Thanks to Rev. Gerald Britt, his public policy team and our many community partners!
Healthy food choices make our community stronger.
Showing posts with label non-profits and public policy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label non-profits and public policy. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2011
Big win for low income families, public health and Dallas Farmers Market
Thanks to Rev. Gerald Britt, his public policy team and our many community partners!
Healthy food choices make our community stronger.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Payday lenders strike back
The following news story in the aftermath of CitySquare's success in advocating for substantive changes in city ordinances regulating payday lending among poor, laboring communities.
The fight has just begun, or so it would appear!
Lawsuit Filed Over Dallas Payday, Title Loan Rules
By Ken Kalthoff
Friday, Jul 15, 2011
A trade group representing payday and car title loan stores filed a lawsuit Friday to block regulations approved by the city of Dallas in June.
The Consumer Service Alliance of Texas claims the city rules violate state law and improperly restrict loan choices that should remain available to customers.
"We have no other option but to sue the city of Dallas to protect the interests of North Texas consumers who are best served when they are given a variety of realistic credit options and trusted to make financial decisions based on what's best for them and their families," CSAT President Alex Vaughn said in a press release.
The Dallas City Council approved the rules June 22 after the Texas Legislature decided against statewide restrictions on the high interest and fees the stores charge. "They chose to take a very limited action, and we chose to do the most we can at our city level," Councilman Jerry Allen said when the city rules were
approved.
Allen, a former banker, testified in favor of stronger payday loan regulations at hearings on the proposed state law in Austin this year. When drafting the Dallas ordinance, city lawyers decided restrictions on the
amount of interest rates and fees could only be determined by the state.
But Dallas did require lenders to set up payment plans that actually reduce the principal amount of the loan and not just roll over fees.
And the city rules also require registration and record-keeping on borrowers and lenders, which is similar to rules state lawmakers chose to impose statewide.
"This new, egregious Dallas ordinance conflicts with current law because it duplicates financial data collection requirements, limits access to credit for Dallas customers and restricts the terms under which loans may be
repaid," Vaughn said.
City officials could not be reached for comment late Friday, but Allen said in June that he expected a legal challenge and that the city's measure would survive.
"This is as strong a teeth that we can put into this, and it sends a message that we will not tolerate our citizens being taken advantage of," he said.
The fight has just begun, or so it would appear!
Lawsuit Filed Over Dallas Payday, Title Loan Rules
By Ken Kalthoff
Friday, Jul 15, 2011
A trade group representing payday and car title loan stores filed a lawsuit Friday to block regulations approved by the city of Dallas in June.
The Consumer Service Alliance of Texas claims the city rules violate state law and improperly restrict loan choices that should remain available to customers.
"We have no other option but to sue the city of Dallas to protect the interests of North Texas consumers who are best served when they are given a variety of realistic credit options and trusted to make financial decisions based on what's best for them and their families," CSAT President Alex Vaughn said in a press release.
The Dallas City Council approved the rules June 22 after the Texas Legislature decided against statewide restrictions on the high interest and fees the stores charge. "They chose to take a very limited action, and we chose to do the most we can at our city level," Councilman Jerry Allen said when the city rules were
approved.
Allen, a former banker, testified in favor of stronger payday loan regulations at hearings on the proposed state law in Austin this year. When drafting the Dallas ordinance, city lawyers decided restrictions on the
amount of interest rates and fees could only be determined by the state.
But Dallas did require lenders to set up payment plans that actually reduce the principal amount of the loan and not just roll over fees.
And the city rules also require registration and record-keeping on borrowers and lenders, which is similar to rules state lawmakers chose to impose statewide.
"This new, egregious Dallas ordinance conflicts with current law because it duplicates financial data collection requirements, limits access to credit for Dallas customers and restricts the terms under which loans may be
repaid," Vaughn said.
City officials could not be reached for comment late Friday, but Allen said in June that he expected a legal challenge and that the city's measure would survive.
