What We Heard in Harrisburg: Three Big Takeaways from PANO’s Day at the Capitol

On April 27, 2026, PANO members, board members, and staff made their way to Harrisburg for our annual Day at the Capitol. That day alone, our advocacy groups met with 34 legislators and their staff – spanning both chambers, both parties, and districts across the Commonwealth. And as you’ll see below, that was just the beginning! Follow-up, including a virtual meeting with an elected official who was unavailable on the 27th, is well underway.

We came with a clear agenda: educate lawmakers about the challenges facing Pennsylvania’s nonprofit sector, and ask for their help on a handful of targeted priorities. We left with a lot of reasons to be encouraged.

Here’s what stood out.

1.) The Support Is Real — and It’s Broad

From freshman representatives who took notes and asked follow-up questions, to longtime champions who already knew our organization by name, the reception was overwhelmingly warm and substantive. Legislators across the ideological spectrum expressed support for PANO’s $300,000 line-item request, engaged seriously with our budget protection legislation, and asked smart questions about the realities facing the nonprofits in their own districts.

Several offices didn’t just express interest, they committed to action. One staffer noted that PANO’s askPANO help desk had already been used extensively by their own office to help a nonprofit constituent, and that real-world experience translated directly into enthusiasm for the line item.

The message that resonated most consistently? PANO multiplies what the Commonwealth’s investment in nonprofits can do. When legislators support PANO, every nonprofit in their district benefits.

2.) Small Games of Chance: No Opposition — Just a Traffic Jam

The good news about SB 416: Mobile Payments for Small Games of Chance is that nobody is against it. The bill would allow nonprofits to accept online and mobile payments for raffles and other small games of chance, restoring an allowance that existed temporarily during COVID. It passed the Senate with unanimous support from the senators on our meeting list.

What this means for PANO and the nonprofits we serve: the case for this bill remains strong, the support is there, and the obstacle is political, not substantive. House members were consistently asked to push Gaming Oversight to bring the bill to the floor. We also learned that similar legislation in the House, HB 107: Allowing Volunteer Fire Departments and Other Non-profits to Fundraise through Raffles Online, has bipartisan co-sponsorship, which gives us additional leverage.

In the meantime, many legislators were struck by a basic reality we shared: most nonprofits don’t even realize they’re out of compliance. They started accepting digital payments during the pandemic, didn’t realize the temporary allowance expired, and now face potential penalties for something that feels like common sense. Passing this bill isn’t just good for fundraising – it protects nonprofits from unintentional violations of a law they didn’t know existed.

3.) “Food” Belongs in HB 1609 — and Lawmakers Are Listening

HB 1609: Payment of Essential Services During Budget Impasse is designed to protect critical nonprofit service lines during the budget standoffs that have become a recurring reality in Harrisburg.

Across nearly every meeting, PANO advocates raised a simple and powerful point: food insecurity is conspicuously absent from the list of services the bill would protect. And legislators noticed. Multiple offices on both sides of the aisle, in both chambers, responded with immediate agreement. One senator’s chief of staff flagged it as a priority to raise internally. Several representatives indicated they’d bring it up with the bill’s sponsors.

This is what advocacy looks like when it’s working: a specific, concrete ask that resonates with the people who have the power to act on it. We’ll continue pressing for this addition as the bill moves through the legislative process.

What Comes Next

Our work in Harrisburg doesn’t end when the meetings do. In the coming weeks, we’ll be following up with letters of support, sharing our 2025 Economic Impact of Pennsylvania Nonprofits Report with several offices that requested it, and sending information about the askPANO help desk to offices eager to connect their nonprofit constituents with our resources.

We’re also preparing to launch our regional Breakfast with Legislators series – meet-and-greet events in the South Central, Southeast, and Southwest regions of the state that will bring lawmakers face-to-face with the nonprofit experts in their own communities. Multiple legislators specifically asked about these events during our April meetings, which tells us there’s real appetite for that kind of ongoing connection.

We are deeply grateful to every PANO member, board member, and advocate who gave their time and energy last week. You made the case better than any policy document could. And to the legislators and staff who opened their doors and engaged thoughtfully – thank you! Pennsylvania’s nonprofit sector will be stronger for it.