“Don’t talk to me about politics!” the supporter I was meeting with said emphatically. Taken aback, I quickly rewound the last few minutes of conversation in my head. She had asked how we were doing as an organization and I answered honestly, as I always do. I am no stranger to talking to people of diverse belief systems, be they politics, religion or even perspectives on how to live with pets. Being a nonprofit that serves all demographics often means sublimating your personal beliefs in order to maintain organizational neutrality and meet the needs of your community and I do this habitually.

I couldn’t think of a single political thing I had said and apologetically expressed that to her. She insisted that I had gotten political by mentioning the economy.

That was true, I had mentioned the economy. In response to her question, I shared that the shifting economic winds, like inflation and the rising cost of living across the U.S., have led to a drop in funding not only for Midcoast Humane, but for many nonprofits nationwide, just as the cost of doing business has sharply increased. I was not the source of that information; I simply relayed what I had been reading in philanthropy tracking publications and how it related to what we were seeing in our own giving patterns.

That the economy directly impacts nonprofits is an objective fact. When the economy is uncertain or struggling, philanthropic giving often decreases. It does not matter what political party or policy decisions one may consider responsible; the result is the same. Nonprofits across Maine and the country at large are struggling to make ends meet without laying off staff or cutting essential programming.

For us here at Midcoast Humane, the data tells a very interesting story. So far this year, we have received a larger number of donations than during the same timeframe in any of the past five years. The pain point is that the dollar amount of the average gift has decreased. We have also seen fewer substantial gifts; the five-figure-and-up gifts we rely on for large parts of our funding are diminishing. This review of data tells me that our community is thinking of us, the animals we help and continues to support our work. It also tells me that supporters who might have given considerable gifts in the past are either using those funds to support themselves, or are cautiously holding on to them to see which way the wind blows. This is a common pattern in philanthropy during economically uncertain times.

I started my animal welfare career in 2007 and was in sheltering for the full impact of the 2008 recession and its aftermath. For animal shelters, that impact meant trying to do far more with far less. As people lost their jobs and homes and the Dow dropped precipitously, many people also could no longer care for their pets. Our admissions team was endlessly busy with requests to surrender pets and the increase in need for our services spiked as the economy dipped.

There is no way to sugarcoat it: 2026 has been the hardest fundraising year for me in five years at Midcoast Humane. Steep increases in costs for our regular supplies, utilities, insurance, and other essentials have strained our budget and cash flow at a time when we can ill afford it.

I changed the subject to smooth over the conversational speed bump with the supporter and kept her visit moving along positively. The facts of the situation remain the same, however, regardless of one’s political affiliations — nonprofits are directly and deeply affected by the economy. That is a reality, not a political statement. Wherever your personal beliefs lie, please think of your favorite local causes and remember that many, like us, do not receive government funding or have had that funding reduced, and are reliant on our communities to carry our work forward.

Jess Townsend is executive director of Midcoast Humane, an animal shelter based in Brunswick.