"This is as strong a teeth that we can put into this, and it sends a message that we will not tolerate our citizens being taken advantage of," he said.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Tough news from The Nonprofit Quarterly:
The Other America’s Philanthropy: What Giving USA Numbers Reveal in 2011
June 20, 2011
Ruth McCambridge and Rick Cohen
As some readers will recall, “The Other America” was a study published in 1962 that was influential in informing social policy. It documented the extent of poverty in the United States – asserting that much of poverty was unacknowledged. Fast forward to 2011. Has a good part of philanthropy forgotten about poverty in this country right in the midst of the worst recession since the depression?
Last week the United Way of the Central Carolinas announced that it had withdrawn $2.5 million out of its $10 million in reserves to try to level fund community agencies struggling with increased need and reduced government contracts. Its fundraising had fallen $5 million short from the previous year.
Yet here comes the headline from this year’s Giving USA report on charitable giving: giving was up by 2.1 percent in 2010 over the previous year, indicating a rebound of charitable giving. We can either think of that United Way as a low performing anomaly or look deeper to understand why so many community organizations are still struggling.
Among fundraisers, there’s an ethic of not crying wolf, of seeing the positive even in the negatives, and assuming that the unending generosity of the American charitable donor will win out. But below the headline, the Giving USA numbers this year present an alarming picture for communities across the United States on any number of counts.
What we see in the Giving USA numbers is a still-depressed domestic giving scene. The 2.1 percent increase logged for 2010 estimated giving is an increase based on numbers for the previous two years that have been adjusted down. The adjusted cumulative decline in Giving for 2008 and 2009 was 13 percent so the 2.1 percent estimated increase brings giving to an 11 percent decline from pre-recession highs.
This decline, as we suggested last year, has not been evenly distributed. What is most obvious in this year’s numbers is a significant disinvestment in people in need on the domestic front. As we understand the numbers, the subsector that took the biggest hit in terms of decreased dollars was human services at a 5.6 percent decline in inflation adjusted numbers last year alone. While at first glance, the category appears to have remained stable, Patrick Rooney, of the Center on Philanthropy where the Giving USA number are crunched, says that 75 percent of the relief giving from this country to Haiti last year went as grants and contributions to domestic human service agencies. Backing that amount out results in the 5.6 percent drop.
The giving that is documented is increasingly not in the form of immediately spendable dollars. It includes gifts to foundations that keep increasing even while foundation grantmaking remains distinctly pallid. Additionally, grantmaking from corporations, reported to be skyrocketing here, is increasingly in the form of in-kind products, particularly from pharmaceutical companies. Some link this largess to attempts to get rid of excess inventory but major corporate cash givers to human services such as the financial sector and retail have been declining.
What the Giving USA numbers suggest is not only a crisis of declining charitable giving reaching human services or social safety net groups, but a class divide where the groups that do well in charitable solicitations are those with connections, with the social class interrelationships that give them automatic access. Meanwhile, charitable giving for human services is very much the province of the less moneyed donors, the payroll deduction donors, the people who volunteer at the shelter or food pantry or clinic because they know the tangible importance of those institutions to their communities.
NPQ believes that there is a class divide in our society, and it is reflected in a class divide in charitable giving and in the nonprofit sector. Just as corporate CEO compensation is now back at pre-recession levels even while joblessness persists, the needs of the poor and of the organizations that serve the poor have virtually disappeared from political discourse and from the priority lists of philanthropy. And the incentives -- bequests, IRA rollovers, etc. -- flow toward the institutions with the fundraising infrastructures and the social connections to major donors.
Is it time to rethink the incentives built into our charitable giving structure, where a donation to a sector or institution serving primarily the affluent, is treated identically to a donation meeting the safety net needs of the poor? If we do not rethink the current structures, the creeping and deepening class divide in our society and in the nonprofit sector will only persist.
To read the entire important report click here.
The Other America’s Philanthropy: What Giving USA Numbers Reveal in 2011
June 20, 2011
Ruth McCambridge and Rick Cohen
As some readers will recall, “The Other America” was a study published in 1962 that was influential in informing social policy. It documented the extent of poverty in the United States – asserting that much of poverty was unacknowledged. Fast forward to 2011. Has a good part of philanthropy forgotten about poverty in this country right in the midst of the worst recession since the depression?
