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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

CSDE Alum Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz’s Study On Firearms And Covid-19 Makes News!

CSDE Alum Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, along with coauthors at UC Davis, recently published an article on MedRxiv examining gun sales and violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. The article received significant attention in the media. Using cross-sectional data from the California Safety and Wellbeing Survey, the authors estimate that 110,000 people in California bought guns this year because they were worried about the destabilizing effects of the pandemic. Their findings suggest that roughly 55,000 additional households in California now have a loaded firearm within reach of unauthorized users. About half of those who acknowledged such a switch lived in homes with children or teens. The study concludes that by aggravating “poverty, unemployment, lack of resources, isolation, hopelessness and loss” the pandemic has worsened many of the underlying conditions contributing to violence.

 

CSDE Affiliate Gugerty and Nancy Bell Evans Center Issue New Report About Nonprofits & COVID Responses

CSDE Affiliate Mary Kay Gugerty, Director of the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, along with CSDE Trainee Emily Finchum-Mason and Evans School colleagues Kelly Husted and Erica Mills Barnhart have just released a new report on how Washington state nonprofits have fared during the COVID pandemic and responded to the COVID challenges. The full report can be downloaded here.  The research was conducted during June to August 2020 and critical findings include:

  • Demand for services is up, but funding is down with the average decline in total revenue experienced across nonprofits approximately 30%.
  • 62% of nonprofits have had to pause one or more programs.
  • 14% have had to end one or more programs.
  • The number of individuals volunteering was reportedly down by 30-50%, likely due  social distancing and the expense of having sufficient PPE. This makes it challenging, and at times impossible, for nonprofits to operate at full capacity.
  • 56% of the sample have successfully accessed CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program loans to support their employees. Nearly 30% reported some difficulties in applying, but 95% that did apply were approved for their loans. Confusion about the repayment terms remains an issue.
  • When asked what they needed most right now, nonprofits said more funding and more flexibility in terms of reporting requirements for current funding.