Dear NPW Community:

I hope this email finds you and your loved ones in good health and doing as well as possible. 

I remain humbled and inspired by your work, and want you to know that NPW is doing everything possible to advocate for our sector and the people and communities we are serving during this unprecedented crisis.  

Thanks to nationwide advocacy efforts, of which NPW was a part, charitable nonprofits were expressly made eligible for stimulus relief programs established for for-profit businesses. Congress specifically declared that charitable nonprofits are eligible for loan programs and other relief because it recognized people are turning to us even more in this time of crisis. Reliance on nonprofits and our resources and expertise – from all sectors, including for-profit businesses and government partners – will only increase in the weeks and months ahead.

Advocacy at the local level is critical to national achievements that will protect our sector and the people we serve. In collaboration with government, hospitals, foundations, individuals, educational institutions and for-profit businesses, nonprofits are best positioned to help people deal with the COVID-19 challenges they face in their local communities. Westchester’s incredible network of nonprofit agencies are busy providing service, addressing financial concerns and collaborating to meet vital needs in our community. That is what we should continue to do. AND we must advocate. 

Early on in this crisis, we asked for your support in reaching out to elected officials and it helped more than you may realize. Our County, State and Federal representatives have been accessible and responsive – let’s keep it going. NPW will continue to keep you up to date on advocacy issues and to enlist your help.

CARES Act

NPW will work to further the agenda set forth by the National Council of Nonprofits that seeks to ensure that money does not run out and to address further issues.  In "CARES Act 2.0" legislation, nonprofits will be calling on Congress to create a specific Nonprofit Track that, among other things:  

• establishes dedicated nonprofit funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and Mid-Size Business Loans;
• makes charitable giving incentives retroactive to 2019 and increases the above-the-line deduction;
• reimburses nonprofits fully for unemployment claims;
• increases funding for targeted state formula grants and programs; and
• makes technical corrections that become apparent as nonprofits and governments work to turn legislative language into action.

Other Issues

NPW will work with member agencies, supporters and government partners to

• advance incentive pay for essential workers serving vulnerable populations;
• help meet the needs of our most vulnerable children and youth – the academic achievement gap and educational divide will only increase due to COVID-19;
• address the specific issues being faced by immigrant communities;
• support legislation that will better meet the needs of mid and larger size nonprofits.

We will continue to employ an equity lens in all of our work, recognizing that this crisis will, in many ways, heighten disparities based on race, gender, ability and other factors. 

Please feel free to reach out to me with any issues of concern or simply to talk things out if you need to do so.

Warmest regards,
Jan

Jan Fisher

Executive Director

Nonprofit Westchester

jfisher@npwestchester.org

cell: 914-439-0203