I strongly believe and know that non-profit organizations need adequate funding. My mother is a chief financial officer for a non-profit organization. That is her full-time, 40 (more like 60) hours a week job. Those are hours she spends creating, analyzing and maintaining a budget. It upsets me to think that members of Congress are not aware of the importance and necessity of financing non-profit organizations. Manpower, time, and money are only a few of the requirements needed to have a functioning agency or corporation. Non-profit organizations are not an exception. Without paid, full-time staff on hand, like you and my mom, non-profits would cease to function. Irrelevant this may be to some people, recovering drug addicts, abused family members, those living in poverty, those affected by natural disasters and many other members of society would beg to differ. I would like to point out that these citizens could fall into any social class, which I am of the opinion some people don't realize.
If our officials do lack the education on the issue, then the non-profits need to take big steps to enlighten the policy makers of our country. I know response to the cuts of federal support has not been taken lying down. AmeriCorps has an online petition to the U.S. Senate with over 117,000 signatures (one of them is mine) since February 19, 2011. I also read on the Corporation for National & Community Services website that President Obama proposed a $109 million budget increase for CNCS. It is comforting to know that funding cuts for non-profits does not seem to be too trendy in national politics.
For those interested, here is the link to the AmeriCorps petition:
