The debut of our new publication, Insight on Philanthropy, is not a conclusion but a crucial starting point. The conversations that fueled this launch have served as a profound reminder: There is so much more work to do.
This reality was driven home during a recent discussion I had with Michael Schwartz, CEO at Innovative Services, Inc. Our conversation highlighted a critical, often‑overlooked challenge: The voice of the nonprofit community is frequently muted.
“Nonprofits simply do not advocate for themselves often enough or widely enough,” Schwartz says. “They lack the time, people power or knowledge to lobby for their interests, often due to a misguided fear that doing so might jeopardize their nonprofit status.”
In fact, advocacy and specific lobbying is allowed, he says. “Nonprofits must learn the regulations and then make friends with the legislators who represent them. This creates a clear win-win when nonprofits and legislators team up to accomplish good work and then celebrate those achievements,” Schwartz says.
This vital insight underscores why our work is only beginning. Michael himself recently helped secure $212 million in bipartisan legislative funding for people with disabilities, powerfully illustrating that success in this sector requires collective, high‑level advocacy. We recently saw this urgency firsthand with the escalating concerns around food insecurity. When immediate needs arise, having a clear, actionable network is paramount.
That is why the Insight on Philanthropy platform is building a comprehensive nonprofit directory that will serve as a powerful resource, allowing the community and executive leaders to quickly share information and resources when crises, like access to food, require an urgent response.
Insight’s nonprofit directory is now in its building phase: Please share this free resource to help us quickly build the directory.
Click this URL to sign up: insightonbusiness.com/insightonphilanthropy/forms/nonprofitdirectory
