After reading chapter 7 and the article The Power of Nonprofits, I was struck by how much influence nonprofits really have on policy. Although they cannot lobby for political candidates they can certainly be involved in the issues at hand. This is kind of a loophole, which allows them to motivate people who really care about these issues (whatever is the most near to a person’s heart) to speak out and stand up for that cause. They act as a vehicle to keep the community involved in public policy and civil rights. I think that this is a key point in identifying the strengths of the Nonprofit Sector and developing new ways of involving new generations and keeping them engaged in what is important to each of them. This element of the sector really highlights the balance that Nonprofits help maintain between government and community.
The articles discussing Senate Bill 40 seemed to be supporting a good decision—to disqualify Nonprofits who use their funding only for more fundraising and who do not put that money earned, back into the organization. But, I am a little confused, are the people in these organizations benefitting from the dollars they are raising? Is there evidence of this? When I searched for any opposition of the bill, I had difficulty deciphering a clear answer to this inquiry. I cannot think of anything that fundraisings would go to had they not gone back into the organization and funded programs from it, but I like to know both sides to a story before making a solid decision. However, it appears that there is little opposition to the bill indicating that there must be something shady going on within the organizations who take advantage of the resources they are provided.
Lastly, in the articles Arts Group Pumped $166.2 Billion into U.S. in 2005 and Poetry Gives Teens a Voice and chapter 8, my view of the importance of art in education was reinforced. The fact that the poetry program inspired many students to achieve placement in nationwide competitions says so much about the impact of a single opportunity. These students may not have accomplished that, had they not been given the chance by this nonprofit organization. I think it is great that there are nonprofits dedicated to poetry, among other things. I know that in my secondary education there were people who possessed a true talent for poetry and the amount of time devoted to the study of it was fairly minimal. Organizations like these fuel a lot of creativity that cannot always be expressed through regular public schooling (as we have discussed in class this week and last).
I researched a little bit about what Oregon has to offer in the way of arts in education nonprofits and found a couple interesting sites. One discusses the need for funding of arts in education, and the other describes the need for assessment of creativity in schools and measures of how creativity improves (or not) the achievement of pupils in schools with arts, etc. Assessing creativity and its effectiveness in academic performance was a new idea to and a difficult endeavor if you ask me. Take a look:
It seems like arts and music are always the first things to get cut when, particularly in elementary education, these are what makes school fun. And once these students reach high school art and music become fantastic tools for youth to express themselves and relieve stress. I think that it is so important to keep these options open in schools. Just because they are considered "extra curricular" doesn't mean they don't play key roles in education.
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about nonprofit groups not being able to lobby but still be involved in the issues. Grass roots efforts are famous for being backed by nonprofit interest groups. How else could individuals go up against other more powerful interest groups? Having the ability to form an organization without government interference (either through taxation or regulation) is one of the cornerstones of American values. Just think how different our country would be without that privilege :)
ReplyDeleteGood point - I was also kind of confused by the arguments in the SB40 readings because neither addressed where nonprofit fundraising dollars are going if not programs. It's hard to imagine a really significant portion of those dollars going to administrative costs, especially employee salaries, but perhaps that's the case. Little opposition to the case is probably for the best since it does seem to be a win-win for everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteI found it not surprising but pleasing that nonprofits have so much influence over policy. I've personally been involved in lobbying with the American Cancer Society and it's really awesome that volunteers come together to change policy with the mere incentive to help a cause and change a wrong.
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