A bi-weekly update from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.                                        

PMRTSix Ways to Honor Nonprofit Excellence in Massachusetts: Nominate by this Friday

There are six ways you can honor the excellent work being done in the Massachusetts nonprofit sector. Nominations for the Nonprofit Excellence Awards are being accepted in six categories: Advocacy, Collaboration, Innovation, Leadership, Small Nonprofit, and Young Professionals. The final day to nominate is this Friday, March 2Submit a nomination  here . For more information,  visit our FAQ page .

The Awards will be presented at our annual Nonprofit Awareness Day: A Celebration of Nonprofit Excellence on June 4, 2018 at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. The event is presented by Citizens Bank.


Last year during the debates on tax reform, Congress came dangerously close to repealing the  Johnson Amendment , the longstanding law that protects charitable, religious, and philanthropic organizations from the demands of candidates for public office for endorsements and other partisan activities. Thanks to a strong and united opposition by nonprofits across the country, including hundreds here in Massachusetts, we were able to ensure the final tax reform legislation did not include a repeal of the Johnson Amendment. 

However, those who seek to politicize 501(c)(3) organizations are back, vowing to have their way on the next bill coming through Congress. In early March, Congress will be writing a bill to fund the government through the rest of the current fiscal year. It could be the last significant piece of legislation that works its way through Congress before the elections in November. For that reason, the bill is attracting many controversial issues, such as anti-Johnson Amendment language, that likely would not pass as free-standing bills. The legislation must be passed by  March 23, but congressional leaders are negotiating right now about what will go into the bill and what issues are too controversial to be included.
 
You can support nonprofit nonpartisanship and help defeat efforts in Congress to repeal or weaken the Johnson Amendment by taking any of the following actions:
  • If you haven't, sign the Community Letter in Support of Nonpartisanship and forward the link to colleague organizations and encourage their support. More than 5,600 charitable, religious, and philanthropic organizations have joined this letter in calling on Members of Congress to oppose "efforts to weaken and/or repeal the current law that for six decades has successfully protected the integrity and effectiveness of charitable nonprofits and foundations by keeping them apart from partisan politics." Read the letter and see who has already signed
  • Write an op-ed or letter to the editor of your local newspaper. The article doesn't have to be in the most widely circulated newspaper in the state to get the attention of Representatives and Senators. They studiously read the clips from all their local papers, including from the small and weekly publications, and especially when their names are included in the articles. Take a look at a sampling of op-eds and letters to editors written by people from nonprofit across the country.
testifyBoston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Community Leaders Celebrate Unsung Nonprofit Heroes at Light of Dawnn Awards

Early today, nonprofit, government, community, and business leaders, along with the Jaffier Family, came together at the West End House Boys and Girls Club for the fourth annual Light of Dawnn Awards ceremony to honor the life of Dawnn Jaffier. During the ceremony, three nonprofit workers and three high school students were recognized for their outstanding work and commitment to serving their communities.  This year's Light of Dawnn Award winners were Khara Burns of Project Bread, Mao Kang of UTEC, Inc., and Shalaun Brown of Codman Academy Public Charter School.

Mayor of Boston Martin J. Walsh joined the ceremony and made remarks on the legacy of Dawnn Jaffier and the accomplishments of the award winners. "There is no better way to honor the life of Dawnn Jaffier than to celebrate those who have continued to carry on her legacy through acts of goodwill and service to their communities," said Mayor Walsh. "Dawnn and her spirit will not be forgotten."

Click here to read the full press release detailing the event.

memberspotReminder to Members: Leverage MNN's Reach to Tell Your Nonprofit's Story of Impact

A reminder that MNN is inviting all of its nonprofit members to submit a Member Spotlight highlighting a compelling story, program, or client success story from their organization that highlights its impact. Member Spotlights will be featured on our website, social media accounts, and newsletters. MNN publications and its digital presence reach almost 60,000 readers every month

Click here to submit a Member Spotlight.  Please note that Member Spotlights are only open to MNN nonprofit members. Click here to learn about membership.
nonprofit411Nonprofit 411: Beyond Fundraising: Board Members as Ambassadors
Lisa A. Cohen,  Capital Motion

