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Your Nonprofit Can Still be Involved (and Stay Nonpartisan) this Election Season
Voting is one of the most important powers we have to work toward a government that reflects our priorities and needs. The right to vote – and unfettered ability to exercise that right – is a fundamental ideal of our society and our democracy.
The 2024 election is fast approaching, and there’s still plenty that 501(c)(3) public charities can do to help boost voter engagement for the upcoming election cycle, while remaining nonpartisan as required by law. Here are just a few ideas.
Encourage your staff, board, volunteers, and clients/constituents to be sure they are registered to vote. The deadline to register in New Jersey for the 2024 general election is October 15. New Jerseyans who aren’t sure if they’re registered to vote can check on the state Division of Elections website here.
Share information about voting options. In New Jersey this year, voters can cast their ballots in three ways:
In person on Election Day, November 5 at their designated polling place.
Early voting in person from Saturday, October 26 through Sunday, November 3, in one of the early voting polling sites in their county of residence.
By mail if they request a mail-in ballot from their county clerk at least 7 days before Election Day, and submit their ballot by one of the legally approved means:
oUnited States Mail (postal service) if postmarked no later than 8PM on Election Day and received no later than 6 days following Election Day.
oDrop the completed mail-in ballot in a secure ballot drop box for their county of residence; ballot must be placed by 8PM on Election Day.
oDeliver the completed mail-in ballot in person to their county Board of Elections.
The NJ Division of Elections has printable flyers in English and Spanish covering the three ways to vote.
Consider giving your staff paid time off to vote. Providing employees paid time off to vote can help to remove some of the barriers to voting that people may face. You may also encourage your staff to serve as official poll workers, volunteer translators or other nonpartisan activities.
Share nonpartisan sources of candidate information, such as Ballotpedia.org, the League of Women Voters’ vote411.org, NJ Decides from NJSpotlight News, and nonpartisan local sources.
However you choose to engage, whether it’s a lot or a little, please don’t stay on the sidelines. Your involvement is crucial, and it makes a huge difference!
Government Grant Reforms: New Federal Guidance Takes Effect, State Legislation Gaining Traction
Updated U.S. OMB Uniform Guidance
A long-sought overhaul of the federal grantmaking rules that could dramatically improve the government grantmaking process went into effect October 1, 2024. The changes to the Office of Management and Budet (OMB) Uniform Guidance are designed to lower the barriers charitable nonprofits have faced in accessing government grants, and provide for higher reimbursement rates for nonprofits’ actual costs in fulfilling these grants. Nonprofits would also be allowed to negotiate a higher rate.
According to the National Council of Nonprofits, the reforms will direct federal agencies to engage members of the communities potentially affected when shaping federal financial assistance programs; consider diversity when developing policies and procedures for merit review panels; simplify and clarify Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to accommodate applicants with “less experience applying for federal financial assistance, notably applicants from underserved communities.” The new Guidance also establishes a guaranteed minimum (de minimis) rate for indirect costs of 15% of modified total direct costs, an increase from 10% over the previous regulations.
New Jersey Government Grants Reform Legislation Gains Traction in Trenton
A two-bill package aimed at tackling decades-old problems with the government grants and contracting processes for nonprofit organizations is gaining momentum in the New Jersey Legislature.
A-4692 and A-4695, sponsored by Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, and S-3785 and S-3786, sponsored by Senator Angela McKnight, would implement a series of reforms to the processes that nonprofits undergo when they apply for or receive state government funds, and would establish an ombudsperson to field inquiries and provide assistance to nonprofits that are experiencing problems.
Although the nonprofit community has a long tradition of working in partnership with government to identify and address critical public needs, nonprofit organizations have long decried the needless complexities associated with applying for and complying with government grants and contracts. Among the biggest problems: grants and contracts that don’t cover the nonprofit’s cost to provide services; excessive complexity in government grant and contract applications; payment delays; and duplicative reporting and monitoring requirements, to name just a few.
The new legislation would address these issues by:
establishing a central repository for frequently-filed documents to reduce the need to resubmit the same materials for multiple contracts or reports;
requiring the government to pay interest when payments to nonprofits are more than 30 days late;
providing for cost-of-living adjustments to grants and contracts;
providing for inclusion of at least 15 percent in indirect costs in grants and contracts with nonprofits;
directing government agencies to develop procedures to reduce redundant monitoring, and standardizing and integrating reporting procedures across government departments and agencies; and
establishing an Office of the Nonprofit Ombudsperson to provide information and assistance to, and act as an advocate for, nonprofit organizations interacting with State agencies.
A-4692 has been referred to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee, and A-4695 is in the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee. The Senate bills are awaiting committee referral.
The Center strongly supports these bills and is working vigorously for their passage. For more information, see this page, and if you’d like to get more involved, contact Doug Schoenberger at the Center, doug@njnonprofits.org. Watch your email for additional updates.
Don't miss these advocacy sessions at the conference!
Registration for Center members is open now for The Road Ahead, the 2024 New Jersey Nonprofits annual conference on December 4 at The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset. The day will be packed with inspiration, networking, knowledge-sharing, including these advocacy-focused breakouts you won't want to miss:
All Politics is Local: Successful Advocacy with County and Municipal Officials - A dynamic session that will explore the potential of nonprofit advocacy at the county and municipal levels.
Issues 2025 - Our year-end wrap-up about key federal and state policy issues for nonprofits, and a look ahead to the coming year.
Center members can register now at discounted rates, and general public registration will open October 15. Our past three in-person conferences have sold out, so don't wait!
Congratulations
to the Executive Women of New Jersey’s “Salute to the Policy Makers” 2024 honorees, including the Center’s Linda Czipo, for their leadership in the Garden State! The honorees will be celebrated at EWNJ’s event on October 22.More information here.
"As nonprofits, our entire reason for being is to make society better by our missions and deeds.
As part of that promise, we have a responsibility to advance an equitable society, to shine a bright light on the harsh reality of systemic racism and injustice and to actively work against it."
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