Nonprofits like Solutions of North Texas (SONTX) play a crucial role in their communities, but you might be wondering, specifically, how nonprofits help communities that they’re a part of. In almost all cases, they’re providing services that people with financial constraints can’t get anywhere else.
By doing so, they’re usually helping people who would otherwise be completely out of options, but the impact of helping people like this is much bigger than you might think.
In this article, you’ll learn how nonprofits help communities by providing critical services for underserved populations, filling a gap in services, and enhancing communities in a wide variety of ways.
Making Communities Safer and Providing Essential Services that Would Otherwise Be Out of Reach
Nonprofits play a crucial role in making the communities they’re embedded in safer, providing critical services that aren’t available otherwise. These services are often completely out of reach for the populations they serve.
This can have a major impact on a community. We’re a perfect example of this—treatment for alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder is often very expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars for only 30 days of treatment (90 days of treatment is often seen as the bare minimum for success).
Even with insurance, treatment is simply out of reach for many people. Keep in mind that many people who suffer from these diseases don’t have tens of thousands of dollars lying around for treatment—many don’t even have insurance thanks to job loss, homelessness, and other issues that often coincide with addiction.
For many of our clients, the alternative to our services is living on the streets. Without treatment, their problems worsen, and usually, the police end up involved in some way. So now, instead of getting their life together, getting employed, and contributing to their community, they’ve become a burden on that community.
What we do at Solutions makes a difference for those individuals, helping them to become independent and self-sufficient, but it also makes a difference in the community at large. By reducing recidivism, unemployment, and crime directly, many nonprofits make their communities safer and healthier places to live.
Embracing a “Second Chance” Mentality
Nonprofits often embody a “second chance” mentality, providing opportunities for individuals who have faced significant hardships. This approach is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to rebuild their lives and contribute positively to society.
Many of the people who come through Solutions are seen as “beyond help.” The vast majority have been to jail or prison at least once, and they often struggle to find work as a result. On top of this, many have been abandoned by their families and friends because of their behavior when drinking or using.
This is a very dark place for a person to find themselves, and there often seems (in their minds) to be no point in moving forward. This desperation can be a catalyst for change in their lives, but they can’t do it alone—they need help.
Without help, they’re certain to continue down the path they’re on. While it’s understandable why many people in their lives have given up on them, Solutions believes in second chances, and most nonprofits can say the same. This is how nonprofits help communities: they help people who are finally ready to receive that help.
Over and over again, we have seen people get their lives in order and become positive, functional, contributing members of society thanks to the help they received at Solutions. Without this, our Denton, TX community would directly suffer as these individuals would return to a life of crime (or worse).
How Nonprofits Help Communities: Providing Specialized Support That’s Hard to Find Elsewhere
Many nonprofits focus on providing specialized support that is not widely available. For example, organizations dedicated to specific health conditions, such as rare diseases or mental health issues, offer resources and support that might not be accessible through mainstream healthcare providers. By filling these niches, nonprofits ensure that individuals receive the care and support they need.
For example, mental health care is much more difficult to access than most people realize. Even for people who have a decent income and health insurance, it can sometimes take months to schedule an appointment with a reputable psychiatrist or therapist.
For someone suffering from severe depression, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder, that’s often far too late. Sometimes waiting even a week is too late.
Almost all alcohol and drug treatment centers will recommend evidence-based treatments that help with mental health issues, but actually accessing them can be difficult at best. At Solutions, we’ve integrated these treatments into our program and are able to provide them at a significant cost reduction compared to for-profit entities.
This is common in the nonprofit sector. For many people who suffer from rare or difficult diseases, there may not be much money to be made by treating them, or the amount of work required to serve a small population may be seen as too difficult or burdensome.
Many rare diseases are completely overlooked by all but the nonprofit sector solely because so few people have them—there’s not a large enough population to make money off of.
While this is unfortunate, that’s the nature of business. We can’t change that, but nonprofits can step up to help in ways that businesses can’t or won’t. This fills a critical gap in services for many different populations. Without nonprofits, millions of people would fall through the cracks.
Building a Future, Not a Profit, Thanks to Passionate Individuals
Unlike for-profit organizations, nonprofits are driven by a mission to serve the community rather than generate profit. This focus on future-building ensures that their efforts are aligned with the long-term needs and aspirations of the populations they serve.
The heart of any nonprofit organization is its people. Nonprofits are typically staffed by passionate individuals who are deeply committed to making a difference. This dedication is evident in the tireless efforts of staff and volunteers who work to advance their organization’s mission.
Because money is secondary at most nonprofits, you tend to find that the people who work at them really care. They’re focused both on the problems of today and the future they’re trying to build. They’re not going to give up on their mission just because it’s not generating a profit, which is what businesses basically have to do or risk failure.
The only way this is possible is because of generation donations from people just like you. When you donate, you ensure the people who really care are able to do the work they’re doing that’s ultimately vital not just to the people they serve but to the communities they’re in.
Donate to Solutions of North Texas Today
Nonprofits are vital to the health and well-being of communities. They provide essential services, offer second chances, and fill critical service gaps. Through their impactful efforts, nonprofits make your community a safer, healthier place to live in.