State of the Sector: Duval County Nonprofits - 2006 Update

Abstract

In 2004, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund chose to underwrite an ambitious piece of research designed to quantify the number and type of nonprofit organizations present in Duval County, Florida, and evaluate their financial health over time. The results of that research were reported in STATE OF THE SECTOR: THE CHANGING CHARACTER OF DUVAL COUNTY NONPROFITS, which was released publicly in February 2005.The report documented the presence of nonprofits in Duval County between tax years 1998 and 2002. Included in the survey were all 686 501(c)(3) organizations based in Duval County that had filed informational tax returns with the IRS for any year during that five-year period.Among the report's findings:The number of nonprofits in Duval County increased 38 percent from 1998-2002.Non-hospital nonprofits had 2002 aggregate revenues of slightly more than $1 billion – roughly the same size as the entire City of Jacksonville budget. In 2002, non-hospital nonprofits collectively spent roughly$834 for every man, woman and child in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johnscounties.The fields with the largest numbers of nonprofits were Human Services (both adult- and child-serving), Health, Public Support & Benefit, and Religion. Public Support & Benefit and Religion were the fastest growing fields.The financial health of these nonprofit organizations deteriorated over the five-year period. In 1998, 31 percent of core nonprofits had negative revenue/expense ratios. By 2002, the 43 percent had negative ratios. Of those nonhospital nonprofits present in 1998 and 2002, 38 percent showed negative asset growth over the five year period.In fall 2005, the Fund chose to underwrite a one-year update of the original research, adding data through tax year 2003. This research was designed not only to update the original survey, but to help evaluate the merits of annual updates.This report – STATE OF THE SECTOR – DUVAL COUNTY NONPROFITS: 2006 UPDATE – builds on the original research and focuses primarily on recent changes in the sector