WILMINGTON – A new economic impact analysis has found that Delaware nonprofits are a significant economic driver of jobs, wages, and goods and services in the First State.
Commissioned by DANA, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, and Delaware Nonprofit Action Network (DNAN), the 2025 Economic Impact of Delaware Nonprofits study is the first detailed analysis of Delaware nonprofits as an industry and their impact on the state’s economy.
The report found that 951 nonprofits were active in Delaware during tax year 2022, the most recent year available. Those nonprofits employed nearly 73,000 people, comprising 15% of Delaware’s private-sector workforce, and paid $5.2 billion in wages, or 16% of the state’s private-sector wages.
“Those who work in and do business with Delaware nonprofits know that we are a significant contributor to the state’s economy, but we’ve never had the hard data to show exactly how much of an impact we have – until now,” said DANA Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer Melissa Hopkins.
“Nonprofits don’t just clothe, house, feed, counsel and care for our neighbors; we create tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and contribute billions into the local economy while delivering those vital services to Delawareans. It’s our hope that state and philanthropic leaders recognize the tremendous impact that the nonprofit sector has on the state’s economy and how critical we are to its success.”
According to the study, nonprofits supported $14.1 billion in gross regional product for Delaware and paid an estimated $345.9 million in personal income taxes to the state. They also organized more than 85,000 volunteers who gave more than 5.6 million hours to Delaware nonprofits.
The study is designed to help policymakers, funders, and the public better understand the vital role nonprofits play in Delaware’s economy, and more importantly, the required investment needed to sustain this vital sector and ensure that our local communities thrive.
The report analyzed data and filings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Internal Revenue Service, as well as other workforce data to quantify the nonprofit sector’s economic impact on the state.
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