Nonprofits: helping drive California’s economy

We know what nonprofits do. They support the provision of basic human needs like food, health care, shelter and elder care. They protect the environment and fight for equality and civil rights. They make it possible for audiences to enjoy art, theater and music. They create opportunities for our children to learn and play. And so much more.

But did you know that California’s nonprofits also rank as the fourth largest industry in California by employment, providing jobs for nearly one million Californians? Or that they are responsible for 15 percent of California’s Gross State Product?

Cause Founder R. Christine Hershey and General Manager Marie Condron were on hand at CalNonprofits 2014 policy convention August 1 for the official release of “Causes Count: The Economic Power of California’s Nonprofit Sector,” commissioned by the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits), the statewide policy alliance of more than 10,000 organizations.

“Once again, California is leading the way into an economic transformation,” Hershey said. “Those of us who define our lives by the causes we support can take pride in what we have built, and in the way nonprofits benefit everyone in the state, through the services we provide and through our combined economic strength.”

The full report is available for free download at this link: http://calnonprofits.org/causes-count