Hurricane Katrina
Japanese Delegation coming to Pennsylvania
Nonprofit Employment Study 
PA Nonprofit Congress 
Senate Short-Changes Value of Charitable Contributions
Standards for Excellence News Releases
Town Hall meeting in Bethlehem- Special Guest Senator Santorum
 

April 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NONPROFIT EXECUTIVES GATHER AT THE CAPITOL TO JOIN FORCES AND INCREASE BENEFITS TO PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITIES

PANO Hosts Forum to Promote Synergy Among Pennsylvania's Nonprofit Sector

HARRISBURG – Thursday, April 17, 2008 is Pennsylvania Nonprofit Day throughout the Commonwealth. In recognition of the day, the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations led a coalition of organizations and hosted the first-ever Pennsylvania Nonprofit Congress.

The Congress, a one-day forum held today at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, provided nonprofits from across the Commonwealth the opportunity to gather and produce a strategic vision and collaborative action plan that aims to strengthen the sector. Thought-leaders representing Pennsylvania’s 75,000-plus nonprofit organizations discussed issues and challenges that impact the entire 501(c) (3) nonprofit sector.

Specifically, delegates to the Congress were asked to focus on four strategic areas: Leadership, Capacity Building, Advocacy and Public Awareness; all areas in which greater collaboration would have the most significant impact on the sector as a whole. An industry whose payroll is larger than that of utilities, transportation, State government, finance and insurance, and wholesale trade, the nonprofit sector is an economic giant in Pennsylvania, all-the-while playing a very important role in our communities.

“Pennsylvanians use services provided by nonprofits every day, whether they know it or not,” said Joe Geiger, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations. “People don’t realize that nonprofits span a huge spectrum; from foundations to museums, educational organizations to arts groups, and hospitals to faith-based organizations. While individually, each one is important, we must look beyond their brick and mortar operation to view the larger picture and coordinate our efforts as a sector.”

“The Nonprofit Congress is further hope that the interests of the nonprofit sector can be protected and we can continue working towards positive impact in our communities,” said Alex Dow, Downtown Center Manager for the Pittsburgh Literacy Council who spoke to the General Assembly. “While my agency alone can’t single-handedly effect change on a statewide level, I like to think we can be a part of a larger movement of likeminded organizations and individuals whose combined efforts had an impact.”

In addition to addressing issues and concerns among the sector, the resulting agenda and action plan derived from the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Congress will be presented at the National Nonprofit Congress to be held this June in Washington, D.C.

About Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) PANO is the statewide membership organization serving and advancing charitable nonprofit organizations through leadership, advocacy, education and services in order to improve the quality of life in Pennsylvania.

MEDIA CONTACT: David A. Ross, PANO Public Policy Officer (717) 236-8584 | david@pano.org 

Fact Sheet

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March 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATEWIDE NONPROFITS MEET TO DISCUSS GREATER COLLABORATION

PANO Hosts Forum to Encourage Synergy Among Pennsylvania's Nonprofit Sector

HARRISBURG- On April 17, 2008 the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) will lead a coalition of 100 statewide nonprofit organizations and host the first-ever Pennsylvania Nonprofit Congress in Harrisburg. Thought-leaders from throughout the sector will discuss key issues that impact the entire 501(c)(3) nonprofit sector. Anyone with a commitment to or interest in the nonprofit sector is encouraged to register and attend.

"All nonprofits share the goal of promoting the quality of life in our communities," said Joe Geiger, Executive Director of PANO. "From museums to homeless shelters, from foundations to charities, it is essential that we work together to develop a statewide action plan that nonprofits can implement at the local, state and national levels."

PROGRAM:

· 8:50 am - The Pennsylvania Nonprofit Congress will begin with a general assembly on the floor of the House of Representatives. Secretary Estelle Richman, Department of Public Welfare and Representative George Kenney Jr. will address the delegates on relationships between the State and its nonprofits. PANO’s Executive Director Joe Geiger will join Jonathan Encarnacion of Centro Hispano Daniel Torres and others to share their visions for the future of the sector.

· 10:15 am - Delegates will recess to concurrent working groups focused on leadership, capacity building, public awareness, or advocacy.

· 12:30 pm - Press conference - Capitol Rotunda.

· 1:00 pm - Delegates will return to their working groups to discuss problems and identify solutions to help nonprofits better achieve their missions.

· 3:00 pm - The general assembly of delegates will reconvene to report-out their proposals for the Statewide Agenda. Delegates will vote on these proposals until the agenda for the entire sector is approved.

About the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Congress

The Pennsylvania Nonprofit Congress provides nonprofits across the Commonwealth to produce a collective action plan to be presented at the National Nonprofit Congress, an initiative of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, in June 2008. For more information click here to learn more. Download the event flyer (pdf.); Register online.

About Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO)

PANO is the statewide membership organization serving and advancing charitable nonprofit organizations through leadership, advocacy, education and services in order to improve the quality of life in Pennsylvania.

