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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; The state of nonprofit organizations in the region is a key indicator of regional civic engagement and community ties.
				That comes from the 2020 Indicators Report compiled by the The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development at Wilkes University. 
				Teri Ooms, executive director at The Institute, said the Civic Engagement section of The Institute&rsquo;s Indicators Report identifies important indicators in Lackawanna County, Luzerne County, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania &mdash; including non-profit organizations, library circulation, voter turnout, and veterans living in the region.
				Ooms said The Institute calculated statistics on non-profit organizations from the IRS Master File, accessed through the Urban Institute&rsquo;s National Center for Charitable Statistics.
				She said the number of non-profits in the region increased slightly in 2019 following a decline the previous year, but remains lower than it was in 2017. There were 2,095 tax-exempt organizations in the region as of 2019.
				&ldquo;The section on civic engagement is more relevant than ever,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Over the past few months, social service organizations/non-profits have been front line providers of a variety of social, health, education, and recreational services that individuals need.&rdquo;
				Additionally, Ooms said libraries have become a community asset for a number of products and services that have elevated their importance in the region.
				&ldquo;These organizations span a variety of activity areas, including arts, culture and humanities, education, environment, health, human services, and religion,&rdquo; said Andrew Chew, Senior Research & Policy Analyst at The Institute. &ldquo;Health organizations have grown in number in both counties since 2017.&rdquo;
				Chew said libraries are non-profit organizations that serve a particularly important role in the community. Additionally, he said library data is useful in determining the availability and utilization of resources.
				The numbers of libraries &mdash; both statewide and regionally &mdash; remain at the same levels as previous years. In 2017, there were decreases in total circulation and circulation per capita statewide and in Lackawanna County, while slight increases were observed in Luzerne County.
				Chew said recent declines in statewide circulation may reflect shifts in the role that libraries play in communities, with less emphasis on lending of physical items and increased focus on areas such as arts and culture, children&rsquo;s programming, and technology services.
				In the most recent data, the total number of registered patrons fell in Lackawanna County and Pennsylvania. Data for Luzerne County was not available for inclusion in this year&rsquo;s report.
				&ldquo;However, prior year&rsquo;s registrations show about 40 percent of Luzerne County residents are registered,&rdquo; Chew said.
				Voter turnout
				Chew said voter turnout is another important indicator of civic engagement.
				&ldquo;This report tracks the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the November election of each year, along with the voter turnout for those elections,&rdquo; Chew said. &ldquo;Voter turnout and the total number of registered voters have fluctuated statewide and regionally following the last presidential election in 2016.&rdquo;
				Chew said while voter registration has continued to decline in Lackawanna County since 2016, Luzerne County&rsquo;s 2019 voter registration rose to its highest level recorded since 2005.
				&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we can tolerate complacency when it comes to voting any more,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Regardless of party, voting is a necessity. The roles of all of the levels of government have become front and center over the past six months and as a result, more people now recognize the role each plays in our daily lives and it is incumbent upon to engage.&rdquo;
				In the 2019 local elections, Chew said both counties and the Commonwealth saw greater participation than in the previous local general election in 2017.
				&ldquo;Since this is a presidential election year, it would be normal to see a major increase in voter turnout,&rdquo; Chew said. &ldquo;The impact of COVID-19 has the ability to seriously affect voting, however increased opportunity to vote by mail should mitigate that and hopefully enhance voter participation.&rdquo;
				Chew added that convenience factors normally improve many factors.
				&ldquo;However mail in voting extends beyond convenience this year &mdash; it is a public health necessity,&rdquo; Chew said.
				Caring for veterans
				Chew said the number of military veterans in a community can be telling of the community&rsquo;s success in caring for veterans and making them feel comfortable.
				Additionally, measuring the veteran population demonstrates the need for social services, health care, and housing directed toward their unique needs.
				&ldquo;The region remains home to a slightly larger percentage of military veterans than the Commonwealth as a whole,&rdquo; Chew said. &ldquo;In both counties and statewide, over half of veterans are age 65 or older.&rdquo;

Report: Civic engagement more important than ever for the region