Fall’s arrival in Oklahoma means more than football and bearable temperatures. It is also the beginning of the calendar-clogging charitable events season. Since the pandemic upended last year’s fundraisers, nonprofits are eager to once again engage with their most ardent supporters and funders. Unfortunately, the resurgence of COVID-19 once again threatens to cancel engagements – possibly leaving thousands of organizations without critical fundraising opportunities and Oklahoma’s social scene void of notable events.

As our state’s nonprofits consider whether or not to go ahead with their planned events, it is crucial that funders and supporters remember that these events are more than social gatherings. They provide indispensable funding for organizations in the throes of recovering from economic turmoil, while also working to meet increased service needs stemming from an elongated pandemic. The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) found that 83% of Oklahoma nonprofits hosted fundraisers that were negatively impacted by COVID-19. Simultaneously, nearly 60% of organizations experienced an increase in demand for their services. This gap has left hundreds of charitable organizations looking to Oklahoma’s philanthropic sector for continued support with another events season potentially mired by the ongoing pandemic.

My work on the national nonprofit stage as Chair of the National Council of Nonprofits has given me great insight into other states’ charitable communities and their surrounding cultures. Oklahoma stands as an outlier in the importance organizations place on events and the funds garnered from them. Bottom line – we love a great party and know how to throw one. When there are not public safety concerns to consider, this manifests itself with full calendars, beautiful gowns, elegant tuxedos and millions of dollars given to critical causes. Unfortunately, our current reality stands in opposition to this ideal, but the need for funding does not. This fall, it is imperative that we remember the purpose behind those glitzy parties. Even if the party is canceled, there will always be a purpose in need of funding.

by Marnie Taylor, president and CEO, OKCNP

Read original oped posted by the Journal Record on August 4, 2021

Not much captures imaginations in Oklahoma like news of $1.87 billion pouring into our state’s government. The American Rescue Plan Act funding is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Oklahomans to correct the systemic problems that have plagued our state for generations. It is also a unique opportunity for government and nonprofits – two sectors that serve the public’s interests – to work together to expand the funding’s influence.

The more than 5,000 active nonprofits in Oklahoma have improved our state’s landscape. Their work addressing food insecurity, education gaps and health disparities, to name a few, has brought lasting social and economic changes that directly benefit Oklahomans. Additional funding and resources from the government would mean more people facing socioeconomic challenges would get the assistance they need.

Nonprofits are masters at doing a lot with a little. Most of Oklahoma’s best charities send 80% or more of every dollar back into the community. They keep overhead low and focus on how to stretch every donation in order to serve clients better. The decision on where and how to spend the $1.87 billion will not be simple by any means. It should be noted though that nonprofits can and will plunge whatever funding they receive straight into responding to the public health emergency that COVID-19 created.

The generosity of nonprofit funders is the sector’s lynchpin. Every year, they donate millions to help Oklahoma’s charitable causes. Their support is unique to our community and strengthens our ability to serve Oklahomans. Nonprofits can combine whatever government funding they receive with donors’ gifts, magnifying their growth, reach and abilities.

The partnership between nonprofits and Oklahoma’s government has been one of mutual trust and shared goals. The opportunity that the historic ARPA funding presents cannot be overlooked. By working together, the two sectors that were built on public service can serve Oklahomans better.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Marnie Taylor, President and CEO of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP), is now the Board Chair of the National Council of Nonprofits. Taylor spent two years as the Board’s Vice Chair while working as the President and CEO of OKCNP, a statewide association representing the charitable sector.

 “The work of the National Council is felt in every nonprofit in this country,” Taylor said. “Our state has benefited enormously from the advocacy and policy work, and we have connections throughout the country to learn and share together so that we have the strongest economic sector in America.”  

Taylor cited the organization’s strong past leadership that includes former board chair and OSU-Tulsa President Emeritus Howard Barnett. Taylor will succeed Donna Murray-Brown, President and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association.  

“I come in on the heels of an incredible woman, leader and friend,” Taylor said. “I can’t thank her enough for her partnership over the past two years. She leaves me with a big role to fill and I am excited for the challenge.”  

Tim Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, believes Taylor’s strong understanding of organizational governance, strategy, public policy, strong ethics and accountability will continue the Council’s growth.  

“Marnie Taylor’s peers – accomplished nonprofit leaders from across the country – unanimously selected Marnie to serve as Chair of our national board of directors because they respect and value Marnie’s strong leadership skills and longstanding dedication to the vital work of charitable nonprofits,” Delaney said. “They recognize that our network of nonprofits – the largest in the country – will benefit by having Marnie’s special blend of inspiring vision and practical insights.” 