WHEN: Thursday, April 17, 2008 (8:50 am to 4:30 pm)

LOCATION: Pennsylvania Capital Building, Harrisburg

CONTACT: David A. Ross, PANO Public Policy Officer

(717) 236-8584 | david@pano.org 

July 17, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Senate Short-Changes Value of Charitable Contributions

HARRISBURG- On July 15, the State Senate cut Rep. Rosita Youngblood’s charitable giving provision from the Governor’s Filmmaker Tax Credit Bill. The House adopted Youngblood’s amendment with bipartisan support by a 122-75 vote, and passed the bill on July 10 by a vote of 197-5 with the charity provision intact. When it reached the Senate however, the provision was cut- in order to keep the tax code uniform. While charitable requirements are not typically part of other tax credits, Youngblood’s provision could have raised millions of dollars for local charities throughout the Commonwealth.

Senate Bill 97 provides a $50-75 million tax credit to lure out of state production companies to film in PA. If a filmmaker spends at least 60% of its budget in PA, it could claim a $1 tax credit for every $4 it spent here. Youngblood’s amendment would have required 10% of that tax credit to be directed to a local charity either by a donation, in-kind services or assistance with fundraising. The filmmaker would only have to donate a dime to get a dollar.

From homeless shelters to hospitals, charitable nonprofits employ one out of every nine workers in Pennsylvania (over 650,000 employees) and touch the lives of nearly every person in the Commonwealth. Charities and Philanthropies are an integral part of our communities serving our needs and our needy. But resources are becoming increasingly scarce sector-wide. Charities are being forced to do more with less, and the need for charitable services continues to grow.

On the other hand, filmmaking in PA is potentially a $500 million industry. But most production companies are from other states, employ few Pennsylvanians, and the benefit to the community, while lucrative, is temporary. Youngblood’s charitable provision could have achieved the best of both worlds for filmmakers and for our communities.

We are disappointed that the charitable provision was not included in the bill's final version. SB97 could have generated millions of dollars for Arts, for people with mental or physical challenges or for day care services. However, we are equally encouraged that there are some enlightened lawmakers like Representative Youngblood who are willing to identify innovative solutions to complex problems.

PANO and the Charitable Nonprofit Sector look forward to working with the Legislature this fall to develop lasting charitable giving incentive legislation that promotes quality of life in our communities.

This September PANO and the United Way of Pennsylvania will formally announce the Pennsylvania Charitable Nonprofit Caucus. The Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral forum through which lawmakers can collaborate on statewide issues that impact charity and philanthropy in Pennsylvania.

CONTACT: David Ross, PANO Public Policy Officer

(717) 236-8584 x1009 or david@pano.org 

Japanese Delegation coming to Pennsylvania

January 4, 2006- January 10th, 2006, in cooperation with the Center for Global Partnership (CGP) PANO will host a delegation of Japanese NGO leaders. PANO will receive 12 representatives of the nonprofit Community of Niigata Japan in the spirit of academic and cultural exchange.

Japan Foundation CGP is devoted to the promotion of mutual understanding and closer ties between our two countries through policy relevant intellectual exchange and dialogue as well as regional and grassroots exchange.

During this 8 day tour of Central Pennsylvania, PANO will showcase Pennsylvania’s charitable nonprofit sector, and share strategies and methods to help advance the emerging charitable nonprofit sector in Japan. The Japanese delegation will be meeting with local and regional charitable nonprofits, attending cultural events, and meeting with government leaders to solve problems concerning community development in the face of economic and political hurdles.

By examining challenges of capacity building, and working in concert with other organizations PANO and the Japanese Delegation will be working together to find creative solutions to problems common to both nations which transcend ethnic and cultural differences.

For more information please contact david@pano.org.  For more information regarding the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership please go to www.cgp.org  or http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/region_j/cgp_j. 

“Nonprofits to the Rescue – The American Model”

By Joseph M. Geiger Executive Director Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO)

On a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit Pennsylvania’s elected officials, I was stunned when our Congressional members commented that what is working in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort is good old-fashioned charities. I am not surprised that charities are rising to the occasion but I was surprised at the candor of comments regarding the performance of those charities.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, I scheduled the visit to Washington to brief elected officials on the merits and history of the nonprofit movement in our great country. The charity story took on heightened relevance with the activities in the wake of Katrina. My message was timely as each of the offices had CNN airing in the reception areas, chronicling the heroic efforts of volunteers rescuing evacuees.

Alexis de Tocqueville, a journeyman in the mid 18th century, traveled across America and noticed that what made this young country great was that when a challenge arose in a community, people formed volunteer associations to address the issue. America has grown in magnificent ways since then. Partnerships between government and businesses and nonprofits have added tremendous capacity to address the worst that enemies or nature can throw at us.

