We’ve heard that many readers of the Center’s Nonprofit Policy Update tried to respond to the Nonprofit Finance Fund’s State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey on Friday but discovered the survey link did not work. Sorry for our mistake; we included a bad link! You can access the real survey here. Thanks for taking the time to complete it.

If you need a refresher on what the survey is and why we’re encouraging you to complete it, check out the next item (repeated from Friday’s update but with a corrected link!).

The Nonprofit Finance Fund’s State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey, a national survey providing essential information about the financial health of nonprofits, is open through February 28. In the past, policymakers and the media have found data from the survey on North Carolina nonprofits compelling, particularly information on the nonprofit sector’s finances, demand for services, and capacity to meet community needs. This is the first time the Nonprofit Finance Fund has conducted the survey since the start of the pandemic, so this year’s survey will be particularly important in assessing the current health of North Carolina’s nonprofit sector.

The Center strongly encourages you to take the time to complete this survey. The more North Carolina nonprofits that respond, the clearer picture we will have of the finances, capacity, and needs of nonprofit organizations throughout the state. Your responses to the survey will be important tools in the Center’s work to advocate with your nonprofit for policy solutions that will strengthen our organizations and communities.

On Friday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a bill (H.B. 605) that would have moved this year’s primary election to June 7. Because of the ongoing state court litigation surrounding redistricting, the NC Supreme Court issued an order last month delaying the primary election from March 9 to May 17. It’s still possible that the court could further delay the primary election if it determines next month that House, Senate, and congressional maps that are scheduled to be used for elections between 2022 and 2030 are unconstitutional and orders the NC General Assembly to redraw the maps.

As we wait for the districts to be settled, nonprofits can begin preparing your staff, volunteers, clients, and community to be informed voters in 2022. As trusted messengers in our communities, nonprofits are uniquely positioned to educate the people we serve about the kinds of decisions policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels make that directly affect our lives. Clear, accurate, nonpartisan information such as these educational materials from You Can Vote make it easy for nonprofits to share basic information about what’s at stake when we vote.

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.