Arizona is home to more than 21,000 nonprofits, with missions as varied as our population. And while it is recognized that these organizations serve the community through services to their various constituents — from providing the basics of food, shelter and clothing to mentoring to medical assistance and research — it is not so generally recognized that the nonprofit sector contributes directly to the state’s gross domestic product.
As a nonprofit, Chicanos Por La Causa understands that through economic and political empowerment individuals can become self-sufficient. Practicing what we preach, CPLC’s unique business model includes for-profit businesses that generate revenue and enable us to provide programs and services that empower people and foster self-sufficiency. Our long-term goal is for the majority of our revenue to be self-generated to fund of our programs, including economic development, education, housing, and health and human services. Thus, while our goal is serving the community, the output is not limited to changed lives but also the revenue generated that fuels our economy.
Toward this end, a report now being released, “Arizona Nonprofits: Economic Power, Positive Impact,” provides hard data illustrating the diverse ways nonprofits benefit business and the economy. Exploring this further from the standpoint of what this means for the for-profit sector, In Business Magazine editor RaeAnne Marsh spoke with many of my colleagues who were involved with the project and other business and economic development leaders about the valuable contributions of nonprofit organizations and their leaders and the impact they have on our economy.
Keeping employers up to date with requirements, regulatory trends and the latest court decisions regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act is the focus of this issue’s Legal feature. By the Numbers looks at implications in worker productivity and turnover of employee frustration over inefficient modes of communication. A feature article that spans the business pillars of HR and technology explores the ways the workplace is being changed by the dual forces of technology and the millennial generation. And Roundtable shines a spotlight on the sustainability movement, with leadership by Waste Management — which last month again proved even a major sports event (Phoenix Open) could be produced with zero net waste.
Debuting in this issue is In Business Magazine’s Arizona Giving Guide, presented in partnership with Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, which lists the organizations involved in Arizona Gives Day on April 5. The guide points out the importance of businesses giving and their employees engaging to effect change in the Valley and beyond.
In Business Magazine, focused on the needs and interests of our local business community, is committed to providing relevant information to its readers in every state of business and in every industry sector. I’m pleased to help bring this Nonprofits issue to you, and hope you will use it to continue to better your business and our community.
Sincerely,
David Adame
President & CEO
Chicanos Por La Causa
David Adame, president and CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc., leads the largest nonprofit community development corporation (CDC) in Arizona and the third largest Hispanic CDC in the country. Bringing his extensive experience with JP Morgan Chase, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Fannie Mae and McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. with leadership in developing affordable housing and neighborhood redevelopment programs, he has completed 12 real-estate development projects across Arizona valued at more than $60 million and has significantly expanded the number of CPLC-owned and -operated for-profit business ventures that contribute toward CPLC’s unique goal of becoming self-sufficient. Since 2008, Adame has raised more than $250 million in resources from government agencies, corporations, and foundations all during one of the most severe recessions in U.S. history.
