Article edited for Community Foundation website. Original version written by Ken Datzman and published in Brevard Business News on June 22, 2026. Photo taken by Adrienne Roth.
The economic impact of the nonprofit sector in the Sunshine State may surprise some
people. It is an economic powerhouse. The sector rivals or surpasses both the construction and manufacturing industries in total workforce and economic reach.
Nonprofits currently employ about 500,000 people in Florida, a workforce that has been increasing.
“The nonprofit sector in Florida provides annual wages of about $35 billion. We make up 5.2 percent of the state’s workforce, which is more than manufacturing and comparable to construction, two industries that are revered, celebrated, and uplifted in Florida,” said Sabeen Perwaiz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Florida Nonprofit Alliance in Jacksonville.
She added, “The nonprofit sector in Florida really needs to hold its head up high. The sector’s contributions are significant to the state’s economy.”
Perwaiz was recently in Brevard as part of Florida Nonprofit Alliance’s 2026 “Statewide Data Tour,” an eight–week journey across the state meeting with nonprofit leaders, community partners and the media sharing her organization’s new research that reflects the state of the nonprofit industry in Florida.
Florida Nonprofit Alliance works with the Florida Department of Commerce and other entities compiling the data.
“We make 16 stops on the Statewide Data Tour, and Brevard is No. 13,” she said. “The Tour is a great way to tell the story of the work the nonprofit sector does in the state, and the challenges it faces.”
The survey results provide data by each region in the state. Brevard is in the East Central Florida region. The data covers major categories, including programs, human resources, finances, fundraising, and barriers to sustainability. There is also a deep dive into the sector’s economic contributions.
Her presentation detailed a picture of a sector which remains deeply committed to serving communities across the state, even as the conditions under which nonprofits operate grow more challenging.
The Community Foundation for Brevard co-hosted and organized the event.
“We have a great relationship with the Florida Nonprofit Alliance,” said Theresa Grimison, President and Chief Executive Officer of the independent nonprofit
that is 45 years old. “Their Statewide Data Tour really capsules the nonprofit sector in Florida. The work that Sabeen is doing is helping strengthen the sector across
the state. She is advocating and promoting the work of nonprofits in the state. Sabeen has expanded the resource portfolio significantly.”Grimison added, “There is truly no other group I would rather spend time with than the people who ask themselves every day: ‘What can I do for others?’ They then take action around that question. There was a full conference crowd interested in learning about this data and how they can make a positive impact on Brevard. How can we better the community? I thank everyone who works in the nonprofit sector for their service and leadership to make communities and our world a better place.”
The Florida Nonprofit Alliance survey collects responses from hundreds of nonprofits around the state.
“We have done this annually since the COVID–19 pandemic, working with our state partners,” said Perwaiz, who has been with the Florida Nonprofit Alliance for 10 years. “The first question we always start the survey with is: How many paid staff do you have in your organization? One–third of nonprofits in Florida have a budget of less than $50,000, and only 5 percent have budgets of $10 million. So, the majority of nonprofits are small business.”
Johnette Gindling, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Space Coast Health Foundation, says “it’s important to change the narrative, nonprofits are businesses. There is a lot of important work nonprofits are doing to help other people and these nonprofits need to generate revenue to achieve their goals and missions. I think that is critical.”
She continued, “What many people may not realize is that in the nonprofit world, an organization may receive a government grant, which is wonderful. But the nonprofit is usually not paid until the it does the service. But, the nonprofit has to have money upfront in order to provide the service before the nonprofit gets reimbursed. Sometimes it’s six months before a nonprofit receives the money for the service. It’s a constant juggling act for nonprofits. It’s not a simple process.”
Grimison, who has led the Community Foundation for Brevard for the last 10 years, agreed with Gindling that “at the end of the day, the nonprofit sector is a business. Over time, you need to be ending in the black.”
In the 2026 Florida Nonprofit Alliance survey “nearly 60 percent of nonprofits in the state have seen increased costs for recurring expenses compared to 2025, while 40 percent raised less money than needed for programmed expenses,” said Perwaiz. “As demand continues to grow, 34 percent of nonprofits said they were not able to meet those increased demands without increased fundraising,” she added.
And nonprofits are seeing more challenges in finding volunteers compared to last year’s survey. “One–third of nonprofits continue to struggle with that challenge.”
One other interesting data point is that 35 percent of East Central Florida region nonprofits have no reserved funds. “These are funds that nonprofits are able to use as need arises. They are not tied to a grant or program revenue. So 35 percent have no ‘rainy day’ fund,” said Perwaiz.
Perwaiz said an “alarming figure” is the number of households that fall below ALICE threshold. In the nonprofit sector, ALICE stands for “asset limited, income constrained, employed.” It describes working individuals and families who earn more than the
federal poverty level but not enough to afford the basic costs of living — such as housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care — in the communities where they live. The concept and demographic classification originated from a research–driven initiative led by United Way of America. It is widely used and referenced across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
Forty–six percent of Florida residents meet the ALICE criteria. “That alone really shines the light on the need within our state,” said Perwaiz. “Florida is the third–largest state in the nation. Our population continues to grow. Roughly 800 to 1,000 people move to Florida every day.”
With the influx of new residents, nonprofits face a critical supply–demand gap, she said. Local charities face strains because of decreased volunteering and fundraising shortfalls.
“It’s concerning that 72 percent of nonprofits in this region reported that their revenue did not increase from 2024 to 2025,” said Perwaiz.
She also highlighted Florida legislation as it pertains to the nonprofit world. Florida Senate Bill 700, for example, was recently enacted by the Florida Legislature and restricts nonprofits, charities, and professional fundraisers operating in the state from soliciting or
accepting contributions from “foreign sources of concern.”
Perwaiz said Florida House Bill 797, which takes effect July 1, 2026, significantly rewrites and modernizes the Florida “Not for Profit Corporation Act. The law aligns Florida’s nonprofit governance rules with The American Bar Association’s “Model Nonprofit Corporation Act.”
The bill requires corporate officers, not just directors, to act in “good faith, with reasonable care, and in the best interests of the nonprofit.”
“We are essentially the backbone that helps others in need,” said Perwaiz. “There is the government sector and the private sector, but the reality is if nonprofits didn’t do this work, nobody else would be doing it. We are proud of all the nonprofits in Florida that are making a difference in the lives of people every day.”
