At its February meeting,
the Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable welcomed the Chamber’s Interim
President Dan Quigley for a rich discussion about the aspirations and goals of
the nonprofit sector in both the Chamber and the community. As the Chamber goes
through its transition from longtime President Joseph Haraburda (who recently
retired after many years of incredible service to Oakland) to its new president
Barbara Leslie (see February 27, 2014 Chamber blog for more information), part
of the process includes checking in with members. And the nonprofit community
comprises over 10% of Chamber membership.
The meeting started with
a quick overview of the nonprofit sector as a collection of businesses,
featuring several statistics from the National Center for Charitable Statistics
(http://nccs.urban.org/):
·
There are 1,409,430 tax-exempt organizations in the
USA, including: 948,769 public
charities, 96,655 private foundations and 364,006 other types of
nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal
organizations and civic leagues.
·
In
2010, nonprofits accounted for 9.2% of all wages and salaries paid
in the United States.
Nonprofit Share of GDP was 5.5% in 2012.
·
In
2011, public charities reported over $1.59 trillion in total revenues
and $1.49 trillion
in total expenses. Of the revenue: 22% came from
contributions, gifts and government grants; 72% came from program service
revenues, which include government fees and contracts; and 6% came from
"other" sources including dues, rental income, special event income,
and gains or losses from goods sold.
·
Public
charities reported $2.87
trillion in total assets in 2011.
·
Between
2001 and 2011, the number of nonprofits has increased 25 percent; from
1,259,764 to 1,574,674 million today. The growth rate of the nonprofit sector
has surpassed the rate of both the business and government sectors.
·
In
2010, nonprofits contributed products and services that added $779 billion to
the nation’s gross domestic product; 5.4 percent of GDP. Nonprofits are also a
major employer, accounting for 9 percent of the economy’s wages, and over 10
percent of jobs in 2009.
·
In
Alameda County, there are 7512 registered nonprofit organizations (public
charities, private foundations & others).
With this information
increasing the energy of the participants, Chamber president Dan Quigley led a
discussion of three different subjects. The first was in response to the simple
question: “What is the Oakland Chamber doing well?” The answers:
The NonProfit Roundtable
is a great opportunity to connect and learn.
Website directory and
calendar are easy to use and informational.
Nikki Mendez (Membership
Director) is a powerful, passionate advocate.
The specialty groups
like the Young Professionals and Women in Business Roundtable are terrific.
There are a great number
of events and different types of events that give members a lot of choice and many
ways to participate.
Recognizing nonprofit
companies as businesses is outstanding.
The second question was
“What can the Oakland Chamber do to make your membership more meaningful?” Quigley
even asked attendees to fill in the blank, no matter how outlandish: “Wouldn’t
it be great if the Oakland Chamber of Commerce _______________________________?”
Suggestions included:
Work on more ways to
connect nonprofits with private businesses.
Provide targeted
training or invite the Foundation Center to lead a training activity.
Create a way to share
event management resources and materials.
Host intimate networking
events.
Hold “Come meet our
nonprofits” event.
Develop ways to connect
private business with nonprofits.
Connect nonprofits more
with mid-size businesses—i.e. those who don’t have philanthropic strategists on
staff.
At the Annual Meeting,
present an award to a corporation that does something innovative to benefit the
community; or award a non-profit for its service or innovation.
Host a nonprofit fair.
Add “What are you
community partnering interests?” question to membership application.
Hold one
breakfast/business fair every year.
Connect nonprofits to
corporate Board members.
The third question
Quigley posed was “What can the Chamber do to enhance the quality of life in
Oakland?” The answers included:
Survey all members to
find an all Chamber event.
Lead a community-wide safety
project.
Brand private and
nonprofits together.
Support and fund the
formation of a professional Oakland theater space/company.
Lead an Oakland school
partnership with companies to strengthen schools (What can happen after the
Superintendent’s breakfast?).
As a solid collection of
local employers, many small businesses, including nonprofits have particular
interest in the several proposals at the federal, state and city level for
raising the minimum wage. While the Chamber has not taken an official position
as of yet, Quigley is collecting opinions and reactions to the various
suggestions being discussed. Comments shared include:
Should there be a
difference between an adult minimum wage (which may be needed to support
family) and a teenager minimum (money to save and use for discretionary income)?
There are social and emotional
benefits of higher wages.
As wages go up, will
there be more demand on workers?
The Chamber encourages
all of its members to continue the minimum wage conversation. To share your
perspective, email Dan Quigley at dan@oaklandchamber.com. As the Chamber continues under new
leadership, we anticipate many more such conversations to meet members’ needs,
strengthen the business climate in Oakland and continue to improve the overall
quality of life of our community.
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Labels: Network, Non Profit Roundtable, Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable, ousd