Last week the United Way of the Central Carolinas announced that it had withdrawn $2.5 million out of its $10 million in reserves to try to level fund community agencies struggling with increased need and reduced government contracts. Its fundraising had fallen $5 million short from the previous year.
Yet here comes the headline from this year’s Giving USA report on charitable giving: giving was up by 2.1 percent in 2010 over the previous year, indicating a rebound of charitable giving. We can either think of that United Way as a low performing anomaly or look deeper to understand why so many community organizations are still struggling.
Among fundraisers, there’s an ethic of not crying wolf, of seeing the positive even in the negatives, and assuming that the unending generosity of the American charitable donor will win out. But below the headline, the Giving USA numbers this year present an alarming picture for communities across the United States on any number of counts.
What we see in the Giving USA numbers is a still-depressed domestic giving scene. The 2.1 percent increase logged for 2010 estimated giving is an increase based on numbers for the previous two years that have been adjusted down. The adjusted cumulative decline in Giving for 2008 and 2009 was 13 percent so the 2.1 percent estimated increase brings giving to an 11 percent decline from pre-recession highs.
This decline, as we suggested last year, has not been evenly distributed. What is most obvious in this year’s numbers is a significant disinvestment in people in need on the domestic front. As we understand the numbers, the subsector that took the biggest hit in terms of decreased dollars was human services at a 5.6 percent decline in inflation adjusted numbers last year alone. While at first glance, the category appears to have remained stable, Patrick Rooney, of the Center on Philanthropy where the Giving USA number are crunched, says that 75 percent of the relief giving from this country to Haiti last year went as grants and contributions to domestic human service agencies. Backing that amount out results in the 5.6 percent drop.
The giving that is documented is increasingly not in the form of immediately spendable dollars. It includes gifts to foundations that keep increasing even while foundation grantmaking remains distinctly pallid. Additionally, grantmaking from corporations, reported to be skyrocketing here, is increasingly in the form of in-kind products, particularly from pharmaceutical companies. Some link this largess to attempts to get rid of excess inventory but major corporate cash givers to human services such as the financial sector and retail have been declining.
What the Giving USA numbers suggest is not only a crisis of declining charitable giving reaching human services or social safety net groups, but a class divide where the groups that do well in charitable solicitations are those with connections, with the social class interrelationships that give them automatic access. Meanwhile, charitable giving for human services is very much the province of the less moneyed donors, the payroll deduction donors, the people who volunteer at the shelter or food pantry or clinic because they know the tangible importance of those institutions to their communities.
NPQ believes that there is a class divide in our society, and it is reflected in a class divide in charitable giving and in the nonprofit sector. Just as corporate CEO compensation is now back at pre-recession levels even while joblessness persists, the needs of the poor and of the organizations that serve the poor have virtually disappeared from political discourse and from the priority lists of philanthropy. And the incentives -- bequests, IRA rollovers, etc. -- flow toward the institutions with the fundraising infrastructures and the social connections to major donors.
Is it time to rethink the incentives built into our charitable giving structure, where a donation to a sector or institution serving primarily the affluent, is treated identically to a donation meeting the safety net needs of the poor? If we do not rethink the current structures, the creeping and deepening class divide in our society and in the nonprofit sector will only persist.
To read the entire important report click here.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Once proud vets. . . now homeless
James V. Carroll's article, "The Secretary's War on Homelessness," appearing in the August 2010 edition of The American Legion Magazine provides a useful overview of the current state of homeless persons who've served in the U. S. Military.
Veteran's Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki vows to end homelessness among vets within five years, a very ambitious goal. However, if the statistical trends reveal anything, there is reason to hope. In 2010 it is estimated that there are 107,000 homeless veterans in the U. S., down 18% from 2009 and down from an estimated 195,000 in 2004.
