Comprehensive Analysis of Georgia Nonprofit Sector Released

Collaboration between Georgia State University and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University has resulted in the most comprehensive analysis ever made of Georgia’s nonprofit sector and the giving patterns of Georgians.

Funded by grants from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation, and coordinated by Atlanta fund raising firm Alexander Haas, these two studies – Georgia Gives and Nonprofit Georgia – examined giving patterns throughout the state, as well as comparative analysis of giving in Atlanta and other urban, suburban and rural areas of the state.

“Georgians have always been generous, and these two studies provide evidence that the tradition continues today,” said David H. King, president of Alexander Haas. “Individuals in Georgia gave an estimated $5.58 billion in 2007 to meet vital needs and improve the quality of life in our communities and rural areas throughout the state and gave more than the national averages” he said.

Among the key findings of Georgia Gives:

Georgia’s total charitable giving by individuals, foundations and corporations in 2007 is estimated to be more than $6.7 billion. Individual donors statewide ($2,381) and in Atlanta ($2,492) gave more on average than donors nationally ($2,247) in 2007
60 percent of household donations in 2007 came from the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes 54 percent of the state’s population.
86 percent of Atlantans reported making gifts to charity in 2007, compared with 70.2 percent nationally and 68 percent in the rest of the state
55.5 percent of household donations in 2007 went to religious organizations, which is slightly lower than the national level of 61 percent.

The next largest share of Georgia household contributions (14 percent) was given to public-society benefit organizations such as United Way, compared to 10 percent of contributions nationally.

In 2007, corporate giving in Georgia is was estimated at $503 million.

“This report shows that individuals, foundations and corporations all play a critical role in supporting Georgia’s thriving nonprofit sector,” said Patrick M. Rooney, interim executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. “Georgia’s more than 1,400 independent, operating and community foundations gave an estimated total of $615.8 million to charity in 2006,” he added.

Among the key findings of Nonprofit Georgia:

Georgia’s Public Charities
7,119 public charities in Georgia filed with the IRS in 2005. Total revenues in these charities amounted to $24.7 billion, up 36% in inflation-adjusted dollars from 2000.

Fulton and DeKalb counties had a combined 2,429 charities.

There were 12 counties with no reporting charities, and over one-third of all Georgia counties had fewer than five.

The “urban-rural” divide in nonprofit resources is different than the “haves and have not” divide primarily because the lowest poverty rates in the state are in suburban counties. The 40 counties in Georgia with the highest poverty rates had an average $460 in public support per capita, while the 40 counties with the lowest poverty rates had $127. Similarly, the 40 counties with the highest poverty rates had an average $357 in government grants per capita, while the 40 with the lowest poverty rates had $41.

On various, commonly accepted measures of financial health, public charities in rural counties appeared to be somewhat healthier than those in urban counties. This suggests that although there are fewer nonprofit organizations and revenues in rural areas, the nonprofits that are operating there are sound, and are relatively good risks for philanthropic investment.

Georgia’s Foundation Grant-Making

Georgia foundations are largely clustered around core urban areas in the state. While Fulton and DeKalb counties combined had 722, or 46%, of Georgia’s foundations in 2005, 53 of Georgia’s 159 counties—most of them rural—had no foundations.

The majority (more than 70 percent) of grant dollars from Georgia-based foundations remain in the state of Georgia.

Georgia foundations tend to give to the communities closest to their headquarters. The majority of grant dollars that go to rural counties originate in rural counties and the majority of grant dollars that go to urban counties originate in urban counties.

According to Dennis R. Young, Bernard B. and Eugenia A. Ramsey Professor of Private Enterprise, and Director of the Nonprofit Studies Program, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University: “Georgia’s nonprofit sector has a powerful potential to transform the social and economic landscape of Georgia, but little is known about the capacity of the sector and the nature of its impact. Our Nonprofit Georgia study is intended to contribute to that understanding.”

Complete information on the Georgia Gives study can be accessed on the web at www.georgiagives.com and more information on The Center on Philanthropy at www.philanthropy.iupui.edu.

Nonprofit Georgia study information can be accessed on the website of the Nonprofit Studies Program of Georgia State University at www.aysps.gsu.edu/nonprofit.

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Illegal Immigration Costs Georgia $1.6 Billion Annually, Finds New Report by FAIR

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) demonstrates why Georgia has taken a lead in adopting state-based policies to control the costs of illegal immigration. According to the new study, The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Georgians, the state currently spends about $1.6 billion a year to provide three basic services to illegal aliens and their dependents -- K-12 education, public health care, and incarceration of criminals. These costs associated with the estimated 495,000 illegal aliens residing in the state amount to a $523 a year burden for every Georgia household headed by a native-born American.

