Filling the gaps

COEUR d’ALENE — When he was 13 years old, Justin Schorzman received a wallet as a Christmas gift from the Salvation Army.

Three decades later, he still has it.

“This wallet doesn’t function as a wallet any more,” Schorzman said Tuesday morning at the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s Upbeat Breakfast. “It is falling apart. But it is my origin story to volunteer and give back. Find that origin story, find that meaning to give back to your community.”

Schorzman said whether you’re a donor, volunteer or employee, nonprofits create a shared purpose and "bring us together."

The Coeur Group member was one of three who addressed about 150 people at The Coeur d'Alene Resort on the impacts of nonprofits.

There are a lot of them.

According to the Idaho Nonprofit Center in Boise, there are more than 230 financially active nonprofits in Kootenai County. 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.

“Nonprofits in North Idaho, and pretty much everywhere, fill gaps,” said Sue Thilo, one of the speakers and longtime community organizer. 

Tax dollars, she added, don’t cover everything.

“So we depend on nonprofits, like all of you in this room, to take care of those in need," Thilo said.

Naomi Boutz, owner of the Vine and Olive restaurant at Riverstone, said nonprofits are seeing greater need, so creative fundraising and collaboration are important.

“How can we help each other be successful?” she said.

Thilo agreed, but said there is still competition for charitable dollars.

“There’s only so much that can go around,” she said.

Donors expect and want to see the impact of their dollars, Thilo said, and will ask for data.

“Their expectation is high for accountability and results,” she said. “They want to put money where it can be best spent and used for the greater good.”

Thilo credited Charity Reimagined with showing that writing a check isn't the end-all to helping people.

“It’s how that check is going to be used and how it makes a meaningful difference in the lives of those you’re trying to touch and to reach,” she said.

Kevin Bailey, CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center, said nonprofits are facing challenges, starting with Idaho’s growth that is “putting a lot of pressure on nonprofit services."

According to the center’s 2022 report on the state of Idaho nonprofits, “A good portion of Idaho’s nonprofits are operating at significant financial risk and would be in danger if a national or global financial shock were to occur." 

“Unfortunately, individual giving as a share of the total giving pie has been declining year after year over past decades,” the report said. “With a large, generational transfer of wealth taking place between the baby boomer generation and millennials, nonprofits in Idaho must quickly adapt and learn how to engage millennial donors."

Bailey said more people are waiting for transitional housing and in need of behavioral health, and Idaho Youth Ranch recently opened its first residential youth treatment center near Caldwell.

“We’re just seeing an extreme crunch in our ability to meet the demand,” he said.

Boutz said if a company is not reinvesting in its community, they are not reaching their potential.

“We all want to live in a community that is generous, that takes care of its own and responds when people need us,” she said. “Well, that takes other people, right? We are the other people.”

Everyone can give a “little bit,” she said.

“All those little bits add up to be a lot,” Boutz said.

According to a statement from the chamber, “Donating to nonprofits is not only a way for your business to contribute to meaningful causes but also a strategic decision that can generate positive returns, both in terms of public perception and corporate culture."

Boutz said when things seem most difficult are the times she gets involved in something big to benefit others.

For instance, she said there have been a few negative reviews about her restaurant that “have just crushed my soul.”

But she found a way to stay positive.

“I had to take my eyes off myself,” Boutz said.

There are many ways for people to get involved and have an impact. Whether that be in money, time or talents, it feels good, she said, and makes a difference in many lives.

“It kind of restores your faith in humanity,” Boutz said.