The United States has never experienced such an invasive and destructive natural disaster with over 90,000 square miles of devastation. Over half a million people were displaced. Lives were changed and stolen. The grief and suffering is unfathomable.

I am disheartened by those who are inclined to spend their energy on assigning blame, while others are suffering and/or in the field getting the job done. There will be a better time to reflect on what might have been done. It is time for us as a nation to come together. People in need don’t care whether it is a National Guardsman, Coast Guard Reservist or American Red Cross volunteer who takes them to safety.

Hurricane Katrina should serve as a wake-up call that nobody can do it alone. Charities are a crucial element in the discovery of solutions. At a time when people are skeptical about the integrity of charities, the sector has risen to the occasion. Charities provided comfort, food and money. Volunteers rescued pets and saved people’s lives.

Pennsylvanians are among the many who offered room in their homes to absorb evacuees. Residents of our Commonwealth are donating money generously. Pennsylvania charities were among the first on the scene after the storm passed.

Maybe there is a realization that what happened in Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama could happen here. Maybe Americans are bonded by the common belief that we really care about others in need. One thing that I believe is certain is this: charities are the essential connection to helping those in need.

For additional information, contact PANO at 717-236-8584 or email Joe Geiger.

Pennsylvania Nonprofits Are a Major Economic Force

Download the .pdf version of the Nonprofit Employment Study.

Nonprofit employees are one out of every nine paid workers and earn nearly 11 percent of wages in the state.

Harrisburg, April 14 -- Pennsylvania’s charitable organizations -- its universities, nonprofit hospitals, homeless shelters, think tanks, theaters and charities are a major economic force in Pennsylvania, according to The Pennsylvania Nonprofit Employment Report.

The first-ever study defines the sector's effect on the state's economy, details the latest data available on nonprofit employment and payrolls by industry and location. The report sponsored by Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO), United Way of Pennsylvania (UWP) and M&T Bank draws on data generated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor through the quarterly surveys of the state’s workplaces.

"By definition, nonprofits are not in the business of financial gain. We're in the business of doing good," said Joe Geiger, PANO Executive Director. "However, nonprofits are still businesses in every other sense -- they employ people, they take in revenues, they produce goods and services and contribute in significant ways to Pennsylvania's economic stability and growth."

According to some economists, nonprofit expenditures have a greater effect on the economy at the state and local level than hotels, legal services or restaurants, because most of their spending is for wages and rents, which stay in the local communities across the state.

In addition, nonprofits generally reduce the tax burden on individuals and businesses by providing charitable services that would otherwise be provided by government.

“We hope that the report will demolish the stereotype of charitable organizations as ‘non-contributors’ to the well being of the Commonwealth,” explained Geiger. “We are a major player in the state’s economy and our impact needs to be better understood by the public and policymakers.”

Pennsylvania’s nonprofit sector accounts for one out of every nine paid workers—close to twice as many workers as the state’s metal and machines manufacturing industry, including the steel industry. According to recent published reports, four of the top 10 employers in the Commonwealth are nonprofits.

The 634,098 nonprofit employees in Pennsylvania earned over $21.1 billion in wages in 2003, or nearly 11 percent of the state’s total. The nonprofit sector accounts for almost as large a share of Pennsylvania’s total private employment in rural areas as it does in urbanized ones.

"The nonprofit sector is a major economic force in every region of Pennsylvania,” said UWP Interim President Tony Ross. “ The fact, that the sector continues to grow, is a clear indication of its significance, influence and potential.”

Over the past eight years, nonprofit employment grew by 25 percent—more than three times the 7 percent growth rate achieved by the for-profit sector. Moreover, during the recent economic downturn of 2000-03, for-profit jobs actually declined while nonprofit jobs continued their upward trend.

Non-profit employment generates significant tax revenue and other economic benefits for local and state government in Pennsylvania.

Page 2 Pennsylvania Nonprofit Employment Report

“Non-profits and their employees contribute financially to the Commonwealth through levies such as income taxes, property taxes, occupational taxes and the sector also often serves as a stabilizing influence in times of economic uncertainty“ noted Ross.

According to Allied Arts Fund President Stuart Weiser, the economic impact of the non-profit arts is “staggering.” Research by Americans for the Arts indicates that the nonprofit arts sector annually adds $10.5 billion to federal income tax revenues, which is 90 times the budget of the National Endowment of the Arts.

“In Central Pennsylvania alone, the organizations we fund generate an economic impact of $43 million a year and support 1100 full-time equivalent jobs,” noted Weiser.

The impact of the arts extends beyond finance. Cultural institutions and quality of life issues are often utilized to attract new businesses or recruit new employees.

“The arts make communities a richer, more interesting and simply better place to live and work,” said Weiser.

Contacts:

Joe Geiger, PANO – (717) 236-8584 Tony Ross, United Way – (717) 238-7365 Stuart Weiser, Allied Arts Fund – (717) 233-1694