1 IN 10 KENTUCKIANS WORK AT A NONPROFIT
Most of us have heard of, and probably donated to, the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States. Have you cleaned out your closets and taken clothing to Goodwill? Heard the familiar bell ringing and dropped some change in the Salvation Army kettle during Christmastime? Had some money taken out of your paycheck to support the United Way? And, after a natural disaster, sent a check to the American Red Cross?
All these organizations have become a part of our lives. But there are many nonprofits with more targeted goals, meeting the needs of a specific cause with which you might not be familiar.
Kentucky is home to 22,000 nonprofit organizations, which are classified as a nonbusiness, focused on furthering a social cause or a shared mission, without the goal of earning a profit.
Many organizations work to feed people in need. Heavens Harvest Food Pantry provides food and basic needs for those in the Floyd County area; Go Pantry in Florence supplies a weekend’s worth of food to school kids; and Meals on Wheels has chapters throughout the state, delivering food to individuals who cannot prepare or purchase their own.
At Louisville’s Love the Hungry Inc., the goal is to end childhood hunger in a nutritious way. Sending about 1 million meals per year all over the world, Love the Hungry focuses on assembling kits that contain ingredients to make a nutritious meal.
“We send cartons of Nutri-Plenty, a soup made with Mathile M+ Micronutrients, a blend of vitamins and minerals. It has been shown to alleviate and reverse malnutrition in children,” Executive Director Dale Oelker said. “These meals have a long shelf life and cost about 25 cents each.”
Volunteers throughout the state help prep the ingredients to be shipped around the world to locations in need. They send a steady stream to countries like Haiti and South Sudan, where hunger always is an issue. But they also respond to natural disasters and refugee situations as they come up. Oelker explained that churches and group organizations invite Love the Hungry in for a packaging event. The churches and organizations supply the volunteers, and Love the Hungry supplies the rest to get the job done.
“Hunger is a complex issue, but we have found a way to get volunteers of all ages involved,” he said. “We all need a meal on the table.”
Many arts organizations are nonprofits. Some you may be familiar with include Actors Theatre of Louisville, LexArts and Kentucky Educational Television. But next to these biggies are small groups trying to do big things.
In a year without COVID-19, Pioneer Playhouse brings 15,000-20,000 community theater fans to Danville each summer, providing entertainment and launching the careers of aspiring actors, playwrights and theater personnel. Since its inception in 1950, Pioneer Playhouse has been a nonprofit organization.
“No theater venue can be sustained on ticket sales alone,” said Robby Henson, artistic director. “The tickets cover about 60 percent of our income, but then we have to rely on gifts, grants and sponsorships.”
He explained that arts organizations are usually at the bottom of the totem pole for government funding, but he wishes the arts would be seen as the crucial and necessary service it is.
“Art is highly important in people’s lives,” he said. “Plus, we generate so much income for our local economy through hotels, restaurants and gas because 70 percent of our audience comes from outside our community.”
Although it reaches thousands each year, many may not know that This I Believe is headquartered in Louisville. The organization is based on the 1950s radio show of the same name hosted by the legendary reporter Edward R. Murrow. The show featured essays written by well-known people and everyday citizens who shared their guiding principles to life.
In 2004, the idea was resurrected but with a modern twist. Instead of being only on public radio, the essays can be enjoyed on podcasts, satellite radio, in books of the same name, and through community programs that encourage participants to both read essays and write their own.
This I Believe’s website, which has 110,000 archived essays, includes links to educational resources that can be used by teachers or group leaders.
Sports is another area covered by nonprofit organizations. Kentuckians can find Young Men’s Christian Associations, better known as the YMCA, throughout the state. Girls on the Run, a national motivational organization for 8- to 13-year-old girls, can be found as an extracurricular activity in schools across Kentucky. Through this program, girls learn about fitness and self-esteem.
Another example of a targeted sports-related organization is The United States Hunter and Jumper Association, which is based in Lexington. It focuses on providing education and competitions for the equine discipline of show jumping.
In addition to helping people, nonprofits create a strong economic impact. Danielle Core, executive director of the Kentucky Nonprofit Network, explained that nonprofit organizations are the fourth-largest employment sector in the state, surpassed only by manufacturing, retail, and accommodations and food service.
Based on data from 2017, the most recent year for which the network has data, Kentuckians claimed $2.2 billion in giving on their tax returns. Although that number is impressive, the Kentucky Nonprofit Network fears that giving will decline in 2020 due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.