Nonprofit organizations wield far more power than people realize and perhaps more than even they realize. In Maine, the nonprofit sector contributes roughly 20% of the state’s total GDP – in 2016 that figure was $57.6 billion —  said a recently released report.

According to the report issued Tuesday by the Maine Association of Nonprofits, nonprofit organizations contribute about $11 billion annually to the Maine economy and employ more than 95,000 state residents.Maine Association of Nonprofits

“Nonprofits are critical partners with government and business in bolstering Maine’s economic future,” Jennifer Hutchins, Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits, said in a news release.

Report Takeaways:

  • In one year, a Maine nonprofit generated $16.2 million in spending in the area economy as a result of its 105,000 visitors, while providing 90 jobs and expending $1.6 million in salary and benefits for their employees.
  • Maine nonprofits paid over $4.3 billion dollars in wages, which translates to an estimated $264 million of personal income tax revenue for Maine’s state and local governments and over $679 million in federal tax revenues.
  • Nonprofits employ 1 in 6 workers, making the nonprofit sector larger than any other industry in the state.
  • One nonprofit’s work to provide direct help to often neglected populations in the City of Portland saves the city an estimated $250,000 annually.
  • The 365 foundations registered in Maine granted over $149 million in 2014.
  • Most Maine nonprofits are very small. 75% of them have annual income of less than $100,000. However, the sector mobilizes over 345,000 volunteers annually, who donate $935 million in time and talent to their communities.

The report should be eye-popping to those who weren’t aware of the impact nonprofits have in our everyday lives, often working behind the scenes and in the shadows.

Nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to provide vital services to those who can’t afford those services and in the process often save governments money.

The last takeaway, though, should not be lost, especially in the sea of positive statistics. Most Maine nonprofits, like most nonprofits across the country, are small with less than $100,000 in annual income.

It vital nonprofits continue to evaluate themselves and seek ways to investment in their nonprofit missions. The great work of nonprofits isn’t possible without a healthy fiscal footing.

Read the full report here.