Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,
As we reported earlier, the Trump Administration recently released an Executive Order and two memoranda seeking to block legitimate efforts to address racism and sexism. The EO and memoranda direct that all trainings on implicit bias and other racial and gender bias equity concepts will stop immediately in the executive branch and military, and stop sometime after November 21 for all federal contractors and many grantees. Every federal agency has been charged with identifying and canceling staff trainings that address nearly a dozen concepts the Administration has deemed “divisive” and “anti-American,” including conducting keyword searches for such terms as "unconscious bias," “white privilege” and “systemic racism.” New reporting and restrictions have been ordered. Further, the Labor Department has set up a complaint hotline for individuals to report trainings that may make them feel uncomfortable by discussions of racial and gender inequality.
You may remember that NAO came out right after the EO was published condemning the intent and questioning the legitimacy of the action. For a succinct breakdown of what is in the EO, this resource by the National Law Review is helpful.
In an article published yesterday in Nonprofit Quarterly - How Nonprofits Can Stop Trump's Effort to Roll Back Diversity Training - Tim Delaney and David Thompson of the National Council of Nonprofits analyze these pronouncements and actions, laying out the many constitutional, statutory, and practical flaws. Citing multiple sources observing that the EO is designed to inflame racial strife, the authors encourage nonprofits to remain calm and not fall into the trap that has been set. Rather, they write, “we can focus our resolve and (1) double-down on our commitment to advance racial and gender equity, (2) support organizations working to have the courts strike down the EO, and (3) express our firm opposition to the scheme by submitting formal comments in any rulemaking process. The EO must be stopped.”
Dan Cardinali, President and CEO of Independent Sector stated that, “At its core, this EO is a challenge to the public reckoning, especially in 2020, of the systemic injustices that have plagued our country since its founding. It is meant to deny the truth, sow paranoia and distrust, and deny Black, Native, and other people of color the ability to live, work, and learn in safe and equitable spaces.”
Independent Sector is also talking with several legal firms to determine how, in partnership with them, we might make legal insights broadly available.
Their programming at Upswell 2020 next week can help us all pause, take stock of what we do have in the sector, and ground ourselves in our missions and values to push forward. In addition to 50+ sessions, moments for reflective practice and healing, and small group discussions, we have an inspirational set of main stage speakers lined up, including Ibram X. Kendi (How to Be an Antiracist), Isabel Wilkerson (Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents), Rev. Dr. William Barber II (Repairers of the Breach), Fatima Goss Graves (National Women’s Law Center), Rev. Samuel Rodriguez (National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council), and Stacy Palmer (Chronicle of Philanthropy).
Help Fight Efforts to Stifle Essential Conversations on Race and Gender Bias
NAO agrees with the advice of the National Council of Nonprofits: “for nonprofits to stay calm on the exterior to avoid falling into the trap … and channel our rage about thought police telling us what concepts and words are banished and “anti-American” by getting the rule eliminated, one way or another. And double-down on our personal and organizational commitments to achieve racial and gender equity.”
In that national effort, we encourage you to share your efforts and stories with us at NAO. The information collected will be used by our national allies to fight this EO.
|
|
At the Federal Level
Coronavirus Relief before the Election? Not Likely, but...
The information inside Washington D.C. is that there will not be a new Coronavirus Relief Bill before the November election. People in the capital are stating with absolute certainty, “Congress isn’t coming back until November.” It’s easy to make that assumption: The House has recessed until after the elections (subject to the call of the Speaker) and the Senate, due to positive COVID-19 tests, won’t return to session until Oct. 19 at the earliest. But, the Speaker and Treasury Secretary worked through the weekend toward a deal, talking yesterday for an hour; the President tweeted a demand for action; and Congress appears spooked by the news that the airlines and others are about to lay off tens of thousands of workers less than a month before the election. This is 2020; anything can happen… so stay tuned.