Taylor believes the sector will continue to change America for the good.  

“If you know me, I quote John Wesley all the time,” Taylor said. “Do all the good you can. That’s the power of our sector – doing good. We need a lot of that good in our communities and our country right now, and nonprofits are going to lead that race.”  

For more information about the National Council of Nonprofits, visit www.councilofnonprofits.org.

I am hearing from nonprofits that their optimism of getting back into offices and seeing one another at events is giving everyone hope about our future. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, many of the families our nonprofits serve are getting further relief after a tumultuous last year. CARES Act funds have helped our sector immensely through PPP loans, eviction prevention assistance, grants from the Oklahoma Business Relief Program, funding specifically for arts organization and may other initiatives helping our organizations in a time of great challenge.

A survey from BKD found that 61% of nonprofits lost fees and donations in the last year and that 29% intend to cancel programs or reduce services. Nine of ten had to drastically alter operations. Nonprofits need relief. Now.

With the new American Rescue Plan, there will be further funds coming to Oklahoma to help individuals and businesses. My hope is that we will also develop a mechanism to get money from the ARP straight to nonprofits. The last rounds of stimulus for nonprofits were truly stop-gaps to help organizations survive an unpredictable economy. While donors stepped up in a big way last year, nonprofits will continue to need more cash to sustain programs and help Oklahomans long-term following the Pandemic.

I can tell you that most nonprofits increased service delivery over the last year. Needs were great, and nonprofits responded. However, few were funded for this extra work. When they did receive support, much of it had to cover budget holes created by lack of special events or major donors focusing on recovery.

Increased services were part of the operations of nonprofits. For instance, call volumes to our 211 system statewide increased 600-800% at times in the past year. All of our direct service organizations reported higher need. To sustain this into the future, we must continue investing in these programs so that they’re ready for the next civil disaster.

Nonprofits will need continued support. We expect high needs to continue long after we reach herd immunity. I urge our state leaders to consider using some of the America Rescue Plan funds to underwrite the work of nonprofits. While the situation looks less challenging, the people served by nonprofits may not see the relief for years come.

This week, the Legislature convened for the 2021 legislative session. Last year as you recall, COVID-19 created a number of barriers for our state Legislature to get much policy work completed or bills passed. This year, they are hopeful that they will be able to return to a more normal session.

And they have their work cut out for them.

Oklahomans will be dealing with several important issues this year, and many of those directly impact the nonprofit sector. One of the most talked about is Oklahoma healthcare. Last week, the Healthcare Authority voted 5-4 to allow for managed care in Oklahoma. It was announced later that Oklahoma had chose four third-party managed care providers to help oversee the management of our state’s Medicaid population.

The possibility of managed care has both proponents and detractors, including within our nonprofit sector. It will have enormous effects on the way healthcare providing nonprofits are paid in Oklahoma and will influence their business practices. Additionally, the state will need to find nearly $200 million to fund the Medicaid expansion that was narrowly passed in a statewide vote.

Education – particularly K-12 schools – are also going to be a focus of the Legislature again this year. From operating during a pandemic to funding issues and school outcomes, there are a number of bills that address learning. For nonprofits that work alongside schools (early childhood programs, school supporting charities and foundations, along with other nonprofits), education funding and transparency will be major issues this session.

We are also hopeful that our Legislature will make changes to the Open Meetings Act, allowing once again nonprofit boards to meet virtually. It is our understanding that this will be addressed early in the session based on remarks made last week by Senate and House leadership at the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce online event. Sen. Greg Treat made mention that other issues for the Open Meetings Act would be addressed with other legislation later in the session.

And nonprofits will again need to carefully monitor various bills this year. I am encouraging nonprofits to again have advocacy at the forefronts of their mission. I also encourage board members to “Stand for the Mission” and get more involved in advocacy and government affairs. Nonprofits must continue working to keep a seat at the table for advocacy, and this year will be a pivotal moment for nonprofits working in healthcare, education, criminal justice reform and community services.

Let’s get to work.

It was only 35 years ago when many of us didn’t wear seatbelts. Car seats for babies and children weren’t the norm. We laugh about the days when family road trips included riding in the rears of station wagons untethered. America had a problem — high death rates in accidents. Safety was a big issue. And the only solution was to get people to wear their seatbelts.