K-12 education for the children of illegal aliens constitutes the largest share of the Georgia's cost burden, finds the report. The annual price tag for schooling an estimated 64,100 children who are themselves illegal aliens, and an estimated 89,700 U.S.-born children of illegal aliens, runs to about $1.38 billion. Unreimbursed health care costs add an additional $210 million to the taxpayers' tab, while another $22.6 million is spent incarcerating illegal aliens who have committed other crimes in Georgia. All of these costs compound an already difficult fiscal situation, as state officials estimate a current budget shortfall of about $2 billion.

"At a time when governments at every level are struggling with huge deficits, slashing vital programs and services, and US-workers are losing their jobs, we see repeated examples of how illegal immigration is adding to already significant fiscal worries," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "As Georgia businesses have padded their profit margins in recent years by using illegal aliens to undercut American workers, the true costs for this low wage labor force have been passed along to the taxpayers."

In response to the spiraling costs associated with illegal immigration, Georgia adopted workable state-based enforcement policies in 2007, which have begun to have a positive impact. "Georgia provides a case study in how a state can respond effectively to crushing cost burdens associated with illegal immigration, and provides a model for other state governments," said Stein.

The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Georgians is the latest in a series of studies FAIR has produced examining the impact of illegal immigration on state governments and local taxpayers. "Until fairly recently, regions like the South had been largely unaffected by the phenomenon of mass illegal immigration. The findings of this report, that illegal immigration now costs Georgia $1.6 billion a year, is evidence that mass illegal immigration is truly a national problem that demands real enforcement solutions at the federal, state and local level," concluded Stein.

The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Georgians is available on FAIR's website, www.fairus.org.

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Living in Georgia Less Stressful According to New Survey

PRNewswire/ -- While 93 percent of Americans report attempting to make everyday choices to be healthy and live well, more than half (55 percent) of Georgia residents say they struggle to do so, according to the Amway Global Wellness Index, a recent national survey of more than 15,000 Americans regarding their health and wellness. Georgia residents report that the two main barriers preventing them from living a healthier lifestyle include lack of time (36 percent) and the costs associated with eating a balanced diet (24 percent).

Free YMCA Wellness Events

In support of individuals and families struggling to make healthier choices, Amway Global and the YMCA are hosting free wellness events open to the public at select YMCAs on Sept. 20, 2008, as part of America On the Move Week. As a first step, health seekers can go to http://www.inspirewellness.com/ and take the Stanford Health and Lifestyle Assessment. Then, they can bring their summary reports to a local YMCA to talk with a health and wellness staff member about steps they can take toward a healthier life. Go to http://www.inspirewellness.com/ for a list of participating YMCAs in Georgia.

Georgia Wellness Challenges:

Exercise

The survey shows that one-quarter (25 percent) of Georgia residents, versus 23 percent of Americans, are not exercising for at least 30 minutes or more at a time on a regular basis. That's well under the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation of a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day or a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity three days a week. When it comes to the work commute, 91 percent of Georgia residents drive or use public transportation. However, when they do exercise, the focus is on general wellness (33 percent), cardiovascular endurance (25 percent) and increasing muscle tone (17 percent).

Stress

Thirty-five percent of Georgians report having a "very" or "somewhat" high stress level, according to the Amway Global Wellness Index. Forty-four percent of Georgia residents find that talking to family and friends is a highly effective way of coping with their stress. Increasing physical activity (33 percent) and sleep (26 percent) also top the list, while 16 percent turn to food for comfort and 16 percent practice yoga. Only 7 percent of residents decrease the time they spend using technology gadgets to reduce stress.

Sleep

While 37 percent of Georgia residents report that not getting enough exercise is one of the biggest wellness challenges, 34 percent also report getting enough sleep as a major challenge. Only 10 percent of Georgians judge their current state of wellness by the amount of sleep they get.

Weight

Nearly half (48 percent) of Georgia residents consider themselves obese or overweight, yet only one-quarter (25 percent) of Georgia respondents gauge their state of wellness by their current weight.

The Election, Economy and Wellness

Thirty-seven percent of Georgians and 33 percent of Americans claim that the candidates' positions on personal wellness will influence how they vote this election. Additionally, 42 percent of Americans, versus 41 percent of Georgians, report that the economy is having a negative impact on their wellness choices. For the nation, current economic conditions also are negatively affecting the wellness of 51 percent of non-working parents, versus 43 percent of working parents. And, when it comes to the battle of the sexes, the health of women is affected more by the economy (44 percent) than men (40 percent).

About the Amway Global Wellness Index

The Amway Global Wellness Index is a national survey of 15,035 American adults ages 18 and older to uncover American views toward the concept of wellness and individual, family and community wellness. Commissioned by Amway Global, the study has an estimated margin of error of +/-0.8 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. For more information and state-specific statistics, go to http://www.inspirewellness.com/.

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