The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network released Commonwealth Insights, a report detailing the stunning economic impact of nonprofits in Massachusetts. Nonprofits are the vibrant fabric of communities across Massachusetts, but few realize that they are an economic powerhouse too. View the four-page report here.
In Commonwealth Insights, MNN utilizes unprecedented data from the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics to show that with more than half a million employees, the Massachusetts nonprofit sector is strong, resilient, and one of the largest in the nation. A few highlights from the report:
- In 2015 the state's 529,538 nonprofit jobs produced well over $30 billion in wages for employees.
- Nonprofit jobs account for 17% of the state's workforce, making the Commonwealth's nonprofit sector the 6th largest in the nation.
- The nonprofit sector added jobs even during the Great Recession, proving that it is more resilient than its for-profit counterpart.
This data is important because it underlines how vital nonprofits are to the Commonwealth. MNN will use this information to continue to move its policy agenda forward to make it easier for the state's thousands of nonprofits to grow and succeed. The agenda is driven by five priorities: building a strong and stable nonprofit workforce; investing in promising ideas and proven solutions; promoting citizen philanthropy and volunteerism; preserving and protecting the nonprofit tax exempt status; and strengthening nonprofit-government collaboration.
This edition of Commonwealth Insights is the first in a series of quarterly publications from MNN, made possible by support from the Barr Foundation. You can learn more and read Commonwealth Insights at www.massnonprofitnet.org/CommonwealthInsights.