When people think of economic impact, the mind usually races to businesses, large corporations, and privately held companies in the for-profit world. However, Georgia’s philanthropic community is one of the unsung players in a healthy, robust economy.
Every day of the year, Atlanta Mission takes a person off the street. Their mission is to solve homelessness by helping those in need find food, clothing and shelter, and perhaps most importantly—addressing the root causes that created the problem. Nicholas House, another Georgia based non-profit that works with homeless families, has a 95% success rate of keeping families from going back on the street. Thanks to the good work by organizations such as these.
While major cities such as San Francisco and Seattle grapple with the dramatic increase of homelessness on their city streets; the number of homeless people in Atlanta is actually decreasing.
What can one attribute to Georgia’s apparent success in addressing one of society’s most chronic challenges?
Atlanta is home to a number of the nation’s largest charitable organizations, including The Task Force for Global Health and the National Christian Foundation. Both organizations generated more than one billion in revenue last year. That’s billion with a “B”, not millions, and yet few Georgians have ever heard of either organization.
In fact, the top five non-profit organizations headquartered in Georgia generated more than $5 billion in revenue. The other three organizations include the American Cancer Society, MAP International, and CARE International. The top five also employ approximately 1,000 Georgians…and that’s just the top five. Other well-known, Georgia-based charitable organizations include Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and The Carter Center. There are thousands of non-profit organizations in the State of Georgia employing tens of thousands of people.
A second major player that often goes unnoticed in Georgia’s economic health involves public and private foundations. The Top 10 private foundations (defined as charitable foundations established by private citizens) awarded more than $200 million in grants last year. Conversely, the top three public foundations in the state(defined as corporate-sponsored or other publicly-funded entities) include Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and UPS. The big three also awarded more than $190 million in grants in 2016 alone, the most recent for which data is available.
All together, the Top 10 public and private foundations in Georgia awarded more than $528 million to non-profit organizations. A slightly broader look shows that the Top 40 foundations awarded more than $828 million across Georgia last year alone.
The non-profit industry in Georgia provides thousands of full-time jobs that often include excellent benefits matching or exceeding their for-profit counterparts. These employers value hard work, continuing education, and community engagement by their staff. The non-profit organizations support their local communities through educational institutions, health and human service providers, and individual support.
One shining example is TechBridge, which teaches computer skills to young women and men, then assists them in finding jobs in the corporate sector at competitive wages. It’s a perfect match to improve the economic lives of individuals who may have been stuck in a cycle of generational poverty, while assisting the quality of operations of their employers.
While for-profit businesses are the primary economic engine for the State, non-profits add a margin of excellence that makes Georgia a better place to live. When a Fortune 500 company looks at a location for a regional hub, or their national or international headquarters, one of the characteristics they consider is the quality of life in the State. The competitive advantage between Georgia and other states for new business is often determined by health of a community, and much of that is influenced by the non-profit sector.
Wes Wicker is a Principal and Partner of Columns Fundraising Consultants, LLC, an Atlanta-based full service fundraising consulting firm. For additional information on philanthropic giving, contact: wes@columnsfundraising.com or www.columnsfundraising.com.
