Charities' Value to Economy: $9 Billion

The work of Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett and former president Bill Clinton, among others, has put the spotlight on philanthropy as never before, experts said.

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D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) said the report will help restore faith in area nonprofits after the 2003 scandal at the United Way of the National Capital Area. The organization, which raises millions of dollars for hundreds of local charities, was rocked by reports of questionable spending by top leaders, bloated overhead costs and other financial improprieties.

"A number of people walked away, and charitable giving really suffered for a period of time," said Gray, who has directed several local nonprofits. "So this is yet another opportunity to restore confidence and get people to reinvest or invest in the nonprofit community."

William Couper, mid-Atlantic president of Bank of America and a former United Way board chairman, said a measurement of nonprofits' economic impact helps validate the donations of corporate executives.

"It's something that we very much salute," Couper said. "We're bankers, after all."

But he said business leaders already appreciate the value of nonprofits.

"They take our charitable dollars, and they leverage those with other funders, government resources and, in many cases, volunteer labor," Couper said.

"So the sum total of all of that is way more than what we have committed to the marketplace, and it's addressing things that we think are very important."