Shinseki will spend $3.2 billion during 2010 to continue to move the data in the right direction. Of his pumped up budget, $2.7 billion will go to medical services. Only $500 million will go to housing efforts, a mistake in my view. Medical costs could actually be contained and driven down by the provision of permanent supportive housing, much like exercise and diet programs can have more impact on a person's health status than clinical medical approaches to chronic diseases.
Consider these facts about U. S. Veterans who live on the streets of our nation:
Veteran's Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki vows to end homelessness among vets within five years, a very ambitious goal. However, if the statistical trends reveal anything, there is reason to hope. In 2010 it is estimated that there are 107,000 homeless veterans in the U. S., down 18% from 2009 and down from an estimated 195,000 in 2004.
Shinseki will spend $3.2 billion during 2010 to continue to move the data in the right direction. Of his pumped up budget, $2.7 billion will go to medical services. Only $500 million will go to housing efforts, a mistake in my view. Medical costs could actually be contained and driven down by the provision of permanent supportive housing, much like exercise and diet programs can have more impact on a person's health status than clinical medical approaches to chronic diseases.
Consider these facts about U. S. Veterans who live on the streets of our nation:
- 3% Homeless population who served in Iraq or Afghanistan
- 20% All homeless persons who served in military
- 33% Adult homeless men who served in military
- 550 Number of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have been treated in VA-connected residential programs
- 3,700 Number of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in VA homeless-outreach programs
- 56,000 Number of veterans released from prison each year
- 92,000 Number of homeless veterans served in 2009 by VA specialized homeless programs
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Summer Lunch Program
Judy Pasternak, a writer/reporter, published an insightful article with aolnews.com on the benefits and challenges of the Summer Lunch Program in the U. S.
It is definitely worth a read. Central Dallas Ministries' involvement with the lunch program over the past several years has placed us up close to the lives and struggles of very low-income children and families.
This summer, our Food on the Move initiative that teamed up with PepsiCo's Food for Good effort, CDM AmeriCorps and the Texas Department of Agriculture to feed over 16,000 children more than 500,000 meals at 209 locations in Dallas County--more than twice as many as last year. PepsiCo's mobile capacity allowed us to extend into areas where children live without the benefit of organized summer programs. Clearly, we were reaching some of the most hungry children in our community.
Record Number of US Kids Facing Summer of Hunger
AOL News WASHINGTON (June 16) -- With the school year ending in communities across America, more than 16 million children face a summer of hunger.
While classes were in session, they relied on free or discount cafeteria meals subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But they will not be reached by the patchwork summer food programs financed by the USDA, which feed fewer than one in five of the total number of kids poor enough to qualify.
The children caught in the gap will likely spend the next few months cadging leftovers from neighbors, chowing down on cheap junk, lining up with their families at food banks that are already overmatched or simply learning to live with a constant headache, growling stomach and chronic fatigue. When school rolls around again in the fall, they will be less healthy and less ready to learn than their peers.
To read the entire report click here.
It is definitely worth a read. Central Dallas Ministries' involvement with the lunch program over the past several years has placed us up close to the lives and struggles of very low-income children and families.
This summer, our Food on the Move initiative that teamed up with PepsiCo's Food for Good effort, CDM AmeriCorps and the Texas Department of Agriculture to feed over 16,000 children more than 500,000 meals at 209 locations in Dallas County--more than twice as many as last year. PepsiCo's mobile capacity allowed us to extend into areas where children live without the benefit of organized summer programs. Clearly, we were reaching some of the most hungry children in our community. Pasternak's report is revealing.
Record Number of US Kids Facing Summer of Hunger
AOL News WASHINGTON (June 16) -- With the school year ending in communities across America, more than 16 million children face a summer of hunger.
While classes were in session, they relied on free or discount cafeteria meals subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But they will not be reached by the patchwork summer food programs financed by the USDA, which feed fewer than one in five of the total number of kids poor enough to qualify.
The children caught in the gap will likely spend the next few months cadging leftovers from neighbors, chowing down on cheap junk, lining up with their families at food banks that are already overmatched or simply learning to live with a constant headache, growling stomach and chronic fatigue. When school rolls around again in the fall, they will be less healthy and less ready to learn than their peers.
