issues in The same time. "
About 53 percent of donors said they intend to donate more care during the epidemic, but they will continue to donate. While 20 percent said they would stop donating until economic growth returns, according to a survey by the Dunham & Company.
The survey showed that the rest of the donors said they would continue to make donations, noting that that feeling of wanting to donate is stronger among donors who attend at least a week in religious rituals.
According to Dunham, "Older donors, who regularly attend churches, and those who describe themselves as conservative donors, are more likely to say that their donations will continue unchanged, compared to younger donors, who visit less church and liberal donors." .
On the other hand, donation to charities is rooted in Islamic customs during the month of Ramadan, and donations are often collected through funds that are placed in mosques and during dinner parties and other fundraising methods.
But as decisions around the world forced the closure of mosques, more Muslims instead resorted to donate online.
The non-profit charity "My Ten Knights", which collects donations for many charities in five countries, said that at least 6.8 million pounds have been donated to a number of aid societies on their websites. This comes in comparison to the amount of 2.7 million pounds sterling, which was collected during the same period last year.
For his part, Ismail Abdullah, one of the founders of "My Ten Knights", said in an interview with him: "The public sector of charitable institutions has been affected, but the Islamic charity has responded positively to the current circumstances."
While individuals may not be able to donate as much as they did before, companies ’donations have increased over the past few months, and have represented more than $ 5 billion in the amount of donations raised, according to the Candid Association for Monitoring Charities Worldwide.
On the other hand, Andrew Grabois, director in charge of charitable work for the "Candide" association, said that charitable donations to counter the Corona virus "Covid19-" were ten times higher than the amounts that were donated in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, and reflect The global nature of the virus.
"The global increase in donations, as part of the Corona virus relief efforts, reflects the scope of the epidemic and its mixed nature," he said.
"It is a public health disaster that affects people´s health and death rates in every country and continent. It is also an overwhelming economic crisis that forced more than a billion people around the world to submit to quarantine, and an infinite number of companies to close."
