Baltimore’s chronic late payments are hurting nonprofits that help the city

Dorian Walker, the executive director of Family Survivor Network, told us he went without pay for all of 2020 so his nonprofit could afford to continue delivering services to youth impacted by violence in Baltimore. The reason for Walker’s salary sacrifice? Late payments his organization was owed by the city. Our research shows that payments to nonprofits are frequently delayed a year or more past their original due dates. For a large nonprofit, with reserves and a line of credit, this gap often represents an unplanned bridge-loan to the city. For small ones, like Walker’s, it’s an existential threat.