Nonprofit report: few nonprofits tackle Red Flag issues

Only about 5 percent of Springfield's nonprofits primarily focus on the community's crucial issues such as poverty and problems for children and youth, according to a new report on Springfield nonprofits released today.

The report, done by The Center for Nonprofit Communication at Drury University, found that 25 of the 1,556 nonprofits reviewed by the survey deal with the primary, so-called Red Flag issues identified in an annual community report that highlights Greene County's challenges and successes.

"It's surprising," said Dan Prater, the director of the center and the lead author of the nonprofits report. "It speaks to the need to strengthen these organizations or provide more funding. As it stands now, they're not adequately addressing the need so the people in need are going without."

The 2013 Community Focus report identified four Red Flag themes such as poverty and concerns about children and youth. The other Red Flag issues are lack of investment in prevention efforts and insufficient funding for problems such as substance abuse.

More than half — 54.6 percent — of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals in Springfield Public Schools, the national measure of poverty used by schools. That number was just 36.8 percent in 2001-02 school year.

The 44-page nonprofits report said one Springfield area nonprofit focuses on education; another on agriculture, food and nutrition; 12 on youth development; and 11 on human services. The report did not identify the nonprofits.

Prater and the three other authors of the study spent 18 months looking at information about Springfield nonprofits, including IRS filings, a recent salary survey, census data and information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because nonprofits are generally tax-exempt, they must file special forms with the IRS.

Prater emphasized that the center's focus is "to promote the organizations, not to be a watchdog."

Springfield nonprofits employ more than 38,000 people or more than 50 percent of private employment in Springfield, according to the study. In Missouri and nationally nonprofit employees are about 10 percent of the private workforce.

The study found that the average salary for a Springfield nonprofit employee is $55,584 with CEOs or executive directors making an average of $88,828. CEOs or executive directors of healthcare nonprofits made the most, $158,655, while leaders of nonprofits dealing with the environment made the least, $33,600.

The report did not break out salary information for individual CEOs.

" I don't know that putting salaries in would have helped anyone," Prater said.

Ten nonprofits, including Cox and Mercy, accounted for more than 80 percent of the revenue of nonprofits, according to the study. More than half of Springfield's nonprofits reported less than $150,000 in earnings.

Red Flag issues from 2013 Community Focus report

Poverty — continued concern about acute impact of poverty on children and less citizen participation at poverty levels increae.

Insufficient funding — collaboration efforts impacted by federal, state and local budget reductions and resources required to combat substance abuse and related problems competing for funding demands.

Concerns for children and youth — child abuse and neglect rates continue to increase and continued concerns about childhood obestity.

Lack of investment in prevention efforts — scarce funding for prevention efforts.