IN THIS ISSUE:
 Mobilizing Nonprofits as New State and Federal Legislatures Take Office
In Massachusetts last week, the 190th biennium legislative session began. Speaker Robert DeLeo was elected to serve his fifth term as Speaker of the House and Senate President Stan Rosenberg was elected to serve his second term leading the Senate. The members of the House and Senate were also sworn in with 12 new representatives and 3 new senators joining the Legislature. Next for the House and Senate is the approval of house, senate, and joint rules, a January 20th bill filing deadline, and appointments to house, senate, and joint legislative committees. To find out more about upcoming house and senate sessions or to find your state representative or senator, click
here
.
Federally, when president-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office on January 20th for the first time since 2009 the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate will all be controlled by one party. As such, it is likely that there will be a number of legislative and regulatory changes that will either directly or indirectly affect the nonprofit sector. In a thoughtful piece from the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN), of which MNN is a member, the NCN calls on nonprofits across all sub-sectors to come together and mobilize in a way that hasn't been required in recent years. As the authors explain, nonprofits have been somewhat cushioned over the past decade by partisan gridlock in Washington. However, moving into 2017 with a Republican-led Executive Office and Congress we can anticipate several federal policy and regulatory changes that will impact our sector. Read "Nonprofits Need to Stand Together to Push for Smart Public Policies," i
n
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
.
At MNN, we are committed to working with our members, colleagues, and elected and appointed officials on the issues that impact the Commonwealth's nonprofit sector and keeping you up-to-date on state and federal issues.
Upcoming MNN Events
Regional Meetings
The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network will be hosting a series of regional meetings across the state throughout March and April 2017. The meetings are an opportunity for nonprofit stakeholders to come together to share ideas, ask questions, and voice opinions about important topics such as policy, funding, and the state of the region's sector.
Save the Date! Massachusetts Nonprofit Awareness Day - June 12, 2017
On Monday, June 12th, 2017, we invite you to join hundreds of nonprofit and business leaders, along with elected officials, at the Massachusetts State House to celebrate the work of the nonprofit sector and raise awareness about important issues affecting nonprofits across the state.
MNN's celebration of Nonprofit Awareness Day (NPAD) is presented by Citizen's Bank
.
Registration will open soon! Learn about past NPAD celebrations here.
Save the Date! MNN's Annual Conference - November 1, 2017
MNN's 2017 Annual Conference, one of the largest local gatherings of nonprofit professionals in Massachusetts, will be held on Wednesday, November 1, 2017. During this conference, over 600 nonprofit and business leaders come together to learn, share, and network. Learn about past conferences here.
Stay tuned for additional information on these events in upcoming editions of SectorNews or visit our website.
Each month, MNN partners with one of our affiliate members - experts in their field - to present a free webinar on timely and relevant topics for the nonprofit sector.
On January 18th, Tom Guidi, a partner at Hemenway & Barnes LLP, will be speaking on nonprofit governance. Tom will provide an overview of the legal responsibilities of nonprofit board members. The role served by board members includes financial review, mission achievement, review and compensation of CEOs and Executive Directors, and fundraising. Tom will address how board members can deliver on these obligations in a way to best serve the nonprofit and how nonprofit staff can effectively engage and support their boards in these areas.
Reserve your spot here!
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Nonprofit 411: Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship Helps Foundations Support the Most Promising New Nonprofits
How can the philanthropic sector best identify and support promising new initiatives? A different way to ask the question is what's the difference between a ham sandwich and a new public charity? Not much these days as far as the IRS is concerned as there is no meaningful vetting being done on new applicants filing the Form 1023-EZ.
For those not familiar with the 1023-EZ, it is an
ill-advised solution
to address the previous astounding backlog of public charity applications sitting with the IRS. Thought leaders in the field fear this open door policy will greatly dilute what it means to be a public charity and cause a myriad of problems down the road.
So, how can foundations and other mindful donors interested in supporting new and promising charitable initiatives separate the promising wheat from the chaff and ensure these groups are effectively navigating a
complex compliance environment
?
Read more
.
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*Discounts for MNN members
Resources
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 16th), the
Museum of Fine Arts
in B
oston will celebrate the 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Open House, presented free to the public by Citizens Bank. The event will commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King with live entertainment, exhibitions, special tours, and more. Families with children of all ages are welcome. Learn more
here
.
ArtWeek
is seeking applications for its Spring 2017 festival. Events will be held throughout Eastern Massachusetts from April 28 - May 7, and applications can be found at
www.artweekboston.org
.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSM)
is now accepting applications for the 2017 cohort of its
Skills-Based Volunteer Program (SBVP)
. The SBVP is
a unique program that leverages the skills and volunteer time of Blue Cross employees to address the challenges facing nonprofit organizations. Apply to partner with BCBSM here. Applications must be submitted by January 11, 2017. For questions, contact
Brie Tangney at brianne.tangney@bcbsma.com.
Citizens Bank
is currently accepting applications from nonprofits for financial literacy programs that teach good financial practices. Applications for the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money Initiative are due by January 20th, 2017. Learn more and apply
here
.
The
Barr Foundation
is currently
seeking proposals
from innovative schools and programs with the goal of supporting the development of exemplary schools and programs across the region. Applicants can begin preparing their proposals for one-year planning grants of up to $150,000 each to support the development of their school or program. All proposals for planning grants are due by February 15, 2017. For more information, click
here
.
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New & Returning Affiliate Members
*Special discount for MNN members
An agency organization that represents nonprofits and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) doing global work.
Supports Greater Boston Youth through dance and performing arts opportunities.
*10% off tickets and a free trial class at Deborah Mason School of Dance 624 Somerville Ave Somerville, MA
Works with nonprofit leaders to help them resolve a common constraint to leader, team, and business performance: developing the capability of leaders to navigate disruptive change.
*Offers a free 90-minute Solution Design Meeting to pinpoint the key issues (primary constraints) to becoming a high-performing team with the capabilities for developing highly-successful strategies for growth.
Offers cost-effective, outsourced Finance, Technology and HR management consulting.
*4 hours of services at no cost in one of the following areas: Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, IT Management.
With a background in advocacy and community organizing, Leise specializes in photography for non-profit groups and mission-driven companies.
*10% off event photography services for first time clients. (Two hour minimum event coverage.)
Commercial Bank with a specialization in lending to nonprofit organizations.
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