The Digital Report 2020, produced by the Haus des Stiftens and the University of Mannheim, comprehensively shows how Germany's nonprofit sector is digitally positioned. A brand-new continuation of this evaluation is now available: The Digital Report 2021 focuses on the Covid 19 pandemic. How much did NPOs suffer from the pandemic? Were there perhaps even positive effects? Did the crisis make NPOs more resilient? And most importantly, what role has digitization played in this?
These and many other exciting questions are answered by the Digital Report 2021, which surveyed 922 nonprofit organizations in Germany.
- To the Digital Report 2021 with pandemic focus.
“This evaluation provides us with significant insights into the current situation of nonprofits! This will enable us to target our offerings even more precisely to current needs in the future,” says Marcus Becker, subject leader of the “IT for Nonprofits” program at Haus des Stiftens. “The study highlights the relevance of digitization in the nonprofit sector. We hope it will encourage nonprofits to digitize even more.”
Exciting insights into the nonprofit sector:
Impact of the pandemic
Overall, the 2021 Digital Report reveals that most NPOs (74%) have felt negative impacts due to the Corona pandemic but do not anticipate permanent damage to their organization. Encouragingly, 15% of NPOs surveyed also mention several positive side effects of the pandemic. These include, for example, more significant commitment and internal cohesion, room for creativity and further development, and public appreciation of their work.
The role of digitization
The survey of 922 nonprofits concludes that digitization – adequately designed – makes organizations more resilient and strengthens their positive impact. For example, organizations familiar with digital tools benefited from networking and mutual support with other organizations, including cross-sector organizations, during the pandemic.
Starting on page 17 in the Digital Report 2021, you can read how the pressure to digitize triggered by the pandemic, which 45% of the NPOs surveyed felt, has substantially impacted NPOs. See the full report here