ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Charitable giving in New York is facing new challenges, but nonprofits are finding new ways to offset those difficulties.

What You Need To Know

  • Nonprofits get creative to help those in need
  • Charities seek new ways to deal with challenges of 2025

  • Nonprofits talk about collaborating to meet needs

Efforts like a recent coat drive helped 3,200 people and 80 programs at Rochester’s Catholic Charities.

Like many nonprofits, the charity relies on grants and donations.

“I’m seeing agencies wanting to help however they can. The need is huge,” said Chief Development Officer at Catholic Charities Tracy Kroft, who adds that federal actions have created a much more significant need for help from nonprofits. 

“I think people are either becoming more creative in how they do their philanthropic [work], how they fill that need. Maybe they do a deep dive on, what is my passion, and then I can, instead of giving to multiple, because I can’t afford to give to multiple agencies, I find what my passion is and I support one or two agencies,” said Kroft.

“It’s been a really difficult year for charities across the board,” said New York Council of Nonprofits Chief Executive Officer Megan Allen.

She says the higher personal costs are, the less people are able to give to others.

“We have seen this year so far, some individual donors, it seems like also holding back,” said Allen. “And so, they wait and see their own personal finances and with inflation with their own job. So maybe holding back on donations because they want to make sure they’re going to be OK, that their family is going to be OK.”

Allen says the nonprofits are finding ways to keep helping, despite this year’s roadblocks.

“We are seeing in the sector a lot of nonprofits saying, ‘how can we work more together? How can we collaborate with other nonprofits to work as efficiently as possible?'” said Allen.

“I think that is innovative and new, and I think we’re going to see more of that. So more of agencies like ours may be collaborating to get a bigger grant to come into our community. And also, foundations and corporate foundations and family foundations working together to try to bridge the gap for as many agencies and people as possible,” said Kroft.

It’s a potential solution for the nonprofits and for those who need them the most.

“I would say if you can give, please do. Even if it’s just a little bit, it still will make a difference,” said Allen.

“I think that people who can, are, and they are doing as much as they can,” said Kroft.