As Health-Care Costs Rise, Mich. Charities Worry About Losing Top Workers

Like other charities across the country, Michigan nonprofit groups are concerned they will lose talented employees if they have to scale back their health coverage because of rising costs, according to a new survey.

The survey released last week by the Michigan Nonprofit Association and the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University found that nine out of 10 charity leaders say they are concerned about their ability to maintain health-care benefits for their workers.

Ninety-five percent of the 125 groups surveyed said they were worried that their employees would seek jobs elsewhere if their benefits were cut.

More than 80 percent of charities that did not provide coverage to all their staff members cited high costs as the main reason.

Eighty-three percent of groups based in Southeast Michigan cited Congress’s efforts to overhaul health care as “very important.”