Camilla Rowland is not alone in sometimes feeling gloomy about the future of the not-for-profit organisations that provide a variety of services to the Australian community.
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A national survey of the 362 not-for profits has found that 70 per cent have ''negative confidence levels'' for the future.
The ACT's not-for-profit organisations had an overall confidence level of minus 2 per cent, said the survey, conducted by the Centre for Social Impact and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Ms Rowland, the chief executive of Canberra's Karralika drug and alcohol treatment service, said many community organisations were doing it tough.
''We've feeling that times are getting tighter financially,'' she said. ''Even though the amount of government funding itself has not decreased, the costs of operating are going higher and the CPI that's provided is actually not sufficient to cover increased wages, increases to superannuation.''
Karralika provides a range of services, including courses for people convicted of drink or drug driving offences.
It employs more than 40 staff. Ms Rowland said many not-for-profit organisations were unable to put aside any ''rainy day'' funding.
Although governments were encouraging large companies to provide more support for charities and other not-for-profits, this was difficult in the ACT, which had very few corporate head offices. ''I think we would really welcome that but to see that in a practical way on the ground in the ACT is very difficult. That's because head offices of big corporate organisations are in Sydney and Melbourne - there's very few in Canberra,'' Ms Rowland said.
Ms Rowland said very few not-for-profit organisations outside the disability and mental health areas had received growth funding from governments in recent years.
The survey looked at the areas of funding, demand for services, people and relationships.
National organisations had a 1 per cent confidence level.
The not-for-profit industry with the lowest confidence levels was Development and Housing, with a score of minus 17 per cent, followed by Law and Advocacy at minus 16 per cent.
The not-for-profit industry with the highest confidence score was Education and Research, with a positive 3 per cent result.
