1 in 10 in Montgomery County Work for a Nonprofit, Report Says

Nonprofit organizations in Montgomery County employ a significant percentage of local residents, paying out billions each year and wielding a collective $4 billion in purchasing power, according to a new report commissioned by the departments of economic development and health and human services. 

“This report validates the significant economic contributions of the County’s nonprofit sector,” said County Executive Isiah Leggett, who presented the report Beyond Charity: Nonprofit Business in Montgomery County, in Silver Spring on Monday. 

Among the findings:

• One in 10 workers in Montgomery County are employed by nonprofits
• Between 2007 and 2011, nonprofit employment in the county grew 9.1 percent, while overall local employment decreased
• Nonprofits in Montgomery County paid $2.2 billion to 43,371 employees in 2011

Last year, Montgomery County spent nearly $97 million on 500 contracts with nonprofits. 

County leaders said they want to use the report to think of ways nonprofits can help bring services to residents.