Happy Pride Month!
June is dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ members of our communities as well as promoting equal rights for all. Pride Month began as a way to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Manhattan and has continued every year since. |
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When Pride is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is often the Pride Parades that are held around the country – in large cities and in rural areas – they're often a lot of fun and full of joy. If you’ve never attended a Pride Parade, try to seek one out this year. In addition to the parades and celebrations happening nationwide, many nonprofit organizations are hosting Pride events, volunteer opportunities, educational sessions, and more. June is a great month to get to know the nonprofit organizations in your neighborhood who serve the LGBTQ+ communities. I encourage you to get to know their work and get involved however you can. There are many great organizations to choose from, Basic Rights Oregon provides a ton of information about how you can help the LGBTQ+ community in Oregon – if you’re looking to learn more or to help, Basic Rights Oregon is a great place to start.
If you’re hosting any Pride events this month, NAO wants to hear about them! Don’t forget to submit them to our community calendar on our website.
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Enjoy the month and stay safe and healthy,
Jim White
NAO Executive Director
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The news of Kendall Clawson’s departure as CEO of the Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington brings us some bittersweet feelings. We are happy for Kendall in her next steps and will also miss her as a colleague and ally in working toward more equitable resourcing of community needs and issues. With Kendall’s departure, GOSW is hiring a new CEO. Local talent are encouraged to apply! Here’s a link to the full job description – please share with your networks.
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is hosting two virtual events this month that examine philanthropy and how thoughtful investment in our communities serves the common good. On June 17 at noon, they are sharing a short documentary about the fascinating life of Jack Murdock. For more information and to register – visit here. On June 21 at 11 a.m., they are hosting a roundtable discussion about the future of philanthropy. For more information and to register – visit here.
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At the State Level
Oregon Legislature entering the home stretch
With the start of June, the Oregon Legislature is working at a frenetic pace to pass bills and get them in front of the Governor for signature into law. The legislature is slated to close at the end of June. The raft of bills includes issues that nonprofits have been advocating on including residential rent assistance, extending a moratorium on foreclosures, and calling on the U.S. Congress to consider reparations for descendants of formerly enslaved people.
With a biennial budget yet to pass, the Legislative leadership is reportedly working to invest in a package of strategic expenditures that will make systemic change on four key issues: water; behavioral health, wildfires and housing.
If your nonprofit has good contacts with your legislative representatives, now is the time to make your voices heard on key priorities with specific asks as relates to bills before the body. You can find a complete list of bills hearing on the Oregon Legislative Information System.
Crown Act
Yesterday, the Oregon State Senate passed House Bill 2935 known as the CROWN Act by a 28-1 vote. The bill would expand existing laws against discrimination to explicitly include “physical characteristics that are historically associated with race,” including hair styles such as braids, cornrows, locks and twists. The bill now goes to the Governor for signature.
The imminent passage of this bill into law is a good reminder of the ways in which something as simple as “business attire” can be a mechanism to uphold or expand systemic racism. NAO encourages all nonprofits to look at the human resource polices that you are using and ensure you are in compliance with evolving rules and laws governing your staff and volunteers.
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At the Federal Level
PPP is over
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) officially ended on May 31, 2021. Remember that a borrower can apply for forgiveness once all loan proceeds for which the borrower is requesting forgiveness have been used. If borrowers do not apply for forgiveness within 10 months after the last day of the covered period, then PPP loan payments are no longer deferred, and borrowers will begin making loan payments to their PPP lender.
Biden’s $6 Trillion Budget Request
The White House released the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2022 last week. This full set of spending, taxing, and policy recommendations are for the Federal year that begins on October 1, 2021. The documents propose a federal budget of $6 trillion, including a 16% increase in domestic spending, and a small hike in defense spending. The budget documents also provide details on which tax-law changes the President favors. Below are some highlights, but first this:
Reminder About Significance: Punchbowl News reminds us, “Presidential budgets have very little real impact. They’re not binding on Congress or the administration. They’re a statement of the president’s priorities, an aspirational document.”
Highlights:
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Total spending: a $6-trillion blueprint that includes $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending and the rest mandatory spending for things like entitlement programs and debt payments. The budget projects total spending rising to $8.2 trillion by 2031
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Major Spending Increases proposed for the Departments of Education (41% increase) and Health & Human Services (23% increase). Spending on the IRS would rise to $13.2 billion, a 10% hike, to pay for expanded enforcement activities. Ultimately, the President proposes spending $80 billion at the IRS to raise $700 billion in unpaid taxes owed.
