Closing Remarks #23

The other day, someone shared with me the inspirational story of the Canadian Coalition On Acid Rain, an environmental group formed in 1981 to eradicate the toxic, industrial emissions in the air that were being pulled to the earth and waterways during rain showers. While acid rain was a problem in Canada, it was also found to be a problem in the US as well (and unfortunately continues to be an issue in places like China). So the group worked cross-border, appealing to politicians and working in concert with an intrepid group of scientists to facilitate the environmental cleanup and force the policy changes and prevention measures that would ensure the problem did not just reappear.

And then when they achieved their goal, they threw a big party, closed up shop, and moved on to tackle other problems.

While the problems "third sector" orgs are formed to take on can often be huge and intractable boulders that require tons of funding, massive staffs, and lots of volunteers, that is certainly not the only way to get things done. As the CCAR example shows, sometimes it can be extremely effective to push really hard on one specific thing, see it through, pop the champagne, and go home and get some rest for whatever new challenge tomorrow brings.

Here's to fighting and building on big, medium, and small scales. It all counts.

5) Legal aid organization for homeless winds down
The Homeless Persons Representation Project, a legal project to represent the homeless in the Baltimore area, has shuttered after nearly 40 years of service. The group helped thousands of people to avoid eviction, secure social services and expunge their criminal records. However, they were unable to overcome a marked decline in revenue.

6) Chicago provider of clinics and food pantries abruptly closes Heartland Alliance marks its origins in the work of progressive reformer Jane Addams in 1888, and Heartland Alliance Health spun off from the group in the mid-1990s. While numerous issues have been cited in the past including staff vacancies, rising health costs after the COVID-19 pandemic, shelters being strained from the surge in migrants arriving in Chicago and large upfront costs involved in contracts with agencies such as the Chicago Department of Public Health, leadership has not cited any one cause for the spin down. In the meantime, thousands in the area stand to lose access to vital services.

7) Four Ways the Nonprofit Sector Can Tell the Trump Administration to F**k Off (Legally, at least for now)

"The size and presence of the US nonprofit sector often leads to the public misconception that charitable or pro-social, humane work can only happen under a nonprofit. Not remotely true. Good and just work happens every day and everywhere under for-profit (taxable) structures of all kinds, from cooperatives and B-Corps, to garden-variety small businesses and mutual aid groups."

A well-researched and thoughtful breakdown of how US social change orgs can go underground and dodge the slings and arrows being sent our way. I encourage everyone in the space to keep this guidance bookmarked.

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