The Business of Doing Good

Many people don’t realize that nonprofits are, in fact, businesses. They may not exist to generate profit or maximize shareholder return, but they are structured, staffed, and governed just like any other business. They follow strict regulations, file annual reports, and are accountable for how they manage their finances and their missions. The difference is that their “shareholders” are all of us - the community they serve.

Here in Martin County, our nonprofits form an essential part of the local economy. They employ thousands of residents in full-time, part-time, and contract positions - from social workers and bookkeepers to maintenance crews and administrative professionals. They pay rent, purchase equipment, hire printers, caterers, accountants legal and technology expertise and in some cases, pay payroll and property taxes.

As an example, just six of our local core basic-needs organizations - including the Council on Aging, House of Hope, Boys & Girls Clubs, Volunteers in Medicine, LAHIA, and Habitat for Humanity - together represent more than $44 million a year in operating revenue. That’s money flowing directly into local payrolls, leases, supplies, utilities, insurance, and vendor contracts - the very definition of an economic engine.

And that’s before you consider the ancillary economic benefit nonprofits create by assisting tens of thousands of people, helping them become better equipped to be productive members of society. The people they assist now go on to become stable workers, engaged parents, reliable neighbors, and local consumers who support small businesses.

When you think about it, that’s an impressive engine humming quietly in the background, helping drive our local prosperity. But unlike a traditional business, the returns on investment from nonprofits aren’t measured in dividends, stock prices or profit margins. They’re measured in lives improved.

It’s easy to take for granted the invisible safety net these organizations provide until life hits close to home. When a senior can no longer drive and needs Meals on Wheels, when a pregnant mom needs prenatal care services from Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, or when a child in crisis needs counseling through Tykes & Teens - it’s our nonprofit sector that steps up. They fill the gaps government can’t (or won’t) fill.

Statewide, nonprofits employ nearly half a million Floridians. Across the United States, nonprofits provide 12.8 million jobs - nearly one in ten private-sector positions. These are disciplined, accountable, and community-focused corporations that contribute real economic value while delivering immeasurable social good.

And yet, despite their impact, nonprofits are often dismissed as “charity cases” -something nice to support at a gala or golf tournament, but not essential to the economy. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Imagine Martin County without its nonprofits. No food pantries. No services for at-risk teens, seniors, or young pregnant mothers. No animal shelters. No arts programs or environmental stewards preserving our natural treasures. It would be a poorer community in every sense of the word.

So the next time someone tells you nonprofits aren’t businesses, remind them our local nonprofits are among Martin County’s most disciplined, accountable, and effective corporations -not only significant drivers of our economy but corporations whose dividends come in the form of dignity, hope, and a stronger, more connected community.

They may not be in the business of making money. But they are very much in the business of making Martin County a better place for all of us.

What’s YOUR favorite nonprofit in Martin County. Send me an email at stacy@fireflyforyou.com and let me know.