More than 300 nonprofit leaders are expected to converge on the State House Annex Courtyard in Trenton on Monday for the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits’ annual Advocacy Day, where they’ll push lawmakers for more state support.
The rally, set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is meant to remind lawmakers exactly how much the sector contributes to the state.
New Jersey is home to roughly 44,000 charitable nonprofits, employing nearly 10 percent of the state’s private workforce and contributing an estimated $56 billion to the state economy, according to the Center.
That scale touches nearly every corner of daily life — critical care and comfort services, education, job training, environmental protection, medical research, and mental and physical well-being programs, among others. Nonprofits also operate as economic players in their own right, partnering with local businesses and merchants and often factoring into companies’ decisions about where to locate.
The timing of Monday’s rally isn’t incidental.
Organizers say rising operating costs and growing demand for services are outpacing funding, and an uncertain state budget climate is putting essential programs at risk — just as New Jerseyans increasingly rely on them.
Nonprofits draw funding from a mix of sources, including individual donations, government grants and contracts, foundation and corporate philanthropy, and fees for service, with the exact mix varying widely by organization.
Advocates note that “nonprofit” doesn’t mean an organization can’t or shouldn’t turn a year-end surplus — those funds, along with investment in infrastructure like technology and staff development, are part of what keeps a nonprofit financially healthy and effective. Underfunded overhead, they argue, leaves charities less equipped to do the work they exist to do.
The gathering will also highlight specific funding solutions advocates say could provide immediate relief to nonprofits feeling the squeeze.
The New Jersey Center for Nonprofits has served as the statewide champion, network and go-to resource for the state’s nonprofit community for more than 40 years, founded in 1982. Through advocacy, direct services, knowledge-sharing and cost-saving programs, the Center works to strengthen nonprofits both individually and collectively.
