Season of Giving
The nonprofit sector brings more to the table than just turkey and trimmings
San Pedro is home to about 156 nonprofits. A big number for a “small town.” As a Harbor Area community, full of diverse people with differing views, residents value local nonprofits and step in to advocate for the environment, politically and for both social justice and well-being among other causes.
Nonprofits embody the best of local communities. They provide ways for people to work together for the common good, transforming shared beliefs and hopes into action.
Causes identified by nonprofits are for societal benefit and human services. This includes 100 Black Men of Long Beach, which serves Black youth in the wake of countless civil rights uprisings by aiming resources toward youth development. Amid an isolating pandemic, Heart of Ida helps older adults maintain independence.
Environmental and wildlife organizations, like Marine Mammal Care Center rescue, rehabilitate marine mammals and birds after recent disastrous oil spills and Long Beach’s Algalita Marine Research connects youth with scientists, experts, politicians and businesses to address plastic consumption.
Education, arts, culture and humanities organizations like San Pedro Waterfront Arts District and Carson’s Precision Dance Company give back to their communities providing respite and inspiration as well as helping youth fulfill their artistic endeavors.
Health organizations, like Torrance’s Evidence Based California Inc, help transitional aged youth and BIPOC members experiencing homelessness as Los Angeles wrestles with sheltering its population of more than 41,000 unhoused individuals. These and many other local nonprofits play a fundamental role in creating more equitable, connected communities in this region.
A resource and advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits, the National Council of Nonprofits is a link connecting the largest nationwide and sector-wide grassroots network of nonprofit networks. A report by the Council of Nonprofits shows how these organizations impact the Golden State, which, if it were a nation, would rank as the world’s fifth largest economy.
California nonprofits are key contributors to its economy; nonprofit economic activity generates about 15% of California’s Gross State Product. Nonprofits bring more than $40 billion into California each year from out-of-state sources, including the federal government, outof-state foundations and individual donations from around the world. Despite being exempt from paying corporate income tax, nonprofits pay more than $37 billion in taxes each year at federal, state, and local levels.
Nonprofits rank as the fourth largest employment industry in California. One in every 14 California jobs is at a nonprofit organization, and more than 1.2 million people are employed by nonprofits in the state, accounting for 7% of all employment.
The nonprofit sector’s workforce is more diverse by gender and race/ethnicity compared to the adult civilian workforce. And California volunteers contribute about $16 billion in unpaid labor each year, the equivalent of 331,058 fulltime jobs, most of it in direct work with people, animals and the land.
California nonprofits employ a significantly higher percentage of women and a slightly higher percentage of people of color than the overall civilian workforce. And in leadership positions, nonprofit percentages of women and people of color are more than twice as high as in the overall workforce.
Volunteers bring both economic and intangible value to communities through nonprofits of all sizes and types. They care for people in hospice, raise critical program funds, advocate for clean water, serve as CFOs, museum docents, bus drivers, tax preparers and surgical nurses.
There is a synergy between nonprofits and their communities as the organizations speak out for those they serve. Nonprofits engage in pub