How nonprofits cut budgets in difficult times

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

The horizontal bar graph shows 9 actions that nonprofits took to reduce their budgets during the difficult US economic period in 2009 and 2010.  

The data in the graph was collected in a survey conducted by GuideStar.  2011 responses were received from nonprofits.  The graph shows the percentage of responses that indicated they reduced budgets by the actions shown.   GuideStar’s report “The Effect of the Economy on the Nonprofit Sector” can be assessed by clicking here (PDF file).

A question about the data is why more nonprofits did not reduce their operating hours, which would seem a preferable strategic option.  Reducing operating hours would avoid layoffs (layoffs are a very poor strategic action) and achieve many of the other results, e.g. reducing employee wages using hourly wages.

Problems discovered while complying with Sarbanes Oxley

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows problems that survey respondents reported discovering while complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley regulation.  More than 400 audit and financial officers responded to a 2011 survey, conducted by Protiviti, on costs, time, effort, and processes in their companies related to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

The survey results are reported in a Protiviti report entitled “2011 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Survey”.  This report can be accessed by clicking here (PDF file).