It was the nonprofit sector that came together to challenge policymakers to enact laws that protected people, particularly our children. Just think, without nonprofits, people would likely still be smoking in offices and we would not have the Americans with Disabilities Act. Today, every nonprofit in Oklahoma could have a “seatbelt story.” Whether that is strengthening laws to protect families from domestic violence or ensuring every child has access to food, health and education services, nonprofits have the power to create lasting change.

But these “seatbelt stories” don’t come without work or seats at the table to create this important change. This election, especially in Oklahoma, means that like our recent past, our legislative composition, budget issues and policy challenges will remain. Therefore, the nonprofit sector continues to need a bigger seat at the table. We are an incredibly large employment and business sector, yet we often continue to be unheard at these tables — even when we pull up our folding chairs. I’m urging our Legislature and governor to invite us wholeheartedly to the table, and to please listen and consider the importance of our sector in decision-making.

While we will welcome a number of new and eager policymakers, the challenges we face at the state level — particularly with regard to the state budget — will dominate the work of nonprofits in the next year. I always tell nonprofits that the time to meet with legislators is not when we are in the middle of a session or facing a crisis. I urge all nonprofit leaders and particularly board members to reach out to current and newly elected members of the House and Senate now. Introduce yourself if you haven’t already. And most of all, fill them in on what your nonprofit is doing and why it is so critical to the needs of your community and our state. Establish yourself as the expert on your mission. Legislators will rely on you for your stories and impact data.

On the federal level, central Oklahoma will have a new congresswoman in state Sen. Stephanie Bice. The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits worked with U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn on nonprofit issues the past two years and we look forward to working with Bice. Additionally, we expect to also work closely with Sen. James Lankford and his staff on stimulus for nonprofits and furthering charitable giving incentives.

Finally, I am asking nonprofits — particularly board members and leadership — to put politics aside and to engage in real policy work. We will come to the table together and be vocal on the issues and policy positions that we stand for as a sector. This is our time to be leaders. This is our time to create those “seatbelt stories.” This is our time to be bold and effect change in Oklahoma.

Build relationships. Advocate. Change the future. This is a perfect time for all of us to work hand-in-hand to create the lasting change that Oklahoma needs. To all of our hardworking nonprofits and the people who empower them through leadership, volunteerism and philanthropy, I say thank you.

*Read the original post on Oklahoman.com

by Marnie Taylor, president and CEO, OKCNP

I cannot believe it is already October. I believe we are all looking forward to a hopefully beautiful fall. Change is definitely in the air.

But with the changing of the leaves our nonprofits are facing a number of challenges based on the incurrent political and social climate in the United States. The upcoming elections and U.S. Census results will have repercussions for years for the nonprofit sector which is why nonprofits are closely following the processes. We have a major general election ahead of us with hotly contested races. Money from donors is pour into campaigns this fall, potentially having an effect on charitable giving. Get-out-the-Vote campaigns are underway, and we have only a short time left for voter registration. Mail-in voting has been a significant topic in the news because of the fulfillment problems with the U.S. Post Office. Needless to say, the elections will dominate the news for the next several weeks.

And of course, the Census is wrapping up in days. Oklahoma, in particular, has been struggling with its response rate. Two weeks ago, the national director of the U.S. Census Bureau visited Oklahoma and relayed they had dispatched more than a hundred extra enumerators as part of our sprint to the finish. I will be anxious to see how the response ends.

With all of the political issues happening seemingly at once, and Americans going into a seventh month of the Pandemic, nonprofits have many hurdles ahead. One of those is another stimulus package from the federal government. There have been a number of starts and stops over the past three months on various plans. In the moment I write this, the House has released a $2.2 trillion package that will have nonprofit relief as part of the bill. Nonprofit clientele are in need of further stimulus, particularly unemployment benefits, direct payments and continued student loan relief. While the student loan relief was extended through the end of the year, the others will require legislative action. With further COVID relief needed, I also know the Supreme Court confirmation process is already underway and will take much of the Senate’s energy in the next several weeks.

Most importantly, nonprofits continue to need stimulus of their own. More direct cash could help organizations stabilize during a challenging year of fundraising. Fair and equitable contracting along with more money for operations and loosening of restrictions will also give nonprofits relief. Sen. Lankford has continued to push for greater deductibility of charitable gifts to encourage more personal philanthropy from Americans.

It is my hope that not only nonprofit leaders, but that all community and business leaders will let their policy makers know that now is a crucial time for nonprofits and the people we serve. We know that elections and other political factors will be a distraction, but the hour for nonprofit support is upon us.