Economy Matters

Resources & information for Florida foundations & nonprofits on leading in today's new economic reality.

Federal Recovery Act

www.FlaRecovery.com
This Web site from the Florida Governor Charlie Crist's office provides continuously updated information on how all federal stimulus funds are being used in Florida and the specific status of Florida projects.

recovery.org
The recovery.org Web site is a useful place to keep track of Recovery Act spending. The site (not to be confused with the federal government's recovery.gov site) is currently tracking more than 1,600 projects in Florida, totaling $5 billion, that have received Recovery Act funds.

Florida's "Stimulus Czar" Reviews Recovery Act With State's Foundations, Nonprofits
At a June 16 FPN Webinar, Florida Economic Stimulus Special Advisor Don Winstead gave a detailed overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to more than 60 foundation and nonprofit representatives. He described how Florida will receive $14.1 billion over the next three years from the Act, and identified several possible opportunities for private funders to help Florida maximize the federal stimulus dollars it receives.  Download Winstead's presentation (PDF) here. 

Foundations for Education Excellence Portal
This online resource from the Foundation Center is aimed at helping education funders align their grantmaking - and maximize their overall impact - with funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The resource is part of a new national initiative to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

>	Advocacy and Stimulus Dollars: Nonprofit Opportunities in Florida View a Rollins College presentation on how the Florida's state budget woes will impact nonprofits and how nonprofits can find funding opportunities from the economic stimulus bill.
>	Guide to Recovery Act Appropriations for the Nonprofit Sector This bulletin from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and Giving USA Foundation outlines Recovery Act spending that can benefit nonprofits and lists key resources to help organizations approach and access stimulus funding sources.
>	How to Seek Federal & State Grants The Council on Foundations provides an introduction on applying for federal and state funds.  Although intended for foundations, the overview can be useful for all types of organizations.
>	Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Funding Opportunities (PDF) Florida Congresswoman Corrine Brown’s office has compiled this comprehensive summary of the potential funding opportunities for nonprofits from the federal economic stimulus bill.

Resources

Economy Not Key in Residents' Love for Where They Live, Study Finds
A Gallup study of 26 U.S. communities finds that the worst economic crisis in decades is not a key factor in attracting and retaining residents. The Soul of the Community survey, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, reveals that a community's social offerings, physical beauty and openness to new and different people are most important to making residents love where they live. Bradenton, FL has the most resident attachment of all communities surveyed.

Guide to Funding Basic Human Needs in a Challenging Economy
A new guide for funders from the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers takes an in-depth look at eight areas critical to maintaining self sufficiency that suffer during an economic downturn. Although the guide is focused on the needs of Central Marylanders, much of its information can be applicable to other regions of the country.

>	Economic Xchange The Council on Foundations' online resource covering the current economy's impact on philanthropy.
>	Foundation Center: Focus on the Economic Crisis The Center has compiled a comprehensive set of resources and information to help foundations and nonprofits address the economic downturn.
>	Smarter Grantmaking in Challenging Economic Times This briefing from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, based on conversations with hundreds of grantmakers, offers insights to foundation leaders on how to minimize the impact of the economic crisis on the people, causes and organizations they support.
>	Investing in Nonprofit M&A (PDF) This issue brief from Arabella Advisors looks at nonprofit M&A - "mergers and alliances" - from a donor's perspective. The brief explores successes, challenges, opportunities, trends and special considerations for those who may be interested in supporting nonprofit M&A activity.

Florida's Economy

Florida Among 10 States in Fiscal Peril, New Pew Report Says
Florida is one of nine states, in addition to California, that is in serious fiscal peril due to the recession, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States, "Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril." The report ranks Florida has having the seventh-worst fiscal outlook, and notes that "Florida's choices for bringing its ledger into balance are limited because it has no income taxes and its per-capita spending on education and social services is already low, so cuts are difficult to make." Download the report (PDF).

Florida Posted Largest Poverty-Rate Increase in 2008
Florida saw the largest one-year poverty-rate increase of all states in 2008, according to a Census Bureau report. The state's poverty rate grew from 12.1% to 13.2% (+1.1%), followed by California, which saw a +0.9% rise. Florida’s 2008 poverty rate was equal to the national average, and ranked 23rd out of the 50 states and D.C. View a state-by-state table here.

