Rhode Island's nonprofit sector is a robust one, with roughly 3,750 503(c)3 charitable organizations in existence as of the middle of July, according to the Rhode Island Foundation.
But that number represents growth of more than 65 percent since 2010, and the increase is not necessarily a good sign, especially for the nonprofits themselves.
The Ocean State's economy is still in slow recovery mode from the Great Recession, meaning that private support for the nonprofit sector is not growing. Add to that the poor financial condition of state and city governments, which mean at best level funding for nonprofits, and you have a situation that is an existential threat to many organizations that are designed to be a backstop to the poor and unprivileged.
It is time, therefore, for nonprofits to really examine how they do business. This week's cover story helps get that conversation started, confronting the issue with a "survival guide" for those that want to be around for years to come.
The guide covers six areas to consider, but one deserves added emphasis. More and more, successful nonprofits, especially those of modest means, are considering collaboration with other institutions.
It can be as simple as one example in the story, in which Thundermist Health Center hosted a Farm Fresh Rhode Island farmers market. Clients of Thundermist were exposed to healthier foods, while attendees there for Farm Fresh's tasty products learned more about a potential new source of health care. In this case, and in others like it, 1+1 can indeed, add up to more than 2. •
