The What:
PANO is launching a series of regional breakfasts with legislators across Pennsylvania to build direct relationships between nonprofits and elected officials at the district level — ahead of what is shaping up to be a consequential budget season. Confirmed locations include:
Attendees will meet their elected officials face-to-face, learn how the legislative process works and where nonprofits can engage effectively, and connect with peer organizations in their region. If a June impasse materializes, the relationships and networks built at these events become the infrastructure for coordinated advocacy — who to call, what to say, and how to do it quickly.
The Why:
Pennsylvania is heading toward a June 30 state budget deadline with a multi-billion-dollar structural gap, a deeply divided legislature, and a federal funding environment that has made the sector simultaneously more financially vulnerable and more essential to communities. Last year’s 135-day impasse — which forced nonprofits to take out loans to maintain operations — demonstrated clearly that the sector has more at stake in these budget fights than almost any other constituency, and less political infrastructure to respond when things break down. The regional breakfasts are an attempt to change that. District-level relationships with state legislators are the most direct advocacy lever available to nonprofits, and they work best when built before a crisis — not during one. An elected official who has met the director of a housing nonprofit in their district, heard about the people it serves, and understands what a funding delay means in operational terms, is more likely to prioritize payment continuity during an impasse than one who has not.
The Who (as in who should attend):
Any nonprofit in PANO’s network, regardless of size or sector. No prior advocacy experience needed! These events are designed to be accessible entry points for organizations that have not been deeply engaged in state-level advocacy, as well as useful for those that have.
The How (as in how to get involved):
Email PANO’s Policy & Advocacy Senior Manager, Anna Keilly, to get connected to the breakfast in your region, or to express interest in bringing one to an area not yet confirmed.
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