SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Report released today entitled Making Connections: The Nonprofit Sector in Prince George's County shows that Prince George's County's nonprofit sector is smaller and under-resourced compared to neighboring jurisdictions. While Prince Georgians are among the nation's most generous donors, the lion's share of donated funds goes to the County's vibrant faith-based sector.
The report, funded in part by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, found that the per capita revenue for Prince George's nonprofits is the lowest in the region at $8,124 compared with a state average of $18,859. Furthermore, 80% of Prince George's County's 3,094 nonprofits have less than $25,000 in revenue, compared with a Maryland average of 67% in that range. While Prince George's County's nonprofits are growing at an average rate of 3.5% per year, the rate of growth is matched or outpaced by neighboring jurisdictions. So, if present trends continue, there is little hope that Prince George's County's nonprofits will "catch up" to their neighbors in the size and scope of the secular nonprofit sector.
"Clearly there is a need to build the capacity of Prince George's County's nonprofits," said Peter Berns, Executive Director of Maryland Nonprofits. "Capacity builders and funders should focus on investments that increase sustainability and growth of organizations in the County."
While more research is needed to shed light on overall service provision as well as gaps, it should be noted that Prince George's County donors are among the most generous in the country - in fact, The Chronicle of Philanthropy named Price George's County among the top 5 most generous counties in the country. The county, whose population is mostly African American, follows nationwide averages where it should be noted that African Americans donate 25% more of their discretionary income to charity than do Whites. African Americans also donate more to churches (90%) than do Whites (75%) (Chronicle of Philanthropy, "How Americans Give", May 2003).
"The Cafritz Foundation is proud to be associated with this report and many other efforts underway within the County to help Prince George's gain momentum to support its diverse communities," noted Miyesha Perry Chappell, Grants Manager for the Foundation.
The report outlines the sources of revenue that currently fund the County's secular nonprofits. In comparison to the state average and surrounding jurisdictions, income from private donations (including individual giving, foundations and corporations) in Prince George's County is the lowest in the region. Furthermore, county government grants to nonprofits are only about $2 per capita, while neighboring jurisdictions provide $10-$12 per capita in direct grants to nonprofit organizations. The report concludes that strategies to "expand the pie" of available resources are needed. The report recommends investment in capacity building for nonprofits to enable them to fundraise more successfully, as well as efforts to bring nonprofits and donors together through education and communication.
"As a County, we need to make a concerted effort to strengthen our nonprofit sector," said the report's author, Heather Iliff. "I hope this report sheds light on the need for accelerated investment and growth."
The report also provides data on the services provided by churches and other faith-based organizations in the County. Prince George's County is now home to 12 "mega churches" or those with more than 2,000 congregants. There are a total of 1,200 mega churches in the United States and 32 in Maryland, and they conduct numerous social programs. Additionally, Maryland Nonprofits conducted a survey of churches that found that even small congregations are active in providing community services.
The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, with over 1,700 member organizations, is the largest and, considered by many, one of the most effective state nonprofit associations in the country. Maryland Nonprofits, celebrating its 15th anniversary, is recognized among policy makers, media, opinion leaders, and the general public as a leading representative and authoritative source of information about the state's nonprofit sector, and as the creator of the Standards for Excellence(R), an expert resource for education and implementation of organizational best practices. Maryland Nonprofits advocates in partnership with all sub-sectors and on behalf of the people and communities served by nonprofit organizations throughout the entire state. To learn more about Maryland Nonprofits visit http://www.marylandnonprofits.org/ or contact Peter V. Berns, Executive Director, (410) 727-6367, extension 16 or email pberns@marylandnonprofits.org.
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For more information and to view the entire report, visit http://www.marylandnonprofits.org/.
Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations
