Earlier this month, the Center compiled a summary of the key state policy developments affecting nonprofits during this year’s legislative session. Nonprofits’ advocacy made a difference on every policy issue identified in this summary (and many other issues that weren’t included). Many bills were introduced because of the recommendations of nonprofits. Other legislation was improved because nonprofits explained to policymakers the negative consequences that proposals might have on the communities they serve. In some cases, nonprofits helped stop bills that would have been detrimental to their missions. 

In challenging times like now, it is particularly important for nonprofits to share, celebrate, and learn from their advocacy successes. Please share your story about how your nonprofit advocated on public policy issues at the federal, state, or local level this year so other nonprofits can learn from your great advocacy work!

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum instructing the U.S. Department of Commerce to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 Census that he sends to Congress at the end of the count. As the NC Counts Coalition explained in a statement responding to the memorandum, this action, which directly contradicts the U.S. Constitution, would politicize the Census and could lead to an undercount of North Carolinians, costing our communities federal funding for healthcare, food security, affordable housing, unemployment insurance, and many other essential needs.

The NC Counts Coalition statement concludes with a call to action for nonprofits and other community organizations to continue their efforts to achieve a complete and accurate count of all North Carolina residents in the 2020 Census: “The Census is the most inclusive form of civic engagement in our country, and it increases equity in our communities. An attempt to prevent any persons from being counted is a direct attack on our democracy, inherently unconstitutional and quite frankly dehumanizing... We must continue to educate, engage, and mobilize our communities to ensure that every person is counted.”

This week, the White House and the U.S. Senate have been working on plans for the next COVID-19 recovery legislation. Congress is expected to introduce and pass this legislation in the next couple of weeks. Last week, thousands of nonprofits sent a letter to congressional leaders asking them to include four nonprofit policy solutions in the final package:

The Center continues to work with North Carolina’s congressional delegation to ensure that nonprofit priorities are included in the next federal COVID-19 recovery bill.

A complete and accurate count in the 2020 U.S. Census is important for nonprofits since it will help ensure that North Carolina has full representation in Congress and access to federal funding that supports the work of many nonprofits . Because nonprofits are trusted messengers that often serve hard-to-count communities, it is important for all nonprofit organizations to spread the word about the importance of completing the 2020 Census. Nonprofit’s engagement in Census outreach is particularly critical since North Carolina continues to lag behind other states in our Census response rate. As of Wednesday, North Carolina’s response rate was 58.7%, well below the national average of 62.3% (see the U.S. Census Bureau’s map of response rates for more details).

A record number of North Carolinians are expected to vote by absentee ballot for the first time in 2020. This process could be challenging and confusing for many voters, so it will be particularly important for nonprofits to provide clear, accurate, and nonpartisan information about the election process to their staff, boards, volunteers, and those they serve this year. You Can Vote is offering a free series of Voter Empowerment Training webinars to help nonprofits effectively educate and register voters using new materials and digital tools, including:

Even if your nonprofit has not done nonpartisan voter registration or voter education work in the past, the Center encourages you to provide information about the election process this year.

Last Friday, the Federal Reserve released its revised plan to expand the Main Street Lending Program to provide access to credit for nonprofit organizations. Yesterday, the Federal Reserve posted Frequently Asked Questions to help nonprofits better understand this new lending program. The Center submitted comments to the Federal Reserve on its original draft of plans for this nonprofit lending program, noting that:

The revised Federal Reserve proposal improves upon the eligibility criteria and proposed loan terms, but it would still exclude many nonprofits from participating. More significantly, the loans to nonprofits in this program would still not be forgivable; Congress would need to pass legislation allowing for nonprofits to seek loan forgiveness if they received financial support through the Main Street Lending Program.