Action Alerts

We are in the FY24 County budget season, and County Executive Elrich’s budget forums are in
full swing. Please consider joining one of the budget forums to speaking up for our sector. Sharing the impact of your work makes a difference. Nonprofits not only provide services to the vulnerable but also build community and innovate solutions to challenging social problems. And, that work cannot happen without a true partnership and investment from the County.

Suggested talking points: Your mission, who and where you serve, why it is important that you are able to continue to provide services, and how you leverage county dollars to attract additional funding.

Questions you can ask: 1. Can we ensure that nonprofits receive an annual increase that is on par with that given to County employees? 2. How can we provide more opportunities for grant funding to smaller, newer organizations and those that are led by people of color and/or have not received grants from the County previously?

Upcoming Forums:

• Monday, Nov. 21: Silver Spring Region
• Monday, Nov. 28: Leisure World with Satellite Viewing Locations, Older Adult Population
• Tuesday, Nov. 29: East County Region, Chinese Language
• Wednesday, Dec. 7: East County Region
• Monday, Dec.12: Upcounty Region
• Wednesday, Dec.14: Bethesda Region

Nonprofit Montgomery’s Advocacy:
Nonprofit Montgomery’s Advocacy and Development Director Franca Brilliant attended the Mid-County Budget forum on November 14 and testified in support of nonprofits in Montgomery County. Click here to read her questions and here to hear how the County Executive responded (starts 1:37:30).

Dear Nonprofit Montgomery Members:

If you have not contacted our Councilmembers to emphasize the importance a 3% increase in County contracts with nonprofits, please do so today.   

Work on the reconciliation list is coming to a close. We need many voices to support contract increases—emails to the Councilmembers from nonprofits, board members, and friends are very important.

The County Council Health & Human Services (HHS) Committee has recommended a 3% increase for County contracts with nonprofits in DHHS—but in increments. Please emphasize the importance of the full 3%. Here is the background on why this is so important, and click here for the sample email you can send.

Take a few moments this afternoon to forward this request to board members and volunteers. Tell them why it’s important to your organization, and ask them to email the Councilmembers.

• Your organization and role (board member, ED, etc)
• Identify yourself as a member of  Nonprofit Montgomery
• Briefly say who you serve and why it’s important
• Note that the County’s continued support for nonprofits is essential for a healthy, thriving community
• Nonprofits provide services more efficiently and effectively and leverage county dollars to attract additional funding
• Thank the County for their partnership.

Nonprofit Montgomery is part of The Community Roundtable initiative which is co-convened by: Primary Care Coalition, WorkSource Montgomery, Montgomery County Food Council, and Nonprofit Montgomery.

Over the last 18 months we have convened four community roundtable meetings and engaged nearly 100 nonprofit and community leaders to discuss priorities for creating a more collaborative nonprofit sector. With the input gained during these convenings we have developed a vision statement for how the local government and nonprofit sector can continue to partner effectively to meet the needs of our rapidly changing community.

The Community Roundtable encourages you to sign on and endorse this vision, which highlights the need for joint projects that improve the lives of Montgomery County residents through effective collaborations among nonprofits and government agencies to achieve social and economic equity, prosperity, and healthy ecosystems.

As part of the County Executive leadership transition, Marc Elrich (County Executive-Elect) has created a transition team that will work toward the goals championed during his campaign. His team is holding “listening sessions” that will allow residents and stakeholders of the County an opportunity to have their voices heard. There is also an opportunity to submit comments online.

The County Executive-Elect’s initial goals are outlined by his Priority Outcomes and Key Indicators which are the “starting point for shared work to make life in our county better in measurable ways.” The transition team will also be tasked with creating the initial drafts of “strategic plans to make progress on each Key Indicator over the next five years.”

As Executive Director of Nonprofit Montgomery, I have been invited to be part of the transition team and will advocate and represent the nonprofit sector. I encourage all Nonprofit Montgomery members and the communities we serve to attend a listening session, and share with the County Executive-Elect your priorities and suggestions.

With thanks,
Lesley MacDonald
Executive Director

PS. View the official press release with the transition team list.

The October 9 Public Hearing on the OLO Report on Montgomery County Council Community Grants was well attended. Representatives of 25 nonprofits signed up to provide testimony on the report.  A special thanks to Nonprofit Montgomery members who provided testimony:

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Represent our sector and learn more at County Council committee sessions.Click here for the current committee schedule.

October 11 – HHS/GO, 9:30am 
Community Grants Program

October 15 – HHS/PS, 9:30am
Special Appropriation to HHS FY19 Operating Budget; $70,799 for Behavioral Health and Crisis Services for Adult Drug Court

October 22, HHS, 8:30am   
Meeting with HHS boards and commissions

October 24, 7pm – Special Event  
Youth Town Hall for Students of Montgomery County

October 29 – HHS/GO – 2pm      
Community Grants Program (continued)

November 15, HHS, 9:30am 

• Discussion – Workgroup on People with Developmental Differences
• Update – Youth Drop-In Center and Youth Homelessness
• Inside (Not Outside) Update on Chronically Homeless Adults

Dear Members,

We’ve just received word from the County Council that there is still space for nonprofits to sign up and testify at the Community Grants Public Forum on Tuesday, October 9 at 7:30pm. I will be there to testify on behalf of Nonprofit Montgomery, but we need additional people to testify to show the importance of these grants to the nonprofit sector.

I strongly urge you to read the Office of Legislative Oversight report on the Community Grants process and sign up to speak on October 9.

After reading the report, we appreciate the stated intent to improve the accountability, transparency, fairness and accessibility of the grants process. However we do want to include the reminder that nonprofits would like to help in the process of defining the future of community grants.

We ask that any and all members submit testimony and attend the forum if possible. It is critical that the voices of the nonprofit sector are represented at this forum. Please share your story on the importance of community grants is to your organization and the people you serve.

Public Forum on Community Grants
Tuesday, October 9, 7:30pm
100 Maryland Avenue, 3rd floor Hearing Room
Rockville, MD 20850

How to Testify: 
To testify at a Council public hearing, please sign up here or call 240-777-7803. You must bring 15 copies of their testimony to the hearing and to email a written copy 48 hours in advance of the hearing.

Let’s send a strong message about our sector’s interest in the community grants process. I look forward to seeing you on October 9.

With thanks,
Lesley MacDonald
Executive Director, Nonprofit Montgomery

On Thursday, March 15, County Executive Ike Leggett released his proposed FY19 Operating Budget. Here is the full budget document. The County Executive’s Grants List begins on page 677 of the document.

Additionally, you can explore the budget through the Open Budget website, which allows for in-depth exploration of budget areas.

Opportunities for Advocacy:
The budget did not include contract adjustments or inflationary increases for nonprofit contracts. Past policy decisions made by the County Council and Executive, such as minimum wage increases, background check requirements, and cybersecurity insurance requirements for county contracts, raise costs of doing business. Additionally, costs rise each year due to inflation. Flat funding for nonprofit contracts across County departments means that providers are faced with the difficult choice of cutting essential services or searching for additional funding through limited outside sources to continue providing the same level of service.

Nonprofit Montgomery advocates for increases to County contracts to address these needs, in all departments that contract with nonprofit providers.

Starting in April, the Council is holding a series of public hearings about the budget. Sign up to testify about the impact of the County budget on your organization at one of the Operating Budget public hearings: 

April 10, 7pm
April 11, 1:30pm and 7pm
April 12, 1:30 and 7pm