New research quantifies high economic impact of Georgia's growing nonprofit sector

ATLANTA, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Georgia Center for Nonprofits' latest research report, The Economic Impact of Georgia's Nonprofit Sector, quantifies our sector's powerful and growing contribution to the state economy. With a total value of $96 billion in assets and $43 billion in expenditures each year—nearly 11% of our state's gross state product—Georgia nonprofits are a powerful driver, and contributor to, the state economy. At $10 billion, the nonprofit payroll is bigger than the state's construction, real estate or information technology sectors.

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Six years and one "Great Recession" after GCN's initial 2003 economic impact report, our new report found that the sector has grown considerably in both size and economic impact. If 'nonprofit' was classified as its own industry, it would rank ninth in total compensation and 11th in employment—representing over 13 percent of the state's employment.

Diverse in mission focus, and active in all 159 counties across the state, Georgia's 40,000 nonprofits work to better communities by directly addressing issues through public service or civic engagement.

In addition, the sector benefits our state in ways that can't easily be quantified: as tools for community building, fostering civil society, and strengthening our social fabric.

"Our report makes clear the measurable economic impact of nonprofits, in addition to the expansive 'community profit' that the sector delivers in improving quality of life," says GCN President and CEO Karen Beavor. "We hope that this report will encourage our Legislature to invest in the sector as it does other important employment generators in the state; to craft more nonprofit-friendly and relevant public policy vis a vis the nonprofit arena; to contemplate the economic repercussions of budget cuts and unfriendly nonprofit policy decisions on the local economies of the communities, and constituencies, they represent. We hope that it will encourage nonprofit leadership to join with us inactively promoting the sector's importance. Finally, we hope that this report will provoke citizens to consider what our communities would be like without nonprofit organizations – and activate them as supporters and advocates."

Download the The Economic Impact of Georgia's Nonprofit Sector report at www.gcn.org/files/2012EconomicImpact.pdf

About the Georgia Center for Nonprofits
The Georgia Center for Nonprofits is a leading state nonprofit organization through its work to improve the quality of life in Georgia communities by helping to create higher-performing nonprofits. GCN magnifies nonprofit impact in powerful ways—through training, networking, knowledge sharing, advocacy and collaborations. Learn more at www.gcn.org.

Contact: Miranda Austin
Georgia Center for Nonprofits
[email protected] or 678-916-3015

SOURCE Georgia Center for Nonprofits