To read the entire report click here.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Charity usually misses the most in need of it
The essay below appeared in the July 20, 2010 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. After you've read it, let me know what you think.
The Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge Won’t Do Much Good Unless It Changes Philanthropy
By Pablo Eisenberg
Most of the nonprofit world seems to be agog over the news that Bill and Melinda Gates, along with their friend Warren Buffett, are joining together to ask fellow billionaires to sign a pledge to give at least one-half of their fortunes to charity.
That could lead to an enormous increase in the amount of money available to nonprofit organizations. Fortune magazine estimates that if the people on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans all made the pledge, an additional $600-billion could flow to nonprofit groups—twice the amount Americans gave last year.
When will this money be distributed to charities? Mr. Buffett has said that he plans to give away 99 percent of his fortune while he is alive or at his death, and he has made clear in his gifts to the Gates Foundation that he wants the money to be distributed quickly rather than left to sit in the foundation’s coffers. But will other donors do the same, or will they put their money into foundations that give only a small percentage of their assets every year?
Who will provide the leadership to increase the quality of philanthropy, not just the amount of money given? So much of the giving wealthy donors and foundations now do is lackluster and does not involve risk taking or innovation. Nor does it seek to solve urgent public needs. Will the new pledges mean more of the same?
What steps will be taken to ensure public accountability? Will the funds that are steered into new or existing foundations follow the Gateses’ approach, namely grant-making institutions governed by a very few family members that, in a real sense, are not really publicly accountable? Do we want an explosion of these tax-exempt oligarchic entities with huge assets that can help set public priorities without public discussion or a political process? Would this be a healthy development for democracy? If not, what can be done to mitigate the potential undemocratic nature of these new mega-foundations?
Perhaps the most troubling issues posed by the Gates-Buffett crusade is its potential to intensify the inequities that exist both in the nonprofit world and in the rest of society.
Foundations, corporations, and other forms of institutional philanthropy tend to favor the nation’s most-privileged citizens and neglect the neediest people and organizations. An outsize share of the money from those institutions goes to established colleges, hospitals, and arts and cultural organizations. Only a small amount finds its way to organizations that serve vulnerable children, low-income people, minorities, women, the disabled, and other disadvantaged constituencies. A tiny portion of philanthropic money is channeled to groups that seek to influence public policies.
To read the entire article click here.
The Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge Won’t Do Much Good Unless It Changes Philanthropy
By Pablo Eisenberg
Most of the nonprofit world seems to be agog over the news that Bill and Melinda Gates, along with their friend Warren Buffett, are joining together to ask fellow billionaires to sign a pledge to give at least one-half of their fortunes to charity.
That could lead to an enormous increase in the amount of money available to nonprofit organizations. Fortune magazine estimates that if the people on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans all made the pledge, an additional $600-billion could flow to nonprofit groups—twice the amount Americans gave last year.
When will this money be distributed to charities? Mr. Buffett has said that he plans to give away 99 percent of his fortune while he is alive or at his death, and he has made clear in his gifts to the Gates Foundation that he wants the money to be distributed quickly rather than left to sit in the foundation’s coffers. But will other donors do the same, or will they put their money into foundations that give only a small percentage of their assets every year?
Who will provide the leadership to increase the quality of philanthropy, not just the amount of money given? So much of the giving wealthy donors and foundations now do is lackluster and does not involve risk taking or innovation. Nor does it seek to solve urgent public needs. Will the new pledges mean more of the same?
What steps will be taken to ensure public accountability? Will the funds that are steered into new or existing foundations follow the Gateses’ approach, namely grant-making institutions governed by a very few family members that, in a real sense, are not really publicly accountable? Do we want an explosion of these tax-exempt oligarchic entities with huge assets that can help set public priorities without public discussion or a political process? Would this be a healthy development for democracy? If not, what can be done to mitigate the potential undemocratic nature of these new mega-foundations?
