Prince George's Nonprofits Still Lag Behind, Gaining on Counterparts

BALTIMORE, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The size and financial assets of the nonprofit sector in Prince George's County still lag behind nonprofits in other parts of Maryland, but the gap is narrowing, according to a study released today by Maryland Nonprofits.

"The picture is brightening, but there is no reason for complacency. The nonprofit community in Prince George's County still needs significant support to meet the enormous needs in the county," said Darryl Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of Maryland Nonprofits. The nonprofit organization, which has offices in Baltimore and Silver Spring, was created in 1992 to help strengthen the state's nonprofit sector.

"COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY'S NONPROFIT SECTOR," is a follow-up to a 2007 research report, "Making Connections:  The Nonprofit Sector in Prince George's County."   The new report notes that "the number of nonprofits in the county increased by 40 percent over the last five years, outpacing the state average growth of 21 percent. During the same five-year period, the growth of organizations with budgets over $1 million increased by 19 percent, the same growth as the state average for organizations of that size."

Prince George's County has 4,877 nonprofit organizations. The combined revenue of nonprofits is more than $3.2 billion per year, and more than 15,000 people are employed by the county's nonprofits, according to the report, which includes a broad range of data on the county's nonprofit sector.  

The county's nonprofits are smaller than and not as well funded as others in the region. The per-capita nonprofit revenue in Prince George's County is $3,858, the lowest in the region. Similarly, the number of nonprofits per 10,000 residents is 12 compared to the state average of 20. The gap is particularly striking between Prince George's and neighboring Montgomery County, the report notes. While Prince George's County is comparable in population size to Montgomery County, Montgomery employs over twice as many people in its nonprofit sector.  

The report notes that "quite a bit of activity in the county has been focused on nonprofit capacity building" since the study five years ago, including formation of the Partnership for Prince George's County, a funding collaborative affiliated with the Community Foundation for Prince George's County. The partnership provides grants, training, and networking opportunities for nonprofits across the county to strengthen the organizations.

But the report adds, "More needs to be done for the county to catch up to neighbors and, more importantly, to meet the needs in the community."

Copies of the report can be obtained from Maryland Nonprofits at www.marylandnonprofits.org.

SOURCE Maryland Nonprofits