Kimberly Genereaux's outlook was bleak when she moved to Coeur d'Alene two years ago, she said, homeless and a drug addict.

Then she entered a St. Vincent de Paul program, and things started to change.

The nonprofit offered Genereaux housing and employment, even a case manager to help her save for a deposit on her own Coeur d'Alene apartment.

"They make sure you're not going to end up back on the streets," Genereaux said.

Now two years clean, the 54-year-old pays her own rent. She earns a steady paycheck as cleaning crew supervisor for SVDP.

For the first time in a while, she said, she is paying for her own way in life.

"It's just the most awesome feeling. I just dug down deep and knew I could do it," Genereaux said. "I told (SVDP) I was going to be a success story for them, and I meant it."

No one can say nonprofits aren't kicking in their share.

Despite the hits that Idaho's nonprofits have taken in the economy, they are still providing significant economic impact, according to statistics released by Idaho Nonprofit Center this week.

"I believe they really can be good partners to business and government partners to drive the economic development of a region," said Lynn Hoffman, INC executive director.

According to an INC-commissioned study of 3,200 of Idaho's 4,800 nonprofits, the charities employ 48,700 people. Nonprofits also contribute nearly 6 percent of the gross state product, and have brought in nearly $2 billion in out-of-state resources, like grants.

Kootenai County has 651 nonprofits. The 454 that participated in the study have collective operating budgets of $119 million, or 3 percent of the state total.

Although the extent of a nonprofit's influence depends on its function, said regional economist Alivia Metts, she acknowledged many charities in the area are vital.

"The most profound impact to keep in mind, though, is that a healthy community provides a more productive workforce," Metts said.

Charities in the county stimulate the economy by improving the area and people's lives, Hoffman said, which attracts business and adds to the workforce.

"I was really concerned two years ago we would see a lot of (nonprofit) closures," said Hoffman, adding that numbers aren't available of local nonprofits' total employees. "But our organizations have become extraordinarily resourceful."

Stepping Up

Local nonprofits' economic impact has been dramatic as they stepped up assistance during the recession, said Jeff Conroy, executive director at St. Vincent de Paul.

"When state agencies are being cut, reliance on the nonprofits is becoming more and more," Conroy said.

In the past few years, SVDP shelters and programs have been picking up the slack when Health and Welfare axed its funding, he explained.

"Especially people with mental illness," Conroy said. "We're seeing more and more (program participants) with severe mental illnesses."

His group is an economic driver on its own, employing 85 and operating on a $4 million budget. The nonprofit boasts $3 million in grants and subsidies.

On top of that, the nonprofit provides struggling individuals with clothes for job interviews. It offers job training and low-income housing, as well as a program to help veterans find work.

"The programs are working," Conroy said. "For the third year in a row, the Point In Time count is showing a decline in homelessness, which is fantastic."

The only hiccup, he said, is that a large chunk of SVDP's grant dollars are on the brink of expiring.

With donations harder to snag, the nonprofit has had to be creative in partnering with other nonprofits, Conroy said. Like at the HELP center, where collaborating organizations converge to offer services to the low income and homeless.

"Everybody's stretching their dollar by collaborating," Conroy said. "We're not immune to the recession, but what we're trying to do is find a way to be fiscally responsible with the dollars that are given to us."

Making It Work

That can be tricky, when scant dollars are available.

When Family Promise of North Idaho took a several-month hiatus last year due to lack of funds, it was, in a word, "terrible," said Executive Director Cindy Wood.

"Here we are, this network that is here to help people, and we couldn't help people," she said.

But the nonprofit has rebounded, she said, thanks to a renewed focus on fundraising and volunteerism.

In spite of setbacks, the small nonprofit still provides an economic boost by grooming families to be self-sustaining, Wood said.

Since the charity reopened in November, she said, hundreds of volunteers have helped shelter and feed seven homeless families.

With an 80 percent success rate in finding those families jobs and homes, she said, that puts more money into their pockets that will filter through local businesses.

"The impact is huge, especially on the families that we provide direct services for," said Wood, who preferred not to discuss the nonprofit's operating budget.

The group also provides the families' children with rides to school, she said, promoting an educated workforce.

"That in itself, keeping kids in school is a huge economic impact toward the future," she said.

Providing the Basics

The Fresh Start homeless drop-in center also took a hit last year, said Director Howard Martinson, with a $12,000 loss from dwindling grants and donations.

The nonprofit held on by dipping into its rainy day reserves, Martinson said, still managing to provide roughly 1,000 clients with food, laundry, showers and Internet access.

"We're doing much better (this year)," Martinson said. "We still have more and more people all the time, but we're keeping up and operating within our budget."

The efforts haven't been in vain. Martinson said that he hears about Fresh Start's homeless clients finding work "several times a week," especially when the weather is fair.

Fresh Start plays a role in that success, he said, as the nonprofit provides a mailing address and telephone number for potential workers to use. Clients rely on Fresh Start's computers to troll websites for job listings, and the nonprofit's laundry facilities help with fresh clothes for interviews and work days.

"We have been helping people transition from non-productive members of our community to taxpayers," Martinson said. "Folks who can stand on their own two feet and become economically self sufficient."

Cost of Living

Other nonprofits boost economic health in a more literal way.

That is, relieving the burden of health care costs.

Dirne Community Health Center tallied nearly 11,500 patients in 2011 who took advantage of its sliding fee scale for the low-income and uninsured.

Patients pay a minimum $25 for counseling or medical services, and $50 for dental.

"People want to make sure they have a hospital and access to local clinics," said CEO Mike Baker, adding that Dirne's health care access likely attracts new residents. "We're coming a long ways to say, 'You can get great health care here.'"

On top of employing 60 staff members itself, Dirne also helps small businesses provide health care for employees, Baker said. Dirne's new Everyday Wellness Plan covers basic care at a low rate, with a family of four paying under $150 a month.

"We said we needed to do something for people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to purchase insurance," Baker said. "Which is a lot of people in the community."

Some can't even afford that, which is where other nonprofits contribute.

The United Way of Kootenai County recently partnered with Dirne to cover patients' co-pay with a $30,000 grant.

"Even that $25 can be a barrier for some to seek medical services," wrote Caryl Johnston, United Way executive director, in an email.

Her nonprofit, which employs three and has an operating budget of $550,000, also partnered with several organizations like Dirne to offer a free health day at the fairgrounds on June 9.

A $25,000 grant has hired a coordinator to connect uninsured participants with a medical provider.

All of this prevents uninsured individuals from delaying on doctor visits, Johnston said, which can lead to a worsening condition, inability to hold a job and a more expensive medical bill in the end.

"Many people who do not have access to primary healthcare will find themselves in the emergency room, or hospitalized, for conditions that could have been treated simply," Johnston said. "This translates to higher medical costs that could have been avoided, and an individual with more comprised health and quality of life."

Two Roles

Johnston reminded that the local nonprofits United Way invests in, like United Way itself, must operate like a business without the aim of making money.

"We invest in local programs that will not only help people today with food and shelter and basic needs," she stated. "We are also investing in our children, making sure they are safe and nurtured, ready to learn, do well in school and graduate on time. We are investing in programs that help people get out of poverty, and to be independent."

Their success, she noted, is measured by the area's quality of life.

"(Nonprofits) are an important thread in our local economy," Johnston stated.