When Focus on the Family laid off 79 employees last month, its leaders framed the move as both a cost-cutting measure and a refocusing of resources. Most businesses describe cost-cutting moves with similar language. But Focus is no ordinary business; it’s a charity that doles out loads of books, radio programs and family advice from its Colorado Springs headquarters — much of it available at little or no cost. The layoffs underlined the fact that, for faith-based nonprofits such as Focus, Christian charity is balanced by the bottom line.
Religion is big business in Colorado Springs, and business is booming. More than 80 national Christian nonprofit organizations with combined revenue of nearly $1 billion make their headquarters in El Paso County. Most have gone through a run of long-term growth; Focus, despite its layoffs, expects to grow to $151.5 million in revenue by 2006.