Perhaps the most troubling issues posed by the Gates-Buffett crusade is its potential to intensify the inequities that exist both in the nonprofit world and in the rest of society.
Foundations, corporations, and other forms of institutional philanthropy tend to favor the nation’s most-privileged citizens and neglect the neediest people and organizations. An outsize share of the money from those institutions goes to established colleges, hospitals, and arts and cultural organizations. Only a small amount finds its way to organizations that serve vulnerable children, low-income people, minorities, women, the disabled, and other disadvantaged constituencies. A tiny portion of philanthropic money is channeled to groups that seek to influence public policies.
To read the entire article click here.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Arizona, Saturday's MegaMarch and my neighbors
I remember marching in the Palm Sunday demonstration in 2006 (see photo at left) when an estimated 500,000 walked peacefully through the streets of Downtown Dallas. We expect to witness a similar scene this Saturday.
Plan now to join us!
_________________________________
Quotes from media--Major Religious Groups Condemn Inhumane Anti-Immigrant Law in Arizona:
As AZ Bill is Signed into Law, Faith Community Urgently Calls for Comprehensive Reform
As Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signs into law today the most extreme anti-immigrant legislation in the country (SB-1070), the national and Arizona faith community are condemning it as an affront to moral conscience that will divide families and communities. The inhumane legislation demonstrates the urgent need for national political leadership to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Arizona Senate Bill 1070 tasks law enforcement with checking papers for anyone they suspect as undocumented and penalizes those who provide aid to illegal immigrants.
Below are statements on Arizona’s anti-immigrant bill from a dozen evangelical, mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish leaders representing millions of Americans:
Rev. Jan Flaaten, Executive Director, Arizona Ecumenical Council
"All the religious leaders of Arizona know and understand that this law will not solve the issue of crime along the border or in our state, but it will demonize anyone who looks suspiciously like an undocumented person leading to inevitable racial profiling. Our religious traditions ask us to treat people with dignity and respect, and we look for a more enlightened and hopeful way of working with the undocumented people who live along side us."
Bishop Minerva Carcaño, United Methodist Church, Desert Southwest Conference
“This bill does nothing to address any border security concerns. At our borders and in our congregations, schools, workplaces and service programs, we witness the human consequences of an inadequate, outdated system. The passage of SB1070 demonstrates why America needs Comprehensive Immigration Reform: frustration with our broken immigration system is driving Arizona to make inappropriate and self-defeating efforts in this area. We want our broken immigration system to be healed through a just transformation of the law at the appropriate federal level of jurisdiction, which makes it possible to meet the labor needs of American business while making our border secure.”
Peg Chemberlin, President, National Council of Churches
“Our current immigration system serves no one well: not those of us worried about our jobs and the future of our children, nor the businesses that need labor that complements our own skills, nor those who want a better life for themselves and for their children. But this Arizona law changes none of that, instead it heightens tensions, crosses constitutional boundaries, and will be intolerably costly. Comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level has never been more needed.”
Rev. Jim Wallis, President and CEO, Sojourners
“The law signed today by Arizona Gov. Brewer is a social and racial sin, and should be denounced as such by people of faith and conscience across the nation. It is not just about Arizona, but about all of us, and about what kind of country we want to be. It is not only mean-spirited – it will be ineffective and will only serve to further divide communities in Arizona, making everyone more fearful and less safe. This radical new measure, which crosses many moral and legal lines, is a clear demonstration of the fundamental mistake of separating enforcement from comprehensive immigration reform. Enforcement without reform of the system is merely cruel. Enforcement without compassion is immoral. Enforcement that breaks up families is unacceptable. This law will make it illegal to love your neighbor in Arizona, and will force us to disobey Jesus and his gospel. We will not comply.”
Friday, April 02, 2010
Lifting families from poverty. . .
The estimated "poverty line" (based on an antiquated index linked to the cost of food) for a family of four (4) is $21,946.
By applying the benefits of three very equitable, simple and efficient public support programs, such a family can be lifted above that crushing line.
Here's how.
One family member working at a minimum wage job earns $13,391, less payroll taxes--this assumes 2,000 hours of work per year.
