Non-profits are communities' safety nets, but over the past several years, the tough economy has put a few holes in that net. They have been having to do more with less as they see increasing need, but little in the way of additional funding. As our Katie Gibas reports, non-profits are having to get more creative to make ends meet.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- In a tough economy, donations are often the first place families make cuts.

"Since 2008, lots of non-profits have really experienced challenges in fundraising and we really saw it in 2011 for the first time," said Linda Wright, the Syracuse Area Salvation Army Professional and Community Services Executive Director.

In 2011, the Salvation Army fell $30,000 short of their holiday fundraising goal. Both the Salvation Army of Greater Syracuse and Meals on Wheels of Syracuse says they've seen more people than ever come through their doors over the last year, but financing continues to get tougher and tougher.

"It's really tough because what's happening is not-for-profits are the safety net for all this difficulty. And we depend on the community to support us as well, so we're kind of getting hit in both ways, in terms of there are more people in need of our services and at the same time, less funding out there to support them," said Mason Kaufman, the Meals on Wheels Executive Director.

To meet the increasing demand and dwindling funds, non-profits are partnering with other organizations to share costs, constantly applying for grants and getting more creative in their fundraising efforts.

"We have found when you're applying for a grant, it's not 15 people applying for the same grant, it's 150 programs applying for the same grant. That's locally and at the state and federal level as well," said Wright.

Kaufman added, "Fundraising is a big part of what we do. It's about 30 percent of the difference between the reimbursement for our meals and what it costs us so we have to be effective and we have to be creative and come up with fundraising ideas that will work."

Meals on Wheels is constantly adjusting their menu to find alternatives and accommodate for rising food prices.

The Salvation Army says they base all their grant applications on the positive outcomes of their programs.

Those who work for non-profits say even though the economy seems to be starting to recover, for those who are out of work and depending on their services, the recovery will still take a while.

"We've still got a couple long years ahead of us before it's really going to make up that difference. We're always full in the shelter. We're always really busy in the food pantry. But this last five years has really been amazing in the number of lives that we've been able to touch," said Wright.

In the meantime, non-profits say they'll continue to get more creative and keep reaching out to the community to get the support they need.

For more information on programs or to volunteer or donate, you can contact Syracuse Meals on Wheels at (315) 478-5948 or at meals.org or you can contact the Salvation Army at (315) 479-1320 or at sasyr.org.