The time has come for nonprofits

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Clare Morris
For EDU Atlanta

One of the fastest-growing job sectors in the country isn’t in the board room or the factory, though those are often the benchmarks by which economic health is gauged. Surprisingly, recent accounts in U.S. News & World Report and on CNN report that a major source of job creation lies in the area of nonprofits — organizations whose missions and objectives aren’t always about the bottom line.

According to CNN, the United States is home to about 1.5 million nonprofits, from global giants — such as Atlanta-based Habitat for Humanity and CARE — to small local agencies. The news agency also reports that nonprofits spend about $1.5 trillion each year and employ 13.5 million people, making that segment the country’s third-leading work force.

“Nonprofits’ time has come,” said Patricia Chase, director of Central Michigan University’s Master of Science in Administration (MSA) program. “It’s predicted to be an area with 27 percent growth in the next three to five years. Talk to community foundations in any area, and they’ll tell you a new nonprofit starts almost every day. The ones that are well-managed and have a desire to do it right will hire people who are qualified to run them. And that’s a niche that needs to be filled.”

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