Shreveport, LA - In partnership with the Department of Continuing Education and the LSUS Foundation, the Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research (INAR) hosted the event "The State of Nonprofits" in Louisiana with record attendance.
The event focused on the release of two reports published by INAR: “State of the Nonprofit Sector in Louisiana: Economic Report” and “State of the Nonprofit Sector in Louisiana: Survey.” Both reports are available for download at http://www.lsus.edu/inar.
"The economic report uses IRS 2020 data and 2017 workforce data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and provides a baseline picture of the economic impact of the 5,311 active 501c3 nonprofit organizations in the state of Louisiana and then splits the data into the nine Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) within the state,” said Heather Carpenter, Interim Executive Director, INAR. “The survey reports on the experiences and challenges nonprofits in Louisiana have encountered over the past 12 months and their future projections in the following five areas: Service Delivery, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Fundraising, and Capacity Building.”
During the event, Dr. Carpenter presented the economic, workforce, and survey findings. Jill Roshto, Executive Director of the Louisiana Alliance for Nonprofits, moderated a panel of experts who commented on the findings. The panel consisted of
- Paige Carlisle, Chief Financial Officer, Community Foundation of North Louisiana
- Mario Chavez, District 10 Commissioner, Caddo Parish Commission
- Dr. Toya Graham, Executive Director, Carolyn W., and Charles T. Beaird Family Foundation
- Dr. Helen Wise, Director of Applied Research, INAR; Associate Vice Provost and Professor, LSUS
- Mike Woods, President, Woods Operating Company
The panelists' critical takeaways from this event were a sense of optimism and economic recovery. They confirmed that nonprofits continue to have challenges hiring qualified staff and need to provide specific education and training to board members on effective governance. The panelists also commented on the importance of socializing children at a young age into volunteering and services. They also acknowledged there are generational differences in how nonprofit training should be offered. There was a discussion about the need for a centralized place to document what nonprofit programming is offered in the Shreveport-Bossier community.
Attendees were enthusiastic about the event and were active in the participant Q&A session. “We got to explore our nonprofit challenges and discuss ways our sector can work together to improve our community, human resources, governance and funding needs,” said Lynn Stevens, Director of Workforce Development at Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana and Association of Fundraising Professionals-North Louisiana Chapter member.
"Everything we do at CFNLA is driven by data,” said Amanda Felan, Director of Marketing and Development at the Community Foundation of North Louisiana. “We are thankful for the deep dive into our nonprofit needs and a discussion with our partners on how our sector must evolve.”
For more information on the event and study findings, contact Stacey Hargis at inar@lsus.edu or at 318-795-4264.
