The Center is offering a series of virtual nonprofit policy briefings this spring. The first policy briefing, which will be held on March 24, will provide information on trends in the nonprofit sector and key federal and state policy issues affecting nonprofits in 2022.

On April 1 (and we promise it’s not an April Fools’ joke), the Center is offering an overview of the 2022 election for nonprofits, including:

Registration is open for both policy briefings, along with virtual regional gatherings for nonprofits in western North Carolina, the Triad, and the Charlotte area. Later this spring, the Center will also offer topical policy briefings on the state budget, access to healthcare, and potential solutions to the nonprofit workforce shortage.

Yesterday, the NC House of Representatives approved an adjournment resolution (S.J.R. 748), officially ending the state legislature’s 2021 “long” session. The NC Senate had approved the adjournment resolution on Wednesday. Legislators will return to Raleigh on Wednesday, May 18 to start their 2022 “short” session, which is expected to continue into early summer. During the short session, legislators may make adjustments to the state budget for FY2022-23 and could vote on a variety of bills that were introduced during the 2021 long session. The Center’s top priorities during the short session will be:

With the May 17 primary election just over two months away, election season is now underway in North Carolina. This spring is a great time for nonprofits to engage with candidates for office. Nonprofit VOTE has a one-page information sheet with tips on five legal and nonpartisan ways that 501(c)(3) nonprofits can engage with candidates. The Center is developing two opportunities for nonprofits to interact with candidates for office this year:

Last night, the U.S. Senate approved an omnibus spending bill (H.R. 2471) to provide about $1.5 trillion in funding for the federal government through September 30, the end of the current federal fiscal year. Among other things, the 2,741-page bill includes:

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill on Wednesday night, and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it today to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Unfortunately, the omnibus spending bill does not address much-needed nonprofit pandemic and workforce shortage relief. The Center and our national nonprofit colleagues will continue to share the national nonprofit letter seeking policy solutions to address challenges to charitable giving, the nonprofit workforce shortage, and the decline in volunteerism with our members of Congress and to seek other legislation that may provide opportunities to advance some of these policy solutions.

This week, the NC Senate and NC House of Representatives both passed a bill (H.B. 243) that makes a variety of technical and clarifying changes to the state budget for FY2021-23. A few provisions in the 52-page bill affect nonprofits, including:

The bill now goes to Governor Cooper for his consideration. It passed with broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House, so it is likely that Governor Cooper will sign it into law.

Last year’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expanded and improved the child tax credit in three important ways:

The expanded and prepaid child tax credit helped lift many North Carolina families with children out of poverty. For many families, this money helped pay for child care, food, home and car repairs, and medical expenses last summer and fall. Most families with children received half of their child tax credit as monthly payments during the second half of 2021, thanks largely to nonprofits helping these families provide the necessary information to the Internal Revenue Service.

With a bit more help from nonprofits, many families can learn how to claim the second half of their child tax credit payments. Families are due to receive the remainder of their child tax credits as refunds when they file their 2021 federal income taxes. Your nonprofit can do three things to help families in your community access the full child tax credit:

Nonprofits often rely on salary surveys to determine whether they are compensating their staff fairly. To help nonprofits get the most current salary data, the Center has partnered with Association TRENDS on the 2022 NC Nonprofit Compensation Survey. It is important for every North Carolina nonprofit to respond to the survey to get the most comprehensive and accurate picture of compensation across the state. The Center has already taken the survey, and we have shared tips from our experience to make it easier and save time for other nonprofits.

Please take the 30 minutes (or less) to complete the survey by April 1. Participating organizations receive a discount on the 2022 report; participating Center members save even more.

The Center provides Nonprofit Policy Update each week as a benefit to its nonprofit members. However, to help all North Carolina nonprofits respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we're temporarily providing this newsletter to non-member nonprofits. Don’t miss out – become a member to ensure you continue receiving these updates along with many other valuable benefits.