Nonprofits' influence growing in North Idaho

COEUR d’ALENE — Kevin Bailey wants to be sure you know this one thing.

Here it is:

“Idaho runs on nonprofits.”

But what, exactly, does that mean?

Bailey, CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center in Boise, explained that in most cities in Idaho, including Coeur d’Alene, you can’t go more than a few blocks without seeing the impact of a nonprofit.

“Nonprofits exist in every corner of our community serving every type of need,” he said Tuesday to about 100 people at the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s Upbeat Breakfast at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

From feeding the hungry to providing shelter and job training and offering health care, “nonprofits truly do it all,” Bailey said.

There are more than 230 financially active nonprofits in Kootenai County serving the local community, he said.

“These organizations are the very best of what makes this a great community to live,” Bailey said.

He cited numbers to highlight the economic impact of nonprofits, which he said employ more than 3,400 people and add about $200 million to the area's economy.

Statewide, nonprofits employ more than 67,000 Idahoans and contribute $5 billion to the state’s gross products, which is more than 6% of the total economy, Bailey said.

The Idaho Community Foundation awarded grants to nonprofits and community organizations totaling $1.4 million in 2021. That included support for homelessness and basic needs; education; and mental and physical health.

While nonprofits are doing great work, they can't do it without donations, he said.

Half of the state’s nonprofits report they can’t meet the demand for services. For instance, waiting lists for housing far outstrips supply, he said.

To encourage giving, he said the Idaho Nonprofit Center aims to “elevate the effectiveness, voice and trust in the nonprofit sector.”

“I would invite you to champion the cause of nonprofits in this community,” Bailey said. “Idaho’s nonprofits have given us so much, and we need to continue to ask as a community, what can we give them back to ensure they continue to thrive in 2023 and for the next 100 years.”

Bailey said Innovia, which serves Eastern Washington and North Idaho, estimates that $42 billion in wealth is set to transfer to the region. If just 5% of of that went to local philanthropy, that would be $2 billion.

"So the resources are out there," he said.

He asked the crowd to consider giving as a civic duty and spread the word that nonprofits are the infrastructure that makes the community go.

“Just as a for profit private contractor would be a natural recipient of public funds to build a county road, nonprofits should also be seen as viable partners for getting stuff done in our local community,” Bailey said.

Linda Coppess, chamber president and CEO, spoke of her time working with Microsoft in Seattle. She said the company was generous in its support of nonprofits and said hearing from one beneficiary affects her to this day.

“I will never forget that child standing there and talking about what that support and those resources meant to her,” Coppess said.

She said leaders in the areas of human rights, homeless animals, senior care and arts were at the Upbeat Breakfast.

“Literally every direction that I look in this room there are people who are serving in our community and they need our help,” she said.

She encouraged people to get to know them and support them.

"Our hope is that you find a connection with a cause,” Coppess said.