Telling the Nonprofit Story – Through Data and Collaboration
Charitable nonprofits typically have difficulty amassing compelling data on impact and a dickens of a time convincing government officials to take notice. Which makes this story all the more impressive – the Comptroller of New York City and an association of nonprofits jointly issued a report telling the nonprofit story.
Earlier this month, Nonprofit New York partnered with NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer to release a new report on the economic impact of NYC nonprofit organizations. The report, The Economic Impact of NYC Nonprofits, provides a comprehensive overview of the state of this vital sector and its workforce before the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis finds that nonprofits contribute close to $78 billion in economic activity, which amounts to 9.4 percent of the city’s gross domestic product. Nonprofit employees make up 18 percent of the workforce, who are primarily women (64%) and people of color (56%).
In addition to sharing data, the authors recognized the need for advocacy on behalf of the sector. In the joint news release, Comptroller Stringer and Nonprofit New York urged that “the needs of the nonprofit sector must be at the forefront of all relief and recovery efforts.”
“The nonprofit sector cannot be sidelined during conversations about the city’s economic health and stability,” said Comptroller Stringer. “Our nonprofits provide essential cultural, educational, health and social services to millions of New Yorkers. While tough budgetary decisions must be made in this crisis, we cannot nickel and dime the very same nonprofits we will rely on to support our most vulnerable communities and we cannot afford to lose the jobs and revenue that the sector contributes. Any plan for New York City relief and recovery must prioritize our nonprofits who are the essential fabric of our social safety net.”
Meg Barnette, CEO of Nonprofit New York, concurred. “At this profound and urgent moment, amidst a pandemic that has exposed the dangerous fragility of our social safety net, and an uprising for racial justice that has exposed deep and systemic racial inequality, New York’s nonprofits are a relentless, collective force for good.” She said further, “They have put their mission and communities first, managed immense change with no lead time, and found ways to respond to increased needs with diminished resources. But they cannot support families facing trauma, they cannot help organize for justice, they cannot lift up communities, indeed many cannot even survive without the relief, funding, and respect that reflect their critical role in our City’s economy and communities.”
Read the press release and the full report.