Nonprofit boards of directors have two key areas of responsibility: governance and fundraising. Governance has a set of responsibilities that are required and must be completed by each board. Fundraising could be more generally described as overseen by "tradition." For a whole host of reasons, the topic of fundraising by boards is often both fraught and not openly discussed, making it the proverbial elephant in the room.  Read more.
webinarsFree Webinars
How Nonprofits Can Participate in Massachusetts Ballot Initiatives
Increasingly in Massachusetts, hot button policy issues are being decided on the ballot, rather than on Beacon Hill. The 2018 ballot promises to be even crowded. Voters will be asked to approve an increase in the minimum wage, a rollback in the state sales tax, and a paid family medical leave insurance program and potentially a millionaires tax. How can nonprofits participate in these policy decisions? In this webinar, Hemenway & Barnes' attorneys Brad Bedingfield and Pat Moore will provide an overview of federal tax law and state campaign finance law and provide a road map for nonprofits to follow when navigating ballot initiatives. Register here.

QUICK LINKS 
Content Manager, Scholars Strategy Network
Development Operations Associate, Silver Lining Mentoring
Executive Director, Parents Helping Parents
Case Manager/Bilingual Case Manager, Somerville Cambridge Elder Services
Executive Director, Mass Humanities
Associate Director, Annual Fund and Membership, Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
Digital Marketing Associate, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
Director of Major Gifts, Seacoast Science Center
Retail Sales Associate, Girls Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Community Advocate, DOVE (DOmestic Violence Ended), Inc.
ESOL Instructor, Catholic Charities of Boston
Family Center Assistant Manager, Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire, & North Quabbin Region
Director of Marketing and Communications, Joe Andruzzi Foundation
Program Manager, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review
Social Change Hiring Director, The Public Interest Network

Social Media Hacks Workshops, Great Barrington, March 21

Resources
On  Thursday, March 8 at 2:00 pm , join  Nonprofit VOTE  for a  free, hour long webinar surveying voter engagement do's and don't's  for nonprofits. you may have questions about what your organization is permitted to do as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The answer is a lot- as long as you do it on a nonpartisan basis. In this webinar, they'll discuss how to ensure that your nonprofit remains nonpartisan while engaging clients, consumers, staff, and constituents around voting and elections. The webinar includes explanations of IRS rules, do's and don't's for nonprofits, and more.  Register here .

In the new Nonprofit Jenni Show podcast, consultant Jenni Hargrove explores management, development, and marketing challenges commonly faced in the nonprofit world. She interviews nonprofit professionals across diverse cause areas to learn how they have addressed these problems at their organizations. The podcast is available to download for free on   iTunes ,   Spotify , or   Stitcher .

On  March 7, 2018 from 2:00-3:30 pm , the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation's Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse will hold a webinar titled  Beyond Housing Policy: Human Service Policies to Address Housing Instability . This webinar will focus on how social services, specifically the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), child support, and ex-offender reentry programs can potentially reduce housing instability among low-income and vulnerable populations.  Click here to register!

48in48 understands that many nonprofits lack essential resources and choose to spend their money doing good rather than looking good. This April, 48in48 is again partnering with the  United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and Boston's best digital marketers, designers, and developers to host an event working directly with small, local nonprofits to market themselves in a way they deserve. They will join forces to build 48 websites for 48 lucky nonprofits in the Boston area. Take advantage of  this opportunity to enhance your digital presence and pick up some valuable nonprofit marketing skills. Fill out an Interest Form here.

The  Nonprofit Talent & Culture Summit is an immersive event where nonprofit, association and philanthropic leaders discuss concepts and ideas for advancing their missions through their people. Attendees build new relationships with social sector leaders and walk away with actionable plans for leading, transforming, and inspiring their workforce. For more information on the event taking place on April 18-20 in Washington, D.C., visit  www.nonprofittalentsummit.com .







New & Returning Affiliate Members 
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Ann Donner is a skilled strategist and facilitator who leads complex projects and initiatives.  *10% discount to MNN members.
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Jitasa
Jitasa is the largest national bookkeeping and accounting service provider dedicated solely to the nonprofit sector.  *First month of services free and 10% discount on tax filing agreements .

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MNN's work is made possible by the Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation & the Highland Street Foundation.
If you'd like to share a story or have a job, grant or other information that is important to Massachusetts nonprofits, contact  info@massnonprofitnet.org.