By enrolling in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and including the child tax credit, this family rises to 105% ($23,043.30) of poverty and has a much better chance to move ahead.
Finding ways to enroll more families in SNAP is essential to loosening poverty's grip on family life.
The EITC rewards hard work and makes it possible for working families to advance.
A challenge we continue to address is certification difficulties and outreach to inform all who are eligible for the benefits.
Public programs and progressive public policy are essential if we are to achieve real, sustainable progress in overcoming poverty for 40 million Americans.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Advocacy and Non-Proifts
Interesting report from Philanthropy News Digest and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy on non-profit organizations and advocacy in the public sector. Important topic.
For sure, business as usual approaches no longer work.
As always, I'd love your feedback.
LA Nonprofits Involved in Advocacy Provide Significant Community Benefits, Report Finds
Between 2004 and 2008, Los Angeles County nonprofits engaged in advocacy and organizing generated nearly $7 billion in benefits for local residents, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds.
Based on a study of fifteen nonprofits in the county, the report, Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Los Angeles County (76 pages, PDF), found that every dollar foundations and other donors provided to community organizations engaged in advocacy and organizing generated $91 in benefits for the communities they serve. Over the five-year study period, those benefits included $2.6 billion in higher wages, $2.2 billion in healthcare savings, and more than $2 billion from the increased use of public transit, construction of new schools, and expanded affordable housing. The report also looked at non-monetized benefits provided by the groups, including the protection of voting rights, improved working conditions, and expanded service delivery to marginalized populations.
Based on the findings, the report recommends that foundations increase their support for advocacy and organizing, help educate donors about the benefits of advocacy funding, support effective collaboration among community organizations, collaborate with other grantmakers to leverage resources, and invest in the infrastructure and organizational capacity of grassroots organizations over sustained periods of time.
"While high-profile commentators decry 'community organizing,' this report clearly demonstrates that such activity delivers enormous benefits to communities," said NCRP executive director Aaron Dorfman. "On every issue of concern to residents of Los Angeles County, from clean air to immigration, from equality to education, foundation support for community-based activist organizations yields positive results. Foundation support turns indifference into democracy, and the benefits of a thriving democracy are indeed substantial."
“Nonprofits Bring Tremendous Benefits to Communities Through Citizen Involvement in Politics.” National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Press Release 3/02/10.
For sure, business as usual approaches no longer work.
As always, I'd love your feedback.
LA Nonprofits Involved in Advocacy Provide Significant Community Benefits, Report Finds
Between 2004 and 2008, Los Angeles County nonprofits engaged in advocacy and organizing generated nearly $7 billion in benefits for local residents, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds.
Based on a study of fifteen nonprofits in the county, the report, Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Los Angeles County (76 pages, PDF), found that every dollar foundations and other donors provided to community organizations engaged in advocacy and organizing generated $91 in benefits for the communities they serve. Over the five-year study period, those benefits included $2.6 billion in higher wages, $2.2 billion in healthcare savings, and more than $2 billion from the increased use of public transit, construction of new schools, and expanded affordable housing. The report also looked at non-monetized benefits provided by the groups, including the protection of voting rights, improved working conditions, and expanded service delivery to marginalized populations.
Based on the findings, the report recommends that foundations increase their support for advocacy and organizing, help educate donors about the benefits of advocacy funding, support effective collaboration among community organizations, collaborate with other grantmakers to leverage resources, and invest in the infrastructure and organizational capacity of grassroots organizations over sustained periods of time.
"While high-profile commentators decry 'community organizing,' this report clearly demonstrates that such activity delivers enormous benefits to communities," said NCRP executive director Aaron Dorfman. "On every issue of concern to residents of Los Angeles County, from clean air to immigration, from equality to education, foundation support for community-based activist organizations yields positive results. Foundation support turns indifference into democracy, and the benefits of a thriving democracy are indeed substantial."
“Nonprofits Bring Tremendous Benefits to Communities Through Citizen Involvement in Politics.” National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Press Release 3/02/10.
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