Fifteen not-for-profit organizations in Cape Girardeau had a combined income of $30.8 million, according to a recent survey of local not-for-profit organizations presented at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center.

An informal partnership of not-for-profit groups recently worked with the chamber and Bruce Domazlicky, director of the Small Business and Research Center at Southeast Missouri State University, to learn more about the financial effect of local not-for-profits.

"Rarely does the economic role of the not-for-profit sector get attention," said Kathy Sweeney, a reporter and anchor at KFVS12 who worked with the not-for-profit groups and made Friday's presentation on their behalf. "Our goal is to present this information so that we may demonstrate that nonprofits are important to this community's economic health."

According to Guidestar, a national philanthropic research organization, 425 not-for-profit organizations are registered in Cape Girardeau, Sweeney said.

Surveys were distributed to 45 organizations that are chamber members, asking for information about their most recently completed fiscal year. Fifteen organizations, including the United Way of Southeast Missouri, the American Red Cross, Lutheran Family and Children's Services and the Safe House for Women, returned the surveys that were then analyzed by Domazlicky.

The 15 organizations had expenses totaling $26.5 million, including payrolls totaling $10.7 million. They had 162 full-time employees and 110 part-time employees.

"That money circulates in the local economy," Sweeney said.

A total of 52 students also completed internships with these organizations during the past fiscal year. The organizations spent $2.2 million locally on things like utilities, advertising and office supplies. That spending resulted in a gain of 25 private sector jobs.

A total of 70,000 people were served by the 15 organizations surveyed, and 6,400 volunteers donated 178,000 hours to help with the groups' work.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO