Page 28 - midJersey Business - July/August 2015

SOCIAL PROFIT

Social Proit

Selected

'youth' as
their primary IN ACTION

client base.

52.7%

Chamber survey highlights the vast

economic impact of local non-profits

The MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce, Here are some of the most

partnering with its unique Non-Proit Execu- notable indings of the survey:
tive Council (NPEC) conducted a survey Almost 25 percent of all survey

last May to investigate the economic impact participants indicated their an-
of non-proits and their contributions to the nual budget is between $1 million

business community. Highlights of the sur- and 3 million dollars; 14 percent indi-
vey included aggregated data to discover cated that their budgets were between

that of those surveyed, non-proit budgets $5 million and $8 million.
contribute more than $225 million to our Regarding clients served, 20 percent of they have retirement plans for their employ-

local economy and the non-proit sector respondents count between 1,000 and ees, and 39 percent contract IT services.
serves at least 880,000 people each year.
5,000 clients, while 13 percent serve
The questionnaire also explored service between 500 and 1,000. Nine organiza- Challenges

categories, number of staff members, in- tions polled serve more than 50,000 Another survey objective was to clarify what
volvement with the private sector, and satis- clients (although some of these persons makes it dificult for non-proits to connect

faction with Chamber beneits and services. might lie outside the MIDJersey region).
with businesses. Obstacles of building
A total of 91 organizations participated.
relationships with companies included be-

Non-proit client base categories include ing chronically understaffed, lack of time,
families, government, homeless, and or a deicit of funding. Half of all participants
45.7% indicated services their
others with more than half of participants (51.7 percent) indicated that a lack of time
(52.7 percent) selecting “youth” as their is a primary barrier to effectively communi- agency provides are extraneous
to the options provided, while
primary constituents.
cate with the business community.
37.2% say their services mostly
affiliated with youth.
Contracts
Chamber Membership Beneits
The Chamber and NPEC also wanted to Finally, the survey assessed non-proit

examine how non-proit organizations con- participation with the MIDJersey Chamber
tract with the business community, primarily and the beneits membership offers. Re-

marketing, payroll, human resources, invest- sults suggested that most non-proits were
ment, IT, and other services. Most non- pleased with their afiliation with the Cham-

proits (62.5 percent) have a contract with a ber and that its resources and beneits are
payroll services company, 42 percent said
helpful to their work.
%
%

72

..
5
7
43

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midJersey business