Annual Economic Review: Troubling Trends Threaten Florida's Well-Being
In its first annual examination of Florida's key economic indicators, the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy concludes that the numbers add up to disturbing trends that threaten the well-being of the state and its people. Personal income, how that income is distributed through the workforce, the nature of jobs in the state, the level of spending by Florida government and the outcomes of that spending all paint a cloudy picture. The findings raise the question of whether Florida is where it needs to be for the best interests of its people - and what can be done to improve the situation.

Florida: An Economic Overview (PDF)
This presentation from the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research offers many sobering details on the current state of Florida's economy. One example: In 2008, Florida's GDP ranked 48th in the nation in real growth with a decline of (-1.6%). In 2005, the state's GDP ranked 2nd.

Research

Jacksonville-Area Nonprofits Stretched Thin and Financially Distressed, Report Finds
While the nonprofit sector in Northeast Florida has grown at a healthy pace in the past decade, the sector today is stretched thin and financially distressed, according to the latest edition of the State of the Sector, a periodic status report on the region's nonprofit sector underwritten by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida.  The report notes that the financial health of the region’s nonprofits has suffered as a result of the recession, with 42% operating in the red in 2008 - up sharply from 33% in 2007.

Southeast Florida Nonprofits Still Feeling Impact of Tough Economic Times, Survey Finds
Many nonprofits in Palm Beach and Martin counties and surrounding areas are struggling to keep their organizations running at full capacity at a time when needs have increased dramatically, according to a new report by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and Allegany Franciscan Ministries. But tough times have also sparked ingenuity in the sector, with organizations reporting they are collaborating more with other nonprofits and building endowments needed to weather future storms. Nonprofits cited obtaining funding, recruiting donors and covering employee payroll and benefits costs among their top challenges.

Miami Nonprofits Report Growing Demand for Services, Declines in Funding (PDF)
While 75% of Greater Miami nonprofits report an increased demand for their services, an equal share report their funding being down by 11% or more, according to the Dade Community Foundation's 2009 Nonprofit Economic Impact Survey Report. The report also shows that 45% of nonprofits had to lay off staff in 2009. Yet these groups maintain a resolve to keep up with demand for services - somehow.

Jacksonville Nonprofits Making Strategic Changes to Cope With Recession (PDF)
Jacksonville nonprofits have made numerous changes in how they operate in response to the current economic downturn, according to a Fall 2009 report by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.  76% of nonprofits surveyed have made strategic organizational changes, with the most common change being a shift in target client base or programmatic focus, while 59% have increased advocacy with government, 52% have changed board operations, 46% have reduced or frozen wages and benefits, and 35% have reduced staff.

Grantmakers Describe the Impact of the Economic Crisis on
Their Giving (PDF)
Few foundations are in a position to increase their giving in the wake of the economic crisis, according to the Foundation Center's recent research advisory.

Most Foundations Expect to Reduce Grantmaking in 2009
Nearly two-thirds of foundations expect to reduce the number or size of their grants in 2009, according to a research advisory from the Foundation Center, and more than half are reacting to the economic crisis by engaging in more non-grantmaking activities. Download the six-page advisory (PDF) here.

>	Nonprofits Show Resilience Amid Fiscal Stress Although 83% of U.S. nonprofits report being under significant stress from the recession, many still have been able to increase the services they provide to vulnerable people, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Listening Post project.
>	In Their Own Words: Foundation Giving Forecast The Foundation Center's compilation of foundations' announcements concerning their giving forecasts.
>	Nonprofits Strained to Breaking Point by Recession, Survey Finds America's nonprofits, including the "lifeline" organizations that many depend on for basic services, are strained to the breaking point, according to a survey by the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
>	Two Surveys Confirm Charity Leaders' Perceptions: Recession's Impact Runs Deep Faced with a grim financial picture, an increasing percentage of charity leaders are tapping reserve funds, creating contingency plans and taking steps to protect their most important programs, and most remain optimistic, two studies show.
>	Anonymous Giving Gains in Popularity as Recession Deepens Data compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and anecdotal reports from fundraisers and advisers to donors, suggest that a rising number of people are choosing to give anonymously.