Gainesville’s nonprofit organizations, including those associated with UF, are helping make life better for the county’s residents, according to a recent study.
The Nonprofit Center of North Central Florida presented a study, The State of the Sector: Nonprofits in Alachua County, Monday that states county nonprofit organizations are influencing the quality of life for Alachua County residents and improving the economy.
Twenty percent of the county’s workforce is employed by nonprofit organizations, according to the study. They employ 23,458 people and make $2.84 billion in revenue.
The Nonprofit Center of North Central Florida partnered with KBT & Associates to produce the study, which focused on local nonprofit organizations that made $25,000 or more in revenue in 2010.
This is the first study of its kind to be done in Alachua County, said Christopher Johnson, executive director at The Nonprofit Center of North Central Florida.
He said the Nonprofit Center of North Central Florida plans to do a similar study in four or five years to keep track of the growth.
Johnson said the study was a way to determine the needs of nonprofit organizations and to understand the influence they have on the community.
He said UF plays a large role in that influence.
The study stated 40 of the 305 listed nonprofits are associated with UF.
Josh Funderburke, executive director at the UF Center for Leadership and Service, said the study was a great way to see a snapshot of the business side of nonprofit organizations. The organization works alongside nonprofits daily.
The study said 26,336 volunteers worked at nonprofits in 2010.
He said he thought the listed number of volunteers who work with nonprofits seemed small.
Funderburke said students who want to stay in Florida or the Gainesville area should remember that nonprofit organizations offer job opportunities.
“A large number of nonprofits provide more opportunity,” he said.
Marcia Conwell, executive director at Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, believes the study’s results are accurate because she sees the community’s support everyday.
Conwell said there is a larger number of employees and volunteers at nonprofits because people in the community want to help others.
The Bread of the Mighty Food Bank has a staff of 22 and 50 volunteers per week.
Nonprofits and the community need to continue working together to continue on the right path,” she said. “We can do a lot as one unit,” she said, “but when there are multiple, we can achieve a lot more.”
