Comments on: POLICY MEMORANDUM: A Scan of Nonprofit Policy Recommendations for the Obama Administration

By: Obama and the Non-Profit world «

Obama and the Non-Profit world « — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:29:35 +0000

[...] domestic and international crises. Rick Cohen, at The Cohen Report, recently provided an excellent summary of existing proposals from some leading organizations and thinkers in the field. If you are curious [...]

By: Al Huntoon

Al Huntoon — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:18:52 +0000

I came across a figure recently that stated that 61% of nonprofits have budgets of less than $250,000 with another 33% having budgets under $1 million. Many of the largest nonprofit organizations, the ones with the strongest advocacy influence, started with far larger budgets than that (there really is no question of “scaling up” programs from the community for these organizations). This begs the question of whether larger nonprofits can accurately represent the interests of the vast majority of community-based organizations given that they seem to have little in common. I’m left wondering if there is a role for a national advocacy organization for community-based organizations like the National Small Business Association.

By: Rick Cohen

Rick Cohen — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:26:06 +0000

I’m struck my how many comments we’re getting online–and offline–regarding the concerns of smaller nonprofits. The 501(c)(3) sector is hard to describe as one cohesive entity. Large universities with multi-billion dollar endowments, private foundation with similar endowments, and tiny neighborhood-based service providers and advocacy organizations are all 501(c)(3)s, that is, they share the same tax status, but they’re otherwise quite different. When entities say they “speak for” over 1,000,000 nonprofit organizations, it might be important to dig into their statements to see which swaths of those nonprofits will benefit more than others from the positions they advocate.

By: Edmund W. Russell

Edmund W. Russell — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:57:16 +0000

This specific policy memorandum of yours should inculcate even more insight & discussion to foster new policy recommendations for a coherent third sector future. As this sector evolves, I earnestly hope that the larger nonprofits will enhance their inter-agency contacts and welcome the concerns of their counterparts of smaller nonprofit institutions.

By: Terry Fernsler

Terry Fernsler — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:22:34 +0000

Thanks for a very comprehensive update. Special thanks for pointing out in your concluding remarks that these proposals are being promulgated by large, institutional nonprofits. Most of the proposals abandon (or are irrelevant to) the needs of the small nonprofits, which tend to serve their communities or constituents, not self-perpetuation.

By: Rick Cohen

Rick Cohen — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:07:50 +0000

Dear Jeff: Thanks for the kind comments. It’s great to see NPQ and the Cohen Report linked to the Development Training Institute. For those NPQ/CR readers who don’t know, DTI has long been the foremost capacity-builder and leadership developer in the community development sector. But DTI’s reach is broader than community developers, it really gets to community-based organizations of various kinds. I appreciate having CR and NPQ materials distributed through the DTI network. Thanks, Jeff.

By: Rick Cohen

Rick Cohen — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:05:03 +0000

Marion, thank you for the kind comments. I think you’re comment points to something i raised in the MEMO concerning the assumption by many, including some national nonprofits lobbying the Obama Administration, that nonprofit workers don’t need good wages, career paths, even living wages. Take a look at the comments I cited from the American Prospect’s Bob Kuttner. There’s something there that needs to be addressed. Regarding another federal agency or commission for nonprofits, in this case I’m a little inclined toward the position I’ve seen attributed to Brian Gallagher of the United Way, that rather than an agency or commission for nonprofits, we need government to provide better assistance to the poor and disadvantaged, which would boost nonprofits much more than a new agency or a new bubkas-funded social innovation fund. But we’ll see, won’t we? Thanks for your feedback.

By: Marian Conway

Marian Conway — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:10:36 +0000

Thanks for the extensive and well researched piece, Rick.

I do have issues with yet another government agency or commission, this one to assist nonprofits. It will be staffed with government workers–making union scale while, as we all know, nonprofit workers are paid on a whole different scale.

By: Jeff Nugent

Jeff Nugent — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:56:26 +0000

This is at once the most comprehensive and readable analysis I have seen regarding what has happened with the stimulus package and the nonprofit sector thus far. We will be forwarding this link to our network of leaders of community organizations around the country. Thanks Rick–keep up the great work!

By: Nathaniel Whittemore

Nathaniel Whittemore — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:00:37 +0000

Really, really great post – an incredibly valuable tool for anyone interested in this. Cited as a must read here: http://socialentrepreneurship.change.org/blog/view/the_daily_entrepeneur_obama_nonprofits_small_business_vc_and_mobile4dev

Thanks!