Welcome to the Nonprofit Champion, our biweekly public policy newsletter. This email format provides brief digests of the full articles to help readers quickly access information. For more details about a specific item, see the full newsletter posted online Nonprofit Champion | April 22, 2024.

Top of the News

The networks of the National Council of Nonprofits are hosting a special nationwide webinar, OMB Uniform Guidance: What the Updates Mean for Nonprofits, for free on Thursday, May 30 at 3:30 – 4:30 pm Eastern to make sure charitable nonprofits know about the significant improvements to federal grantmaking rules and what the changes mean for their missions.

Officials with the federal Office of Management and Budget, Deidre Harrison and Steven P. Mackey, will provide an overview of the Uniform Guidance, the new revisions, and the implementation timeline. Additional experts from the National Council of Nonprofits and our networks will share real-life examples of improvements for charitable nonprofits.

The next month holds important deadlines for nonprofit employees with student loans:

Loan Consolidation Deadline – April 30

• The end of this month is the deadline for borrowers with outstanding Family Federal Education Loans (FFEL) – which includes parents who took out parent-student loans (Parent PLUS) – to consolidate them into a Direct Loan. FFEL loans do not generally qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF); federal Direct Loans do.

Download and Save Your PSLF Records by April 30

• Beginning May 1, PSLF program will be managed through the StudentAid.gov site and no longer through a designated loan servicer, including MOHELA. After April 30, borrowers will no longer be able to access their PSLF progress and other records through the MOHELA borrower portal. 

Proposed Debt Cancellation Plan – Comment Deadline – May 17

• Last week, the Biden Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on its new debt cancellation plan to cancel accrued interest and automatically forgive certain borrowers under PSLF.

[Read more]

Federal News

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on data privacy proposals, including the recently released draft of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA). Generally, APRA would give consumers the right to access, correct, delete, and export their data, as well as opt out of targeted advertising and data transfers. [Read more]

• Why it Matters: Covered entities including nonprofits could not “collect, process, retain, or transfer covered data beyond what is necessary, proportionate and limited” to provide goods and services. 

• Citizenship Question Legislation: Earlier this month, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a markup on the Equal Representation Act (H.R. 7109), which would require the 2030 Census to include a question on citizenship and immigration status, something opponents point out would violate the Constitution. [Read more]
  
  
• HUD Earmarks: Members of Congress would no longer be able to secure funding for nonprofits in their districts to perform social services using community project funding (earmarks) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) if new procedural rules are adopted. [Read more]
  
  
• Title IX Final Rule: Last Friday, the Biden Administration released its Final Rule under Title IX, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded education on the basis of sex. The final regulations aim to “protect against all sex-based harassment and discrimination,” and prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, abortion, and lactation. [Read more] 

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey for the Federal Reserve to help them better understand the challenges faced by your nonprofit and the community you serve. While are nation is no longer in the midst of the pandemic, lower income and under-resourced communities continue to face many obstacles. The need to better understand these challenges and those faced by organizations serving these communities is still crucial. [Take the survey]

🗳️Voter Engagement

Watch Tiffany Gourley Carter, Policy Counsel for the National Council of Nonprofits, interview Tsiporah Nephesh, Executive Director at New Mexico Thrives, the state association of nonprofits, as they explore why nonprofits should be involved in nonpartisan voter engagement activities and how to stay aware of changing election laws and requirements in the states. Then share with your networks on your communication channels! [Watch the video]

State & Local News

• Why It Matters: The SLFRF Final Rule makes it abundantly clear that charitable nonprofits are eligible for these funds as beneficiaries and providers of services on behalf of governments. However, nonprofits are not automatically entitled to these funds, so advocacy is essential to secure investments before the end of the year.

Reforming government-nonprofit grantmaking and contracting processes continues to be a hot legislative trend for 2024 in several states.

• California: Two new bills would discourage local governments from contracting out public (union-represented) jobs by adding new advance notice requirements.
  
  
• Kentucky: A government grants and contracts reform bill that would have required prompt payment, imposed late penalties, and made additional costs reimbursable failed to pass this year.
  
  
• Maryland: The Governor signed companion legislation to create a State Ombudsperson position tasked with providing technical assistance with accessing and navigating state programs.
  
  
• Vermont: A newly introduced bill on Government Oversight and Accountability would create a Working Group on State Grant Processes, charging it with assessing the state’s current grant awarding procedures.

[Read more]

As nonprofits continue to struggle with the sector’s ongoing workforce shortage crisis, state policymakers are pushing employment policies to help alleviate some of the burdens.

• Kentucky: With the Commonwealth facing a severe child care crisis, the Governor signed a series of bills to support working parents and caregivers. The bills create new opportunities for local governments to increase child care and expand access to paid family leave and establishes a Certified Child Care Community Designation Program.
  
