The NonProfit Times - December 15, 2008 - (Page 16) Atlanta officials gave the American Cancer Society a variance so it could build one story taller, six stories total, than permitted in a section of the city. Atlanta Luring Major Charities International airport, educated workforce, comparative costs are cited BY NATALIE GHIDOTTI ome are dubbing it the new nonprofit Mecca, and Atlanta’s civic leaders are just fine with that label. Atlanta has always been a draw for nonprofits.There are 7,500 nonprofits in the metro Atlanta area, according to the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. And during the past 15 years a number of national nonprofits moved headquarters operations to the city. Points of Light & Hands On Network announced at the end of January that the newly merged organization would locate its headquarters in Atlanta, the original home of the Hands On Network. Habitat for Humanity International, which has always been based in Americus, Ga., about three hours south of Atlanta, announced in 2006 that the nonprofit would move its administrative headquarters to the big city. Other mega nonprofits have made their home in Atlanta for years: the Arthritis Foundation moved to Atlanta in 1977, the American Cancer Society in 1987, CARE in 1993 and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 1994. “Clearly, Washington (D.C.) has been headquarters for many.But to see other national nonprofits making their home here in Atlanta -- that made it a logical opportunity for us,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO of the Points of Light & Hands On Network, of the organization’s recent decision to operate the merged staff in Atlanta -- Points of Light had been in Washington, D.C. City representatives and non- Originally Originally published published 1/1/08 1/1/08 gets a nine from Sperling’s. Greg Donaldson, national vice president for corporate communications with the American Cancer Society, said the crime rates were considered a wash compared to the many benefits of moving from New York City to Atlanta during the late 1980s. “The key criteria were that the city chosen have a more central location within the continental United States and that it have top-tier air service,” Donaldson said.“In Atlanta's case, the city fathers also put together an incentive package that sealed the deal; just as they did when we recently relocated to downtown Atlanta.” The city has been hard at work attempting to change the perception of Atlanta’s downtown crime “problem,” said Richard Orr, senior project manager for communications & membership for the Central Atlanta Progress Inc. “With all the convention and sports traffic, downtown has more than half of the population of the city here on any given day. And with that, we still only make up 4.6 percent of the city’s crime.” Atlanta’s crime rates have improved during the past 15 years but are still not as low as other metropolitan areas. According to Money magazine, which annually ranks the “Best nearby – including Emory University, University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Kennesaw University, Morehouse College, Georgia Institute of Technology and others – the city of Atlanta boasts a ready and willing workforce, said Nancy Longacre, vice president of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits.Three of these universities – Kennesaw, University of Georgia and Georgia State – offer nonprofit management degrees, which greatly helps area organizations in finding qualified candidates. “These programs help build a pipeline for recruitment,” she said.“If you need an intern or a young entrylevel person,the pipeline is always full.” With the highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country (13 global headquarters in the city), Atlanta has ready access to not only C-level executives but also an experienced support staff, Gant said.“There’s no doubt the talent many of these nonprofits are seeking is right here.” Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, said the talent pool was one of the deciding factors when the nonprofit moved from New York City to Atlanta in 1987.The organization only took about 23 percent of its workforce with it during the move, Kings Of The Hill Of the organizations listed in the 2007 NPT Top 100 Largest Nonprofits, Atlanta ranked fifth, with four of the nation’s largest groups either already there or moving major operations to the city. Even though there are 7,500 nonprofits in the metro Atlanta area, according to the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, The Big Apple still reigned supreme. New York City metro Washington, D.C. metro Chicago metro Colorado Springs Atlanta Boston Dallas metro 24 21 6 5 4 3 3 so hiring new staff was a major push once new roots were established. DOLLARS & CENTS Of course, economics plays a major role in any decision to move headquarters, particularly cost of living. Seffrin said it was often hard to attract employees to the New York area because of the high cost of living and that’s not the case with Atlanta. “You can find other low-cost locations but none that are close to a major airport,” said Charles Whatley, director of commerce and entrepreneurship at the Atlanta Development Authority. “We’ve got the big-city appeal with lower costs.” Gant said that in any given year, three to four nonprofits are looking to relocate headquarters to Atlanta. Most are comparing the city to other popular headquarter cities, such as Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C. He said the growth of nonprofits in the area definitely helps “sell” the city. “That’s their first question: what other nonprofits are in the area? They want to be able to learn from and leverage the experience of other nonprofits.” S profit executives who have made the move to Atlanta list many of the same reasons for the attraction. The highest on the list was quick and easy access to the country’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. For those nonprofits doing global business, access to direct flights to Europe, South America and Asia was cited as a motivation to move. “Ten years ago, the airport offered only a handful of direct flights to Latin America,” said Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.“Now, there are more than 35 direct flights to that area. And the direct flights to Africa have really picked up during the past two years. Nonprofits can now reach their constituents anywhere in the world quickly.That’s a huge perk.” Duane Bates, director of public and media relations for Habitat for Humanity International, agreed that Atlanta as a transportation hub is a huge selling point for national nonprofits. “We have established offices around the world. Having immediate access to such a large airport allows us to facilitate meetings with those offices much more efficiently and economically.” Atlanta’s crime issues, which according to Sperling’s Best Places outpaced New York City’s, haven’t detracted nonprofits from seeking out the Southern city. For example, on a scale of one to 10 for violent crime, New York City rates a six while Atlanta Places to Live,” Atlanta’s personal and property crime incidents in 2006 were 376 per 1,000 compared to New York City (89), Chicago (176), Dallas (257) and Washington, D.C. (171). SMART CITY While trying to downplay high crime rates, city officials instead tout Atlanta’s positive attributes, including an educated and skilled workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Atlanta ranks No. 7 when it comes to the “smartest” cities in America. More than 44 percent of the city’s residents 25 and older hold bachelor’s degrees. And according to a study released in 2006 by Portland, Ore., economist Joe Cortright of Impresa Consulting, metro Atlanta is winning the war on attracting the coveted “Young and Restless” educated 25- to 34-year-old population.The study found that from 1990 to 2000, Atlanta increased its young adult population 46 percent, which was faster than any of the top 20 most populous metropolitan areas in the country. With numerous top universities DECEMBER 15, 2008 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com http://www.nptimes.com
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