Joining the board of the NH Center for Nonprofits has been eye opening. We at Business NH Magazine have been aware of and reporting on the challenges facing nonprofits, but joining the board has provided me with a front row seat to the depths of those challenges as well as the innovation nonprofits show in meeting them.
This year, the NH Center for Nonprofits joined a national effort to raise awareness of the impact of nonprofits on the economy and people’s lives at a time when demand for their services is surging in an uncertain economy.
“Right now, a rising demand for these services means more neighbors need help, but state and federal policy decisions threaten this important work. That’s why we are taking action and bringing the nationwide Nonprofits Get It Done movement to the Granite State,” the center states on its website.
How are nonprofits “getting it done?” Let’s start with their economic impact. Nonprofits make up 14% of the state’s workforce, employing over 85,000 individuals at over 9,000 nonprofits. And nonprofits generated $17.2 billion annually for the NH economy.
Then there is the breadth of their impact on quality of life, from libraries to hospitals to social service agencies that help people in need and to arts organizations that create vibrant communities.
They tackle some of the most complex social issues, as evidenced by our cover story this month about how rural health care providers are trying to leverage federal dollars to improve health care access in their communities even as the same legislation makes steep cuts to Medicaid that will result in NH losing an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in funding over the next decade.
And that is another centerpiece of the Nonprofits Get it Done campaign—urging leaders and residents to use their voices to help nonprofits achieve their missions and prevent harmful legislation. It provides a sample letter people can use to contact their legislators on the center’s website (nhnonprofits.org/getitdone).
The center is asking nonprofit staff, board members, volunteers and leaders to share their experiences, impact, and voices to amplify the message that nonprofits “Get It Done” for every NH community. And it provides content to help nonprofits easily share how they “get it done.”
As we head into the summer months and enjoy our vacations, keep in mind nonprofits still need your support as they continue their missions of feeding and housing your neighbors, keeping us healthy, and bringing us together.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Mowry,
Co-Publisher and Executive Editor