In the day-to-day, I often find myself making (or attempting to make) this very point. So it certainly helps to have some solid facts and numbers to back it up! Below is a great excerpt from Sean Stannard-Stockton’s recent column for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. You can read the article in full over at the Tactical Philanthropy blog:
While the role of business in promoting social change is now attracting the spotlight, it is equally important that our society recognize the financial value created by nonprofits.
The nonprofit world collectively generates $1.9-trillion in revenue each year, which means that nonprofit organizations represent roughly 13 percent of the United States economy.
Nonprofits are businesses. They simply receive preferential tax treatment due to their commitment to reinvest all financial surpluses back into their organization and to operate in service of a charitable mission. Like all businesses, nonprofits employ people.
A lot of people.
[...]
During the recessions of 1990-91 and 2001-02, nonprofits actually increased their number of employees by 2.38 percent a year while for-profit jobs declined at an annualized rate of 2.2 percent. So not only has the nonprofit world been a faster growth engine than the for-profit world but nonprofits have also been steadier creators of jobs in good times and bad.
[...] Nonprofit jobs are important, valuable jobs. Nonprofits employ scientists, nurses, Web developers, computer engineers, teachers, lawyers, executives, and tireless direct-service workers who deliver aid to the neediest among us.
Well said! I also like to think, in addition to job creation, how else do non-profits benefit their communities outside of the direct services that they provide?
How about theatres and dance companies that encourage audiences to patronize local garages, dine out, and purchase flowers? Or schools that bring dozens of brand new families into their local communities each academic year? Or environmental non-profits that make rivers and parks far more attractive as tourist destinations?
The list goes on.