Amplifying Our Superpowers: Our Voice, Our Value, Our Impact

In support of our 2023 policy priority of a Strong Nonprofit Workforce, PANO is proud to partner with the following advocacy groups:

• PA Advocacy and Resources (PAR) for Autism and Disability
• RCPA’s Mental Health Safety Coalition
• Start Strong Pennsylvania

In this way, PANO is advancing our mission of amplifying the voice, value, and impact of community benefit work that is already happening. And we hope that you join one or more of these advocacy efforts:

• Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Services – ID/A Rally at the Capitol: May 3, 2023, 9:00 AM (register here)
• Mental Health Services – Mental Health Safety Net Rally at the Capitol: April 24, 2023, 12:30-1:30 PM
• Affordable High-Quality Child Care for Working Families – Don’t Buy Me Flowers on Mother’s Day – Fund Child Care Press Conference and Rally at the PA Capitol: May 9, 2023, 10:00 AM (register here)

Our Collective Challenge & Our Collective Voice

Over the last few years, we have heard and experienced the significant, systemic challenges faced by our collective inability to compete with our for-profit counterparts to keep our employees. The many contributing factors to nonprofit workforce retention challenges include: salary competition (79%), the inability to find child care (23%), and increased volumes of work leading to significant burnout (National Council of Nonprofits, March 22, 2023).

*Please note that the National Council is updating this data now. Please complete their survey so you can add your voice in this storytelling effort. PANO receives Pennsylvania specific results.

Another factor: nonprofits that contract with the Commonwealth have not seen increases in reimbursement for the services they provide for 12-19 years, depending on the service. This really matters.

• It matters first and foremost to those we serve.
• It matters to the Commonwealth because nonprofits provide the services that the government is mandated to provide.
• And it matters to those of us who work and volunteer in the nonprofit sector – because we see first-hand the needs of those we serve. We don’t want to quit, but nonprofit purchasing power has been reduced by 24%, just since 2013.

We need the state to increase reimbursements across the board. Now is the time to link arms, speak with one voice, and support each other in our work.

• The more we support each other’s efforts, the greater the opportunity to move the needle on our various issues that intersect with each other.
• We draw strength from each other’s superpowers.
• PANO’s superpowers include: collaborating, elevating, convening.
• Superpowers of our 2023 Advocacy Coalition partners include: their depth of knowledge and expertise in the three areas PANO is supporting this year.

Why THESE Issues in 2023?

When PANO started researching the reimbursement issue, we learned quickly how complex this is. Examples: Intellectual disability services alone have over 70 different reimbursements rates. Mental health services receive their reimbursements through counties rather than directly from the state. And PANO doesn’t need to figure it all out. We lean on our partners’ in-depth understanding of the needs, and what it will take to right-size reimbursements.

We chose the following three advocacy areas in 2023 because:

• Child care and mental health needs directly impact the nonprofit workforce. These issues must be addressed so that our employees can continue to meet their community’s demand for services.
• Intellectual disabilities and autism services make up a wide swath of organizations that have engaged with PANO over time.
• We needed to start somewhere. We hope to expand to other areas in the future. And the template toolkits provided can, even now, be adapted to whatever issue you might be advocating for this year.

What Do These Joint Advocacy Efforts Include?

• Invitations to advocacy days in Harrisburg coordinated by our partners.
• Toolkits and language to be used both in Harrisburg and in your legislative districts for these three issues.
• Other information to build your case, like the following:
  • Nonprofits by PA House District
  • Nonprofits by PA Senate District

Take a trip through the lists of resources available for each priority area:

• Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Services
• Mental Health Services
• Affordable High-Quality Child Care for Working Families

Contact Anne Gingerich at anne@pano.org with questions or additional ideas for how to make this work. We are truly better together.