Not for Profits Need You Now

I heard a story this week about a school superintendent for a small town in Massachusetts. On the Monday morning after Hurricane Maria, thirty-five families had evacuated Puerto Rico and rented rooms in a small motel. They had only the possessions they could carry and were hoping to register their children for classes. Very little English was spoken. The school district had no one who spoke Spanish. The Superintendent’s first call was to the pastor of a local church. She called other local not for profits and church leaders. And soon, an army of love and support and translators surrounded these families to feed, clothe, get transit passes, find jobs and secure more permanent homes for these displaced families.

It was the same spirit that surrounded a more infamous situation in Massachusetts in which 50+ Venezuelans seeking asylum were dropped unannounced at the Martha’s Vineyard airport. A local church, various island not for profits, and citizens rallied to provide shelter, food, and clothing - not to mention legal aid given the circumstances in how they got there.

I do think our state is pretty special on the welcoming and inclusive front. But I like to think these situations also showcase one of America’s greatest strengths and assets for dealing with crises, our religious and not for profit organizations. We have over 1.5M not for profits and 350,000 religious congregations in the US. And last week, on #GivingTuesday, people donated over $3B to organizations like these all over the world, an 15% increase from 2021.

Unfortunately, these organizations, post-pandemic, are facing crises that funding from GivingTuesday is not adequate to offset. Research finds that faith-based organizations provide 40% of social safety net spending, yet only receive 12% of funding from government and foundation sources. And these organizations are struggling. Attendance is down. Giving is down even more than during the great recession. Not for profits are also seeing large drops in the number of donors, particularly small donors. Volunteering is down.

I see this impact first hand in my own community work. People are getting burnt out as need soars and more work falls on fewer people. Institutions are merging and folding. Programs are being cut. But I also see exciting innovations, partnerships and reinventions underway. The people behind these organizations are some of the most creative, resilient and impactful leaders in our society. They need, and deserve, more support.

How to help not for profits?

Donor Advised Funds

First, a lot of money is sitting in Donor Advised Funds. If you are connected to one in any way, actively start to move that money now. It’s critical, especially as economic times toughen.

End of year contribution

Second, challenge yourself to make an end of year gift bigger than you have in the past to an organization you really respect. If your company matches gifts, make sure to request it even if you don’t have super easy software like WeSpire to facilitate it (trust me-- I know it’s a pain if you don’t!). If you influence corporate giving, rethink your “wait and match” model and allocate funds broadly to employees up front to do directed giving.

Volunteering

Third, get back on that volunteering bandwagon with a consistent gig - even if just an hour once a month. One of the biggest challenges for organizations that provide regular services is the revolving door and not knowing who will show up. If you can become a consistent volunteer, you will be beloved. Bonus: volunteering has been shown to be good for your mental and physical health.

Get involved

Finally, if you were ever involved in a faith community or curious about one, show up. We’ve all been through a lot and are disconnected in ways we can’t always fathom. Sometimes that hour of reflection and connection, and hopefully inspiration, is just what you need to get through the week.