Nonprofit Leaders Raise Their Voices

During the past two months, Arizona’s nonprofit leaders raised their voices. Don’t misunderstand me: they were civil, they were respectful, and they were doing nothing more than speaking for their communities. But also make no mistake: they spoke with one voice very loudly.

The subject was individual donations to nonprofits and the proposals circulating in Washington D.C. that would reduce the incentive for individuals to make those donations. More than 80% of all donations to nonprofits are given by individuals. We know that those individuals, while motivated by a passion for the causes we pursue, still consider the tax benefits of making contributions to charitable nonprofits. If Congress were to limit or eliminate those benefits, we can be certain that nonprofits will raise less money.

Who would be hurt most if Congress shatters the incentive to make donations? The people and communities served by nonprofits. That includes these people:

• The hard-working Americans who visited nonprofit housing agencies in the past three years to cope with foreclosure on their homes.
• The families who found themselves without a home and knocking on the door of a homeless shelter for the first time in their lives.
• The children in after-school and summer school programs who need the boost from these nonprofits which support the educational goals of schools after the final school bell rings.
• The individuals coping with behavioral health issues who need a counselor when life throws them a curve ball.

These Americans comprise just some of the faces of our nonprofits. It is not all about the “brand” of our organization. It is about the people we serve.

And if we are true leaders, we stand up for those we serve. We stand up for our communities.

That is exactly what 258 nonprofits in Arizona did this fall. At the Alliance, we applaud the vigor with which nonprofits defended their need for resources to meet the large and growing issues facing our communities. When these 258 nonprofits added their names to the national letter urging Congress to protect the charitable giving incentive, they were acting as leaders.

These are leaders who raised their voices. And collectively, they spoke with one voice. They spoke up for the communities they serve. And that is why I say that they raised their voices. They lifted up their voices because of their passion for the people who need our nonprofits to remain strong.

The failure of the super-committee in Congress to finalize a deficit reduction plan last week gave us a moment to pause and reflect on this leadership. And this essay creates just that moment to celebrate the many nonprofits which stood up and participated in our campaign.

But the moment is short. We have not heard the end of this issue in Congress. And we may face similar challenges to the charitable giving incentive for individuals on their state income taxes in Arizona. (Stay tuned for that in January.) Furthermore, other threats loom in state legislatures and city halls – proposals in other states to eliminate tax exemptions for nonprofits or charge high fees that have the same effect. We must be vigilant in case these threats show up in Arizona.

So I ask you to help us celebrate the leaders in our nonprofit community. I ask you to applaud with us the way in which they spoke loudly for the people they serve. But then I ask you to clear your throats and prepare to raise your voices with us again in 2012.

These times require bold leaders who stand up for what they believe.

It’s Time to Voter-ize the Nonprofit Community

As autumn leaves fall (well, somewhere they do, not in Phoenix), we get ever closer to one of those benchmark years in the USA: election year. We hold elections across the country at various times, but there is nothing like a presidential election year to highlight our political lives in sharp relief.

For many, the 2012 election appears to be fateful. At the national level, the public mood is surly for many reasons, and people believe that the decisions we make about President and Congress could determine whether the nation truly begins digging out of its economic funk, or whether the walls come tumbling down on the American experiment.

In Arizona, while we do not have an election for our statewide officials, every member of the State Legislature is on the ballot (as they are every two years), they will be running in new districts drawn by our Independent Redistricting Commission, and we could be facing ballot initiatives that address important public policy and election reforms.

So, in a year like 2012, every American should be informed and engaged. It is every American citizen’s right to vote. More than that, it is their responsibility. And more than that, their country needs them to be engaged more than ever.

That brings us to our nonprofit community. For too many years, most nonprofits have not seized the opportunity presented by elections to shape the communities they serve. For some, they heed incorrect advice that they are not allowed to have ANYTHING to do with elections. For others who know better, they are fearful of the possible ramifications of donors withdrawing support or board members getting in the way of any electoral activity. And for most, it could just be an issue of time.

But sitting on the sidelines is a sure way to guarantee that the work of our nonprofit community – which by definition, is designed to serve the most important issues and needs in our neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, nation and even world – can continue to have the impact we desire. Public policy made by our elected officials has huge ramifications on our ability to serve our missions. And if we do not ensure that those elected officials are representative of the interests of our communities, then we are unlikely to benefit from public policy that is truly in the public interest.

And that is exactly what has been happening in Arizona for too long. Today’s state legislature does not reflect the goals of the citizens of Arizona. I’m not making that up. Look at The Arizona We Want, published by The Center for the Future of Arizona. This extremely thorough, accurate study tells us what the PEOPLE of Arizona want to see in their state. And what they want is not reflected in the laws and policies being considered and adopted by our state legislature. And the people know that: The Arizona We Want poll tells us that only 10 percent believe elected officials in this state represent their best interests. Nine out of 10 people in Arizona believe our elected officials are out of touch.

So how do we change that? We change the people in elected office. How do we do that? Three steps:
1.We register to vote and help everyone we know register to vote.
2.We educate ourselves about the candidates running for office in BOTH the primary and general elections in 2012.
3.We vote and get everyone we know to follow all three of these steps as well.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. Being an engaged citizen can be very involved or very simple. At the most basic and simple level is voting.

So, what does this have to do with nonprofits? We are some of the most connected organizations around. We are full of staff, board members, volunteers, clients and community stakeholders who believe in what we do. If you put the numbers together of all of those stakeholders, we probably have much more than a majority of the PEOPLE of Arizona on our side.

So, if we turned those PEOPLE into VOTERS, we would have real power. If we could use our connections to 1) register, 2) inform, and 3) activate voters, we could be the most powerful political force in Arizona. But our power will not be partisan or narrowly based. Because we are so diverse and we are so comprehensive in the work we do, we could be the true force for public good that Arizona so badly needs.

That was the theme on Wednesday October 5, 2011 at this Disability Empowerment Center (good name, huh?), when more than 150 nonprofit leaders came together to learn how to “Reclaim Our Community’s Power.” They heard from keynote speaker Lindsey Hodel of Nonprofit VOTE, a national group leading the charge to involve nonprofits in voter engagement, about how we CAN exercise our collective muscle to change Arizona. And they heard Tim Schmaltz of Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition call them to action: the time is now!

But wait: are we allowed to do this? Yes we are! The resource book taken home by those 150 participants on Wednesday made very clear: voter registration and voter engagement is our right to exercise as nonprofits. We cannot endorse or oppose candidates or use our resources for the benefit of a candidate. But we can do anything we want, legally, to help people vote. If you want to know more about that, contact me at patrickm@arizonanonprofits.org – I can send you all the details.

So, our mandate is clear. As Lindsey Hodel told us, it’s time to “voter-ize” Arizona’s nonprofit community.

And the motivation to do this could not have been expressed any better than the quote shared by Phil Pangrazio of Arizona Bridge to Independent Living: “Vote as if your life depended upon it, because it does.”