Colorado nonprofits did not emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic into stability. Instead, many entered a prolonged period of adjustment marked by expiring relief funding, rising costs, and persistent workforce strain. A November 2025 report from the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs captures this turning point and highlights why the conditions nonprofits faced in mid-2024 still shape the sector's outlook in 2026. 

In Post-Pandemic Uncertainty: A Snapshot of Colorado Nonprofits in Mid-2024, associate professor Shuyang Peng, along with PhD students Tierney Bamrick and Michael Bell, analyzes survey data from the Colorado Nonprofit Research Panel (CONOREP). The data reflect nonprofit experiences during a narrow but consequential window in mid-2024, after pandemic disruptions eased and before financial and policy pressures fully converged in 2025.  

While the report captures conditions at that moment, it also provides a baseline for understanding the challenges nonprofit leaders continue to confront across the state today. “CONOREP is designed to track nonprofits longitudinally through periods of uncertainty, and this first report sets the foundation for that sustained, systematic inquiry,” said Peng, “ensuring that as conditions change, researchers, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders will have reliable data to understand what is happening and why.” 

Sector-wide pressures persist 

Nonprofit leaders reported that the impacts of the pandemic were still shaping their operations in mid-2024. Many cited the expiration of American Rescue Plan Act funding as a significant source of financial strain at that time. While this funding had enabled organizations to stabilize or expand services during the pandemic, leaders noted that rising costs and continued demand remained after those dollars were exhausted. Inflationary pressures and increases in housing and labor costs left many organizations financially exposed heading into 2025, as temporary pandemic funding ended. 

Consistent with broader nonprofit trends, funding and philanthropy challenges surfaced in the survey as some of the most widespread concerns in mid-2024. Leaders described declines in individual giving, shifting funder priorities, and persistent barriers to securing general operating support.  These pre-existing financial and personnel challenges not only continued into 2025 and beyond but were further compounded by federal funding delays, freezes, and cancellations that materialized in 2025.

The report also documents broader cultural and sector-wide dynamics shaping nonprofit work. Some leaders described a perceived weakening of the culture of giving and volunteerism, alongside growing public skepticism about the role and motives of nonprofit organizations. At the same time, many identified increasing competition within the sector as a significant challenge, attributing it to perceived oversaturation and mission redundancy, which strain limited donor pools and divide community support. Nonprofits located in rural and rural resort communities highlighted unique barriers, including limited donor bases, housing shortages, and geographic isolation. 

“While rural and mountain nonprofits share many of the same funding and workforce pressures as organizations statewide,” said Peng, “leaders in these communities emphasized that geography and isolation compound these challenges in distinct ways. There is a need for a better understanding of the capacity constraints and realities facing rural and mountain nonprofits.” 

Challenges at the organizational level 

At the individual organizational level, nonprofits most frequently identified funding, fundraising, and financial management as their primary challenges in mid-2024. Many reported difficulty covering operational costs, building reserves, and maintaining financial stability amid inflation and increased service demands. 

Human resource issues were also prominent. Leaders described struggles to recruit and retain staff due to burnout, workforce shortages, and an inability to offer wages that match Colorado’s cost of living. Volunteer recruitment and retention, board engagement, leadership development, and succession planning were additional concerns raised by respondents. 

Despite these pressures, many nonprofit leaders reported pursuing adaptive strategies at the time. These included diversifying revenue streams, investing in organizational capacity, rethinking growth plans, and strengthening partnerships with other organizations —approaches that continue to shape how nonprofits navigate ongoing challenges today. 

About the Colorado Nonprofit Research Panel 

CONOREP is an ongoing research initiative housed within the School of Public Affairs at University of Colorado Denver. The panel consists of executive leaders from 501(c)(3) public charities across Colorado who have opted to participate in periodic surveys. 

“CONOREP functions as a living bridge between SPA and the state’s nonprofit community, generating real-world data that informs organizational decision-making, shapes public policy, and feeds back into the classroom,” said Peng. SPA is Colorado's top-ranked institution in public administration and nonprofit management, with a mission to prepare leaders for government and the nonprofit sector. 

Panelists typically receive one to two survey invitations per year and gain early access to research findings about trends in the nonprofit sector. All survey responses are confidential and reported only in aggregate form. 

“The panel allows us to track changes over time and better understand how nonprofits respond to shifting conditions,” said Peng. “That perspective is essential for informing policy, funding decisions, and sector-wide support efforts.” 

The full report is available at conorep.org/survey-results.  

Nonprofit executives interested in joining CONOREP can find eligibility criteria and participation details through the School of Public Affairs.