We are thrilled to announce that Reps. Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Fred Upton (R-MI) have today introduced the “Nonprofit Sector Strength and Partnership Act of 2022,” which aims to increase collaboration between the federal government and nonprofits to better serve the sector and build healthy and equitable communities.
This legislation, H.R. 7587, has been made possible by the vision and leadership of Independent Sector members. We could not have done this without the incredible advocacy of our public policy staff, our Board of Directors, and the thousands of leaders from hundreds of organizations, who have signed endorsement letters, provided feedback on drafts, or helped shape discussions to get us here. To date, more than 500 organizations from every state and the District of Columba have endorsed this legislation.
This piece of legislation has been a long time coming. I can remember having initial conversations about this as newly named President and CEO of Independent Sector as far back as the 2016 Independent Sector Annual Conference in Washington, DC. And of course, this work sits upon more than 40 years of foundation and legacy of IS building relationships between the federal government and the nonprofit sector.
This specific piece of legislation, and an Executive Order with the same aim, are part of Independent Sector’s Seat at the Table initiative, launched last year. Since we launched the initiative, we have engaged thousands of leaders in committee meetings, in webinars, and at our Upswell Summit last October. In all of those spaces, the feedback and co-creation with our community of changemakers have been game-changing, and we deeply appreciate your partnership and support. Your voices are what got us here, and your voices will help us get this legislation to final passage.
As anyone who has worked in advocacy knows, in many ways, the work has just begun. From this point forward, we will be working with our advocates – like you – to show support for this through endorsements, inclusion of it as part of your own advocacy and communications efforts, and in any opportunities that you have to speak with our own Members of Congress. Together, we can pass this bill and ensure that all federal policymakers share the same respect and understanding of nonprofits that each of us has in our roles every day. This is just one way we can collectively better serve our communities and enable the entire sector to drive toward a healthy and equitable nation where all people thrive.
Again, thank you for all your efforts to make this possible. For more detailed information on this bill and what it entails, please read our official press release and visit our Seat at the Table page on the IS website.
Please do not hesitate to email the IS public policy team if you have any questions.