Nonprofit Grassroots Priorities
Most Senators and Representatives have left D.C. and that means grassroots activation is in order. We and our national coalition partners identified four action items that we all can/should be doing:
-
Finding/Exploiting Virtual Gatherings: Over the next four weeks, federal politicians are looking for every opportunity to meet with constituents. Since this year is harder to meet in person, politicians are jumping at virtual gatherings. We want loquacious nonprofits attending every single one of these events – be they townhall meetings, candidate forums, virtual block parties, etc. ACTION ITEM: Please share with us any and all virtual events involving federal elected officials that you find. We’ll forward the information to the coalition’s central list to help all of our partner organizations get the word out. And attend. Ideally, you’ll be able to share with us the name of the official, state, date/time, type of event, and link to registration.
-
Going Social: Please tweet this message to our Senators and your Representative: @[Senator’s/Representative] “Come back to DC and enact COVID relief stimulus. My nonprofit and the people we serve cannot wait until after the election for a deal.” #Relief4Charities https://bit.ly/3erPrjv. We also encourage folks to retweet messages from @NonprofitOregon, @NatlCouncilNPs and #Relief4Charities to your Representative and our Senators.
-
Writing Op-Eds: Many nonprofit leaders are finding the Nonprofit Community Letter a useful template for framing an op-ed in local papers that explains the problems nonprofits are facing and calls for specific solutions. This article from the head of the Granite Y in New Hampshire is a good recent example: YMCA needs Congress to act, David Ports, NH Union Leader, Sept. 25, 2020.
Paycheck Protection Program:
We have received information from some of our members that they have received “due notices” on their PPP loans. We believe that these notices were auto-generated by some banks with systems that send out automatic notifications to keep borrowers aware of their status. As you can imagine, this has some nonprofits concerned. We highly encourage any nonprofit that intends to seek loan forgiveness and has received such a “due notice” contact your bank immediately for clarification. The final determination on the criteria for PPP loan forgiveness is still shifting and the recent $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Relief Package passed by the House would simplify the loan forgiveness process for borrowers with loans of up to $150,000.
A witness for Ducks Unlimited put in a plug for reforming the Paycheck Protection Program at a House Agriculture Committee hearing. The topic was “Challenges and Successes of Conservation Programs in 2020,” but that didn’t dissuade Dr. Karen Waldrop, Chief Conservation Officer of Ducks Unlimited, from promoting pressing nonprofit policy priorities. Early in her testimony, Dr. Waldrop said, “Ducks Unlimited and many other mid-sized nonprofits have been hit particularly hard by many of the government closures and restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Not being made eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program because we had over 500 employees when the COVID-19 pandemic started has certainly limited available financial relief, either.” To this audience committed to conservation efforts, she further explained that the nonprofit had to cut back projects because it was “forced to cancel over 2,000 in-person [fundraising] events losing at least $17 million in expected event income through June 30 alone.” And her clincher: “Furloughs, drastic budget cuts, and unfortunately layoffs are becoming part of the new reality for most non-profit organizations around the country.” Testimony of Dr. Karen Waldrop of Ducks Unlimited, House Agriculture Committee, Oct. 1, 2020.
|
|
NAO thanks all of you who are have responded to so many crises and disasters in our communities. We have curated a set of resources and links with our COVID-19 resources and Wildfire Response Resource pages that we’ve created to help you and your organizations navigate these difficult times.
If your nonprofit is responding to communities impacted by the fires, please be sure to connect with your local county Office of Emergency Management, United Ways and County/Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs).
