NPW to Study How Nonprofits Impact the County’s Economy

Johns Hopkins to conduct research for group representing more than 90 charitable organizations in Westchester

Nonprofit Westchester (NPW),  an organization that advocates for nonprofits and the role they play in the economic vitality and sustainability in the county, today announced it has selected The Johns Hopkins University Center for the Civil Society Studies to conduct an economic impact study on charitable organizations in Westchester County.

“We are pleased to announce our partnership with the prestigious Johns Hopkins for this very important report that will delve into the nonprofit sector. We went through a competitive process which included soliciting a number of proposals before choosing Johns Hopkins,” said Joanna Straub, Executive Director of Nonprofit Westchester. “Building on the work done by The Business Council of Westchester, the ultimate goal of this study is to examine the role the nonprofit sector plays in Westchester’s economy. We thank The Business Council of Westchester’s Executive Director Marsha Gordon and her staff for their effort in beginning the effort on this important data for our county.”

The study will compare nonprofits, private sector businesses and the public sector. It will evaluate the size, composition, distribution and growth within each sector. The resulting data will be measured against state and national averages.

“We plan to release the study results to the public in late February,” said Susan Wayne, President and CEO of the Family Services of Westchester and Chairman of Nonprofit Westchester’s Executive Board. “We are confident that the study will shed a light on the vital role that the nonprofit community plays in creating jobs and contributing to the economic development in Westchester County.”

The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, based in Baltimore, is a leading source of ground breaking research and knowledge about the nonprofit sector, social investing, and the tools of government. Working in collaboration with nonprofit organizations, governments, international organizations, investment advisors, and colleagues around the world, the Center conducts research to address current complex issues facing governments and the nonprofit sector. Its Nonprofit Economic Data Project (NED) offers the most up-to-date, in-depth analyses of economic trends in the nonprofit sector.

“Through our research, we seek to improve current understanding, analyze emerging trends, and promote promising innovations in the ways that government, civil society, and businesses can collaborate to address social and environmental challenges,” said Lester Salamon, Director of the Center for Civil Society Studies. “With regard to nonprofits, we hope to bring show how their services in Westchester make an impact on the economy, and how this compares to nonprofits elsewhere in the U.S.”

The study is being funded by the Westchester Community Foundation.

“The Westchester Community Foundation is delighted to fund this project, which we hope will demonstrate the economic importance of the nonprofit sector,” said Catherine Marsh, Executive Director of the Westchester Community Foundation.

Eileen Mildenberger, Director of Westchester County Office of Economic Development, who served on the committee that selected the research organization, said: “’Johns Hopkins’ experience and scope of knowledge in this area will help us mine the most relevant data so that we may better serve and utilize this vital business sector.”

For more information about Nonprofit Westchester, visit www.npwestchester.org or call 914-332-6679.

Nonprofit Westchester

Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) provides the nonprofit sector with a single unified voice for the role it plays in the economic vitality and sustainability of the county, focusing on sharing resources, connections, and information to strengthen Westchester in partnership with the for-profit and government sectors. The organization represents more than 90 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the county under a cooperative mission to strengthen the impact, capacity and visibility of the nonprofit sector for a more just and caring community.  For more information, visit www.npwestchester.org.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies

The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies seeks to improve the understanding and the effective functioning of not-for-profit, philanthropic, or “civil society” organizations in the United States and throughout the world in order to enhance the contribution these organizations can make to democracy and the quality of human life. The Center is part of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy and carries out its work through a combination of research, training, and information sharing both domestically and internationally. For more information and to browse the Center's publications database, please visit ccss.jhu.edu.