Beyond Charity: Recognizing Return on Investment (2007) was the result of a yearlong effort to answer, "What difference do nonprofits make?" Nonprofits raise the quality of life for all around Greater Washington and are often the lifeline for our most vulnerable neighbors. But how well do nonprofit leaders measure and communicate this impact? Roundtable Members used this report at over fifty convenings with policymakers, business leaders and others to demonstrate the social return on investments that nonprofits provide.
The Business of Doing Good in Greater Washington: How the Nonprofit Sector Contributes to the Region's Economy (2005) identifies the number of nonprofits in our region and their economic impact. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Urban Institute determined that there were 7,614 active nonprofits in 2000 throughout the Greater Washington region. These nonprofits collectively spent almost $29 billion that year. The report also found that the nonprofit sector employed more than 218,000 workers in 2003, more than 11% of the region’s total private employment. Those employees generated more than 10% of the region’s 2003 total wages, or $9.6 billion.
