Non-profits across the country have been feeling the devastating impacts of COVID-19, and now that has been coupled with the trickle-down effects of the WE scandal.

A recent Angus Reid survey found that two in five Canadians say they are giving less since COVID-19 and are more cautious about who they are giving to because of WE.

Penny Rowe, CEO of the Community Sector Council, is concerned about this as organizations had already seen “significant losses” as the pandemic was really starting to take hold.

Some research they did in the metro area indicates that over half of an organization’s revenue comes from non-government sources.

Rowe says non-profits lack an oversight body to regulate how they are run. She likens them to small businesses in that they run themselves with a few basic guidelines.

“When organizations are…well run, they’re beautiful things,” she says. However, the WE scandal points out how significant problems can occur if there are problems with the board.