The UGA Nonprofit Alliance conducts applied research, data studies, and community‑engaged projects that strengthen nonprofit leadership and inform public policy across Georgia.
Economic Contributions Study−+
Economic Contributions Study
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This study examines how nonprofit organizations function as an essential part of the Athens economy, documenting their role as employers and economic drivers within the local community. Nonprofits generate jobs, attract and circulate revenue, and deliver services that residents rely on every day, yet their economic contributions are often poorly understood or underestimated. This project aims to make those contributions visible by systematically documenting nonprofits’ economic footprint and contributions to Athens and the surrounding counties.
The study was developed through ongoing conversations with nonprofit leaders in Athens and uses a participatory, community-engaged research approach. It combines publicly available IRS Form 990 data with a new survey designed in collaboration with the nonprofit community to capture information that is not available in public filings. The survey will collect data on the effects of recent federal policy changes on nonprofit operations. By integrating administrative data with lived organizational experience, the study provides a more complete and grounded picture of how nonprofits operate and the constraints they are navigating in the current environment.
The resulting report will offer community members, funders, and policymakers a clear, data-driven understanding of the nonprofit sector’s economic value in Athens and the potential consequences of continued funding erosion or policy shifts. Beyond documenting impact, the study will provide Athens nonprofits with credible local data they can use for advocacy, planning, and communication. This will help inform the community about what the Athens nonprofit sector does and why its stability matters for the economic and social well-being of the community.
Data Use & Protection Explainer Video
Nonprofit Employee Benefits Study−+
Nonprofit Employee Benefits Study
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The Nonprofit Employee Benefits Study offers one of the clearest pictures to date of how Georgia nonprofits support their employees—and where gaps in pay, benefits, and workplace policies are shaping turnover and burnout. The first wave of the study, conducted in 2024, includes responses from 260 employees across 126 organizations and examines everything from health and retirement benefits to job satisfaction, burnout, and reasons employees consider leaving. The full report and presentation from the 2024 wave are available for download here on our website.
Building on this foundation, we are preparing to launch a second wave of the survey in early 2026. This next round will allow nonprofits and policymakers to track changes over time, understand emerging workforce pressures, and identify which interventions are making a real difference in recruitment, retention, and organizational well-being.
To deepen the quantitative findings, the Alliance has also been conducting a series of focus groups across the state to collect qualitative insights on employee benefits, burnout, and workplace experiences—both from nonprofit leaders and frontline employees. Sessions have already been held in Athens, Savannah, Moultrie, Tifton, and Dublin, with Atlanta planned next. These conversations surface lived experiences behind the numbers and help ensure that our recommendations reflect the realities of nonprofits of all sizes, missions, and regions.
Coordinated Support Study−+
Coordinated Support Study
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This study explores how Athens nonprofits understand and experience “service overlap,” moving beyond the common assumption that overlap automatically signals duplication or inefficiency. Through interviews with nonprofit leaders, the project investigates when overlap enhances client access, system resilience, and innovation—and when, instead, it creates friction or gaps. By focusing on lived experience and client impact, the study seeks to identify the conditions under which coordinated support strengthens the local nonprofit ecosystem and to surface practical strategies for enabling the “good kind” of overlap that improves outcomes, especially during crises or resource shortages.
Executive Director Salary Study−+
Executive Director Salary Study
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In response to requests by local Athens nonprofits at community meetings, the Alliance initiated a survey of Athens nonprofit executive directors. The resulting report, published in 2022, includes data from 41 nonprofits with data regarding the following:
topics:.
• broad organizational information about participating nonprofits.
• more specific organizational elements including worker classification and a budget breakdown.
• information about the executive directors, their salaries, benefits, and work experience.
• COVID-19’s impact on these nonprofit organizations, highlighting the differing financial, programmatic, and governance impacts of the pandemic.
The report was widely distributed in the Athens area to inform boards and executive directors of the range of compensation and benefits in the Athens area, inspire conversation for nonprofit leaders, and establish area standards for small and large organizations.