  
• Maryland: In response to the devastating Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, lawmakers, nonprofits, and community leaders quickly organized to support and pass a bill that authorizes programs to provide assistance to individuals and certain entities impacted by the reduced port operations.
  
  
• Nebraska: The Governor signed into law two bills to address child care providers in the state. One bill exempts nonprofit child care facilities from property tax and another bill removes income eligibility restrictions on child care providers to receive subsidies.

[Read more]

Read the full newsletter for additional quotes, research, Numbers in the News, and upcoming advocacy events to put the news in greater context and help you frame the debate.

Nonprofit Library

On the American Rescue Plan Act

• Public Data: State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 2024.
  
  
• State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds: Nonprofit Projects through December 31, 2023, National Council of Nonprofits, Apr. 22, 2024.
  
  
• Duncan nonprofits to receive ARPA grant from Oklahoma Arts sector, The Duncan Banner, Apr. 11, 2024.
  
  
• Resources: Accessing State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, National Council of Nonprofits, updated regularly.

On the Census

• Census change will lead to more data on health of Middle Eastern, North African people in US, Nada Hassanein, Stateline, Apr. 19, 2024.
  
  
• Committee on Oversight and Accountability Markup, U.S. House of Representatives, Apr. 10, 2024.
  
  
• Letter to House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, The Leadership Conference and Partner Organizations, Apr. 9, 2024.

On child care

• New survey of 770 child care provides warns of looming funding cliff without substantial investment, Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, Northern Kentucky Tribune, 1, 2024.

On data privacy

• Committee Chairs Cantwell, McMorris Rodgers Unveil Historic Draft Comprehensive Data Privacy Legislation with discussion draft and section-by-section overview, Apr. 7, 2024.
  
  
• The American Privacy Rights Act (APRA): Summary and Issues for Nonprofits, Independent Sector, April 2024.
  
  
• S. State Privacy Legislation Tracker, International Association of Privacy Professionals, Updated Regularly.

On natural disasters

• Disaster Resources, Florida Nonprofit Alliance, includes disaster planning tools and a guide for nonprofits.
  
  
• Tax relief in disaster situations, Internal Revenue Service, updated Apr. 4, 2024.

On nonprofit surveys and reports

• Year-End Challenges in Q4 2023 as Fundraising Metrics Decline, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Apr. 7, 2024.

• Colorado Nonprofit Economic Impact Report, Colorado Nonprofit Association, Philanthropy Colorado, Community Resource Center, and Denver Human Rights & Community Partnerships, April 2024.

On OMB Uniform Guidance

• Grants for Federal Financial Assistance (Uniform Guidance), Office of Management and Budget, Apr. 4, 2024.
  
  
• The Biden-⁠Harris Administration Finalizes Guidance to Make Grants More Accessible and Transparent for Families, Communities, and Small Businesses, White House news release, Apr. 4, 2024.
  
  
• Resource: Nonprofit Analysis of MB Uniform Guidance Final Rule, National Council of Nonprofits, Apr. 4, 2024.

On state and local spending for nonprofits

• CT: Lamont Announces Funding For Nearly 100 Nonprofits, Jamil Ragland, CT News Junkie, Apr. 11, 2024.
  
  
• CO: Denver is relying on nonprofits to help feed new immigrants, and it’s been tough, unpredictable work Denverite, Apr. 12, 2024.
  
  
• OH: Columbus allocates millions for human service nonprofit organizations, Kennedy Chase, Spectrum News 1, Apr. 10, 2024.

On student loans

• Special Alert – Nonprofit Employees: FFEL student loan borrowers must take action for PSLF by April 30, 2024!, Emma Crawford, National Council of Nonprofits Blog, Apr. 16, 2024.
  
  
• Maximizing the Benefits of the IDR Account Adjustment (06:55), Student Borrower Protection Center, April 2024.
  
  
• We’re Streamlining Your Loan and Grant Web Experience, Federal Student Aid, April 2024.
  
  
• Student Debt Relief for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loans), the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins) Program, and the Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program, Federal Register, Apr. 17, 2024.
  
  
• Biden-Harris Administration Releases First Set of Draft Rules to Provide Debt Relief to Millions of Borrowers, U.S. Department of Education, Apr. 16, 2024.

On Title IX

• U.S. Department of Education Releases Final Title IX Regulations, Providing Vital Protections Against Sex Discrimination and fact sheet, summary, and resource for drafting policies, U.S. Department of Education, Apr. 19, 2024.

Advocacy in Action

Advocacy is as natural as breathing when it comes to people working with nonprofits. Charitable nonprofits can, should, and do advocate for their missions year-round. In fact, everyday advocacy occurs in multiple forms: advocating with donors to make a contribution, advocating with friends and neighbors to support the nonprofit as volunteers, advocating with talented people to work full-time for the nonprofit, and much more – including advocating with government officials for the best public policies. One effective way for nonprofits to advocate on a policy matter is for nonprofits to help the community shown it is unified through organizing rallies of like-minded people.

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