On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that will enable Congress to approve additional COVID relief with a simple majority vote in the U.S. Senate. The Senate approved the budget resolution early this morning after a lengthy debate, and the House is expected to take a final vote on it today. Typically, bills need the approval of 60 Senators to pass. By using the budget resolution process, Congress may be able to approve the next COVID relief package in the next few weeks, whereas it would likely take months under the normal legislative process.

Leaders in Congress are planning to use President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief framework as the starting point for their plan. Earlier this week, 10 Republican U.S. Senators, including Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) met with President Biden to discuss a smaller plan that they think could get bipartisan support.

It remains unclear whether the next congressional COVID relief plan will include many of the policy solutions that would provide direct and needed assistance to nonprofits that are struggling to maintain their operations due to the pandemic. Over the past two weeks, more than 2,700 nonprofits from all 50 states have signed onto a letter asking President Biden and leaders in Congress to include four key nonprofit provisions in the next COVID relief legislation:

If your nonprofit hasn’t already done so, please take one minute to add your nonprofit’s name to this national sign-on letter urging federal policymakers to include these provisions in the next COVID relief legislation. We know from experience that policy proposals like these have a much greater chance of adoption when the constituents they’re meant to help show their support by contacting their lawmakers. With your help, we can show every member of North Carolina’s congressional delegation that nonprofits in their districts want these measures. Thank you if your nonprofit is one of the nearly 200 from North Carolina that has already signed this letter.

This week, the NC Senate and NC House of Representatives both unanimously approved a COVID relief bill (S.36) that ensures the state can fully use recently-approved federal funding for vaccine preparedness, assistance for reopening schools safely, rental assistance, and rural broadband access. The bill also makes several small changes to the COVID relief the General Assembly approved last year. Two provisions in the bill are notable for nonprofits:

Governor Cooper is expected to sign the bill into law soon.

The General Assembly will consider additional COVID relief legislation over the next few weeks. The next COVID relief bill will likely be developed on a bipartisan basis, so your legislators’ voices will matter, regardless of their political parties. This also means that your voice matters because you are their constituent! Look for tips from the Center next week on how you can send an effective note to your elected officials.

Now that the NC General Assembly is beginning to take up legislation, the Center is talking with legislators from both parties about policy solutions that would help nonprofits operate more effectively. These include:

Throughout the legislative session, the Center will keep you posted when legislators introduce bills to help nonprofits operate more effectively to provide essential services in our communities. We’ll also let you know when there is need for your nonprofit to take action to advocate for legislators to help nonprofits.

The Center’s legislative priorities are based on input from charitable nonprofits. Let us know if our 2021 Public Policy Agenda for North Carolina’s Nonprofit Sector is missing something important that would help your nonprofit and other organizations throughout North Carolina.

The North Carolina Justice Center and other organizations are inviting nonprofits to join in a letter to Governor Cooper and legislative leadership seeking reasonable, safe, and equitable access to all legislative proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter outlines key elements of a plan to make state government more open and accessible for all, to protect democracy, and to encourage public participation in the legislative process. Specific suggestions fall under these four main areas:

The suggestions for transparency, safety, and broad accessibility of legislative meetings and documents would strengthen nonprofits’ ability to advocate on policy issues related to their missions. The Center has signed on to this letter and encourages your nonprofit to consider signing on as well.

You can sign on as an organization or as an individual. The deadline to sign is noon on Thursday, February 11.

Nonprofits are trusted messengers, and many North Carolinians are more likely to take important public health actions if the message comes from a familiar nonprofit organization rather than a government official. Your nonprofit can make a big difference in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by spreading information about the availability, safety, and importance of vaccines. 

Over the past two weeks, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released several new tools that can help nonprofits spread the word about vaccines. These include:

Next month, the Center is offering the Nonprofit Management Institute, a virtual learning cohort designed for nonprofit executives, managers, and board leaders to assess their organizations’ management practices, identify successes and challenges, build capacity where there are gaps, and work towards long-term sustainability. The five-part series is based on Principles & Practices: Best Practices for North Carolina Nonprofits. The program includes learning, discussion, and management strategies around board governance, program design and evaluation, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, and human resources. Learn more and register.