Black Community Opinions

Fundraising Good Times: Life Without Nonprofits

As economic pressures rise and communities face uncertainty, nonprofits remain a critical lifeline—providing food, care, protection, and hope while calling on everyday citizens to step up and support the systems that sustain us all.
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We have had hard times before, and we are having them again. Will it get better? We believe it will. But in the meantime, it’s time to help each other. And it’s time to support the value and dignity that nonprofit organizations and institutions provide each and every day. These nonprofits are us – the best of us.

Gas prices are up. Groceries cost more. Wages are frozen. Some government employees are not being paid. Major employers are “restructuring,” laying people off at an alarming rate. Funding from government agencies is changing and too often disappearing from our communities. Too many of our neighbors are hiding in their own homes for fear of being swept off the street and deported. Jewish institutions are targeted for hate and violence. What is going on? And who can help?

One answer: nonprofits, big and small. They have always sought to fill the void, and they continue to do so. They may not be visible, but they are everywhere. They are feeding and providing meals to the working poor, those who have lost their jobs, and those who are not currently receiving wages while working. They operate clinics that provide health care and mental health services to those who can no longer afford health insurance. They are offering spiritual assistance as people turn to faith organizations for emotional, mental, and spiritual support and health care. They help the growing number of people experiencing intimate partner violence. They are our nonprofits, and they are serving us.

Nonprofits are organizing and informing us about what we can do within our democracy to stop the cruel exertion of power against “the people” instead of the considered use of power “for the people.” They are rescuing animals that people can no longer afford to care for. They are opening their arms to homeless and exploited children and teenagers, and not turning away those who are LGBTQ. They are innovating education, helping to ensure all of us have access to an education and the skills to earn a livable wage. They are teaching English to those who are new to our country and communities. They are helping people transition to life in the USA, sharing information about their legal rights and how to navigate the system. They research cures for cancers and other illnesses that literally steal life from us. They are our nonprofits, and they are serving us.

They are not just serving us, they are us. They represent the best of who we are and who we can be. As we can, we have to step up to support these organizations financially and with our time and resources. They need our support more than ever, and we need them more than ever. Let us support those who have been standing in the void and are equipped to do so. Let us ask, how can we be of service? Better times are coming, and we can prepare for them by caring for each other. We are all in this together.

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