Supporting Non-Profits: Got Any Good Ideas?

Times are tough. And according to Non-profit leaders, times are really tough for them. Non-profit executive directors are in a never ending quest for funding and are finding local government partnerships to be changing or ending all together.

In addition to contracting with non-profits for services, Beltrami County has a grant program funded by timber sales and distributed through a competitive application process. The County Board makes the final decisions. Unfortunately, the City of Bemidji doesn't have a pot of discretionary dollars to grant out to worthy causes. But that doesn't stop organizations from asking for donations in a variety of forms. In addition to donations for operations or matching funds, there are requests to forgive building fees, special assessments, and miscellaneous other permits and fees.

The City Council has currently imposed a moratorium on donations, but everyone knows that non-profits are essential to making our community livable. So how can the City support non-profits without handing out cash?

I was looking for an answer to that question when I attended the Non-profit Survival Summit recently (3/20) in Bemidji. The participants discussed the survival of non-profits in times of declining resources and increasing need. We identified challenges and opportunities facing organizations and the potential for working together to strengthen one another.

Consultant Jeanne Edevold Larson leads the planning session.

I didn't find any answers at the summit, but I hope to continue the conversation as the group continues to meet.

By the Numbers
67 - Number of non-profit organizations that gathered for the Non-profit Survival Summit in Bemidji
100s - Number of organizations listed on the Community Resource Connections that utilize volunteers
$12 billion - Value of wages paid to employees in the non-profit sector in MN according to this report (PDF)
$19.51 - Estimated dollar value of volunteer time in 2007 according to the Independent Sector
4 - Number of houses that Northwoods Habitat for Humanity built in 2008

Maybe it's time for a study of the non-profit sector in Bemidji to identify the economic impact that non-profits have. I believe we might be surprised at the number of employees working for non-profits and the value of the grants and contracts generated by non-profits for Bemidji. A study could be the basis for creating a policy to guide the City when requests for support are received. What do you think? Can the City of Bemidji find ways to support non-profits in our community that don't involve cash?