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Online Sessions
In case you missed our earlier announcement, NAO has made the decision, to hold off on convening our 2020-2021 in-person networks that we usually launch in the fall of each year. Instead, we will extend the strategy deployed in mid-March when COVID-19 restrictions were first put in place to hold online sessions – free of charge to participants – until such time that the State of Oregon and the Oregon Health Authority lift restrictions on in-person gatherings. We thank our supporting foundations, corporate sponsors and members for making this possible. Here is what we’ve got coming up over the next few weeks:
Meet the Funders: Focus on Social Justice, Friday, October 9, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT: Social justice funding looks to the root causes of injustices and centers the people who have been most impacted by those injustices as decisions makers and leaders. Join this interactive webinar with panelists Se-ah-dom Edmo, Executive Director at MRG Foundation; Emily Evans, Executive Director at Women's Foundation of Oregon; and Palmira Figueroa, Campaign Manager at Social Justice Fund NW. The session will be moderated by Felicita Monteblanco, Public Health Manager at Northwest Health Foundation. Working to make philanthropy more diverse, accountable, transparent, and responsive, these funders have never been more relevant given the visibility of civil disfunction in our city, state, and country. This is an opportunity to learn from and ask questions of funders who focus on issues surrounding social justice, change, and equity. We will hear what they look for in applicants and projects and about their missions, history, recent changes, and response to the increased focus on how all organizations can prioritize justice and equity in their work. This session is brought to you by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Oregon and Southwest Washington as part of its commitment to racial justice. Register for the session here.
Developing a Financial Strategy in a Complex Crisis: Two-Part Webinar, Tuesday, October 13 and Tuesday, October 20, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT: Scott Schaffer, Principal at Public Interest Management Group, will conduct two-part webinar on financial strategy developed for nonprofit finance managers. Executive directors may also find value in attending. The current public health crisis, wildfires, and economic realities have disrupted many nonprofits’ operations and funding sources, with longer-term impacts that remain unknown. Organizations face immediate budget challenges and potential threats to sustainability. In this series of two 90-minute webinars we will help nonprofit leaders visualize and chart a financial strategy to proactively address the short- and longer-term impacts of the crisis. At the conclusion of the series, participants will have a conceptual framework to pave a pathway toward financial sustainability amid uncertainty. Register for the session here.
Upswell 2020, October 14-16, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. PT: Independent Sector’s Upswell 2020 is about two most important things facing every changemaker in the U.S.: ending racism and recovering from the pandemic. How we deal with these monumental challenges – in this utterly urgent moment in our shared history – will determine nothing less than the future of our nation. It sure won’t be easy and it certainly won’t be perfect. But our efforts will be existentially necessary. So, we’re inviting you to show up! Claim your agency. Elevate your ideas. Amplify your voice. Get creative, innovative, passionate, and relentlessly determined. Because it’s going to take the very best you’ve got – and the very best the rest of us have got – to heal our nation and create a society where every person can thrive. To find out more about Upswell, click here. Register for Upswell here.
Wait, Now I’m Managing Remote Workers? Addressing Legal and Practical Realities of a Virtual Workforce, Thursday, October 14, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Many nonprofits hastily converted to virtual work with the onset of COVID-19. Now, what started as a short-term solution has shifted to a permanent or long-term strategy to keep mission-critical work moving forward. Leaders are grappling with how to support their employees in this changed work environment, how to manage organizational risk around employee matters, and how to keep their teams safe, productive, and effective. P.K. Runkles-Pearson, Partner at Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP will dive into the important legal and practical considerations nonprofit employers must consider and address as they adapt to the “new normal.” Register for the session here.
How to Lead Through Turbulent Times: Six leadership Practices for Facing Adaptive Challenges, Thursday, October 22, Noon – 1 p.m. PT: The uncertainty and stress of these days put a strain on even the most effective leaders. How do you stay personally buoyant? How do you focus on the things that matter most? How do you use the turbulence productively for yourself, your team, and your beneficiaries? Utilizing the principles of Adaptive Leadership, Steve Patty, Founder of Dialogues in Action, will help you explore and apply six essential skills for leading through times of uncertainty: Identify the growing edge, Regulate the temperature, Get on the balcony, Provide a holding environment, Give the work back, and Absorb the heat. Practicing these skills will help you develop your team and maximize your impact through these challenging days. Register for the session here.
Managing a Racially Charged Crisis in Real Time: How Two Nonprofit Leaders Rose to the Challenge, Tuesday, October 27, Noon – 1 p.m. PT: Oregon nonprofit leaders are challenged every day with the work they do for their organizations, the people they serve, and the community at large. They also have to be ready to manage major organizational crises with far-reaching impacts that inevitably will come their way, like it or not. And when a crisis is racially charged, includes systemic issues, and threatens an organization and its community, that crisis is beyond challenging. How do you handle a crisis like this in real time? How do you decide what steps to take? What actions do you take and how do you anticipate the potential ramifications? In this session Kim Brick, Executive Director and David Navarro, Director of Director of Development and Fundraising at the Oregon Coast Community Action based in Coos Bay, will share firsthand their experience from this past summer in navigating this significant racial-related crisis that has critical ramifications for ORCCA the communities it serves, and beyond. They’ll set the context, discuss how the situation unfolded step by step, how they responded, reaction from their constituents, and what all this meant to them personally and professionally. Register for the session here.
Building Organizational Resilience in Times of Change, Thursday, October 29, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: All organizations face challenges during change, especially in 2020. Why does recovery from challenges take longer in some organizations; while in others, the recovery is shorter and far less disruptive? Corky McReynolds, Principal at Lead Team will discuss key systems that help build organizational resiliency during change and explore a model for resiliency that can lead to sustainability with long-lasting achievement. Register for the session here.
Merger and Strategic Partnership for Nonprofits, Tuesday, November 10, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: In this workshop presented by Scott Schaffer, Principal of Public Interest Management Group, nonprofit leaders will learn about a range of options to restructure organizations, with goals of having a greater mission impact and financial sustainability. Organizations can consider a diverse range of organizational partnership models. Merger is just one of several alternatives, and we’ll examine the benefits and pitfalls of each, along with analytic methods for assessing them. The group will engage in a small-group exercise and discussions throughout. Participants will be better equipped to answer questions such as: Should we consider restructuring? What are our options and how can we evaluate them? What process can we adopt? Register for the session here.
QuickBooks Made Easy Webinar: Desktop, November 10, 11, and 12, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT: Gregg S. Bossen, CPA of QuickBooks Made Easy, is partnering with NAO to offer an updated three-part QuickBooks® training webinar for nonprofits. This webinar is for the Desktop edition of QuickBooks. Gregg will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2020 Desktop Edition, as well as advanced topics covering a host of specific processes that will help you do more helpful and amazing things! Register for the three-part webinar here.
QuickBooks Made Easy Webinar: Online, November 17, 18, and 19, 11 a.m. – 1 pm. PT: Gregg S. Bossen, CPA of QuickBooks Made Easy, is partnering with NAO to offer an updated three-part QuickBooks® training webinar for nonprofits. This webinar is for the Online edition of QuickBooks. Gregg will cover the basics of setting up and entering transactions specifically for nonprofits, an overview of the software updates included in the QuickBooks® 2020 Online Edition, as well as advanced topics covering a host of specific processes that will help you do more helpful and amazing things! Register for the three-part webinar here.
How to Communicate Your Impact: Four ways to Measure and Communicate Your Impact, Thursday, November 19, Noon to 1 p.m. PT: Your value proposition is your impact. Your impact is why your organization exists, why your team is assembled, and why you deserve the investment of the community. Impact is your raison d’etre. Especially now, when there is so much pulling on the attention of people, you need to be crystal clear about the impact you are having. And you need to help others be crystal clear as well. In this session, Steve Patty, Founder of Dialogues in Action, explore four ways to evaluate your impact and four ways to communicate your impact. If you follow these principles, you will be clearer about your message and more compelling about the case for your mission and cause. Register for the session here.
|
|
I hope that you all stay safe and healthy!
Sincerely,
|
|
Jim White
Executive Director
|
|
Thank you to the following SUPPORTERS and SPONSORS who are supporting NAO’s online COVID-19 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. |
|
FRIEND PLUS PARTNER SPONSORS |
|
FOLLOW NAO ON SOCIAL MEDIA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
