Upcopming Economic Census is vital for nonprofit sector

In 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau counted 2,104 federal tax-exempt business establishments in Hawai‘i that had combined revenues of $3.8 billion, annual payrolls that totaled $1.5 billion and employed 48,506 people. That’s a lot of political and economic clout.

Those numbers from five years ago are impressive, but unfortunately they are the latest figures we have. The state compiles more current employment figures for a long list of industries, but not for the nonprofit sector as a whole. The federal Economic Census, however, does include a category for tax-exempt organizations. This month, the Census Bureau will begin surveying employees, revenues and payrolls and it’s important for nonprofits to stand up and be counted.

According to the U.S. Census, in December, more than 4 million American businesses, including 21,000 businesses in Hawaii, will receive 2007 Economic Census forms. Responses to the questionnaire are required by law and are to be returned by Feb. 12.

The Economic Census develops a comprehensive portrait of American business every five years, from the national to the local level. Timely and accurate data are vital to effective public policy and important to your organization. To learn what the 2002 Economic Census found about Hawaii, see http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/data/hi/HI000.HTM.

There is a special web page at http://business.census.gov with information about the Economic Census and statistics nonprofits can use to assess and grow their business operations. For more information about the 2007 Economic Census contact Robert Marske, Laurie Torene, or Paul Zeisset at (877) 790-1876, or econ2007@census.gov.