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Tax Policy Changes Proposed: the items that are and are not included in the Treasury Department “Green Book” have been the anxiously awaited by tax policy professionals:
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What’s Included: hike in corporate tax rate to 28% (up from 21%) and call for numerous clean energy tax credits; increase the top marginal individual tax rate to 39.6% for individuals earning more than $453,000 and couples earning more than $509,000; tax long-term capital gains on adjusted gross income of more than $1 million at the 37% tax rate; recognize the increase in value of appreciated property at time of donation or death, and make immediately taxable, with exceptions for family-owned and -operated businesses. The Green Book also calls for making permanent several temporary tax provisions, including the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, the Premium Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. The Administration proposes a disaster mitigation tax credit for homeowners and businesses, but because the credit would be applied to income taxes, it would not be available to tax-exempt organizations.
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What’s Not Included: No mention of the Biden campaign proposal to limit the value of itemized deductions, including charitable contributions, to 28%. This is a win for the charitable community that has opposed the proposal since it was first raised in President Obama’s first budget request in 2009. The Green Book is also silent on any changes to the estate tax.
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Upcoming Online Sessions
NAO offers practical, affordable learning and convening programs in a variety of formats, including conferences, resource round-ups, informational sessions and mini-workshops through webinars, and deeper-dive learning through virtual learning cohorts. Please scroll through and sign-up today!
Convening Opportunities
Learn at Lunch Series for Rural Nonprofits
Are you a rural nonprofit leader looking for practical training and tools to strengthen your organizational leadership skills? Join NAO for an opportunity to learn with us at one of our regional Learn at Lunch series. Each series is made up of four, one-hour sessions held each week over the lunch hour, via Zoom. We'll provide bite-sized training in Board Management, Board Recruitment & Retention, Engaging Your Board in Fundraising and Finance Fundamentals. Sessions are provided a la carte, so you can join us for all of them – or what topic you think is most applicable to your work now. Below is a list of upcoming Learn at Lunch Series. Register for a series near you!
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North Coast & Highway 30 – July 7, 14, 21 and 28
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Klamath and Lake Counties – July 8, 15, 22 and 29
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Northeastern Oregon – August 11, 18, 25 and September 1
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Rural Clackamas County – September 9, 16, 23 and 30
Webinar Sessions
How to Conduct Culturally Responsive and Equitable Program Evaluation
Tuesday, June 8, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT | Presenter: Karyl Askew, Ph.D., Education Program Evaluator
Trustworthy data allows organizations to make informed business decisions. How are you ensuring that your evaluation designs, data collections, and reporting are culturally responsive and equitable? Explore how to use a culturally responsive and equitable evaluation in your organization; how to identify where you can readily apply a culturally responsive and equitable framework to your unique settings and needs; and examples from your colleagues and like-minded leaders who are advancing these frameworks in their own work. More details and registration information here.
Pandemic (and Post-Pandemic) Major Gift Strategies
Thursday, June 10, 10 – 11 a.m. PT | Presenter: Grady Goodall, OSU Foundation
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down for many nonprofits and many more people. In this session, participants will learn timely strategies to build stronger relationships with potential major gift donors leading to more support for your organization. More details and registration information here.
Building Inclusive Teams and Mitigating Structural Bias
Tuesday, June 15, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT | Presenter: Gerardo Ochoa, Linfield University
As the demographics of our communities continue to change, organizations are striving to reflect the communities they serve. This interactive session focuses on how the implicit attitudes, behaviors, policies, and practices may influence how we engage with individuals and/or groups and make decisions in the workplace. More details and registration information here.
Nonprofit Board Treasurer Training – Understanding Your Responsibilities and Creating Strong Financial Stewardship Processes
Thursday, June 17, 10 – 11 a.m. PT | Presenters: Erin Zollenkopf, Susan Matlack Jones & Associates and David Atkin, Center for Nonprofit Law
Are you the Treasurer, or interested in becoming the Treasurer, of a nonprofit organization’s board? Join us for this interactive session that will provide a framework of knowledge for how you can best serve your organization’s needs as a financial steward. Participants can expect to understand the roles and duties, legal and otherwise, of the Treasurer position; learn how to engage board, staff and committees in creating financial oversight and controls; and review compliance procedures, including payroll tax, donor restrictions and federal and state tax reporting requirements. More details and registration information here.
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Thank you to the following SUPPORTERS and SPONSORS who are supporting NAO’s online events and communications during these challenging times. Their support is vital in helping NAO to bring much-needed resources and information to Oregon’s nonprofits – thank you. |
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