Federal Impacts on Nonprofits: San Diego County Survey of Nonprofit Leaders

Laura Deitrick
Executive Director, The Nonprofit Institute
Director, Nonprofit Leadership and Management Graduate Program
University of San Diego

For decades, nonprofits have been key partners to the government, delivering vital services on its behalf. Beyond their social impact, San Diego nonprofits are integral to the local economy—not only as major employers but also through their contributions to health and welfare, arts and culture, education, and research and innovation, among other sectors.

Research estimates that government funding accounts for 30% of nonprofit revenue. Our findings show that executive orders and other federal policy changes have a significant impact on nonprofits in our region, affecting a wide range of causes and missions, including:

• Performing arts and museums
• Education and in-and after-school programs
• Health care
• Independent/nonprofit media
• Basic needs such as housing and food
• Medical research
• Local parks and outdoor spaces
• Care and protection for the elderly, children, and other vulnerable populations

In February, The Nonprofit Institute (NPI) conducted research to understand the immediate impact of executive orders and other federal policy changes.

Continuing that research, NPI launched the Bi-Weekly Pulse-a snapshot capturing shifts and identifying emerging trends in San Diego’s nonprofit landscape. Informed by a nonprofit panel, it gathers a quick sector “pulse” through a single-question survey. In order to identify the most critical needs, we asked a panel of nonprofit leaders for their input. View results from the first four questions here.

Dr. Deitrick serves as the Executive Director of The Nonprofit Institute and as the Director of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management graduate program at the University of San Diego. She has been a nonprofit executive director, board member, management consultant, and researcher on major nonprofit trends. Her research has led to important reports on nonprofit ethics, nonprofits and public education, nonprofit human resource practices, executive transition, the economics of San Diego and California’s nonprofit sector, nonprofit public confidence, and regional grantmaking. She served as the principal investigator for Nonprofit Academy, an award-winning capacity-building project co-created by The Nonprofit Institute and the City of San Diego.

Dr. Deitrick is a faculty member in the Department of Leadership Studies, where she teaches nonprofit management, organizational theory, program design, and evaluation. In 2021, she was recognized as the department’s outstanding faculty member.

Since 2019, Dr. Deitrick has served on the board of directors for Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI). She is also the co-author of Cases in Nonprofit Management: A Hands-On Approach to Problem Solving, published by Sage Publications.