V3 Campaign Updates

With a close 5-4 vote, corporations will now be able to spend freely on presidential and Congressional campaigns.

NYT:

“The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, easing decades-old limits on their participation in federal campaigns.”

“It leaves in place a prohibition on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions.”

“‘The censorship we now confront is vast in its reach,’ Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his majority opinion, joined by his four more conservative colleagues.”

“However, Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting from the main holding, said, ‘The court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions around the nation.’”

Check out the article

Nonprofit journalists are doing their part in the Massachusetts election tomorrow. Traveling from all around the country, journalists have been and will continue to report on the crucial special election. This initiative is started by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity’s Watchdog.org. The journalists are tasked with reporting on the election in an unbiased manner and giving their local readers a place to go for up-to-date information. It is not only a great way for these journalists to do their part in reporting on this important election, but it also could be a great way for the nonprofit world to take advantage of having their voice heard through this initiative. Will they continue to do this with the November elections?

Check out the Franklin Center’s initiative

Virginia Nonprofit workers – make your voices heard!  When selecting your candidate for governor, make sure you take into consideration the nonprofit sector.  Today is your chance.  Tell the next governor of Virginia:

I work for a nonprofit organization, and I vote!

Find your polling place here

GOTV: Get Out the Vote

The next four days are critical for both candidates – and for nonprofits.  Now is your chance to make sure that our sector is heard!

What Can You Do?

Volunteer for a candidate of your choice.  While your organization cannot endorse a candidate, you are still able to, as a private citizen, assist the candidate you think will better understand the nonprofit sector.

To Volunteer for McDonnell

To Volunteer for Deeds

VOTE:

Do you know where your polling location is?

Follow this link to find your polling place

Your vote matters – Stand up for nonprofit employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia next Tuesday, November 3rd.

Are your colleagues and family members voting?

Nonprofits often rely on federal and stats funding to keep the doors open.  Explain to your friends and family why it is important that they also consider which candidate will better support the nonprofit sector when they vote on Tuesday.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has been barraged by ads for both Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell.  Both of these men are hoping to become the new governor of Virginia.  Both of these men are doing their best, in these final days to explain why they are a better fit for Virginians.  However, to the discerning voter, it becomes quite apparent that they have overlooked…oh, about 350,000 voters.  Who are these people?

These people are you, the nonprofit workers of Virginia.

FACT: In Virginia, nonprofit businesses employ 350,000 voters and engage hundreds of thousands more through volunteerism. The sector generates $8 billion in wages and $461 million in tax revenue for the commonwealth of Virginia.

Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds, we have a simple question for you, and we, the 350,000 nonprofit voters of Virginia are really hoping you might have an answer for us.

What are you going to do for the nonprofit sector of Virginia?

We offer in return information about every single community that our 44,000 organizations are located.  We contribute to thriving communities that supports small businesses, cultural and artistic endeavors, athletic clubs and educational associations, and advocacy and service providing organizations.  All of these wonderful attributes are brought to Virginia by nonprofit organizations.

Ask the candidates BEFORE you vote.

We hope that whoever is elected will work to coordinate existing state, county and city nonprofit partnerships, will inspire, incentivize and encourage volunteerism, and will take into consideration that nonprofit organizations are businesses with missions.

Mr. McDonnell and Mr. Deeds, should you have answers to this question, we will post them to this blog.  Send them to csieloff@dccentralkitchen.org

Do you know what gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell plan to do for the 350,000 nonprofit workers in Virginia?  Ask them!  If you haven’t already, please follow this link to send the V3 Campaign question to both candidates:

CONTACT CREIGH DEEDS AND BOB MCDONNELL

Tell us what they say! Email, write, fax, or videotape the answers, and send them to us.  If either candidate responds, we will post his answers here!

The V3 Campaign teamed up with Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations to give a great presentation in Richmond to the Nonprofit Learning Point Conference, held on October 8^th.

This conference was begun by honoring the new graduates of the Nonprofit Learning Point (NLP) educational program.  Robert Egger, founder of both DC Central Kitchen and of the V3 Campaign was the keynote speaker of this fantastic event.  Following his presentation, Robert then lead a great group discussion of what Virginia nonprofit workers have in common.

Watch Deborah Barfield Williamson of Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations, Darcy Oman of the Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia, and Tiffany Harris, from HandsOn discuss the importance of the nonprofit sector in Richmond.

Repeatedly, nonprofit leaders came back to the notion that nonprofits are business.  We just happen to be businesses that have the ability for fill the void between what for-profit business and government can accomplish.  There was also a consensus that there needs to be someone in government, preferably a cabinet-level position, who would directly work with the nonprofit sector.

However, this discussion was not limited to what government should be doing for the nonprofit sector.  These leaders recognize that they have much to offer to elected officials as well.  No one knows a community as well as those who work with the public in a variety of capacities.  Nonprofit organizations can play a role in economic recovery and do relieve the government of the burden of providing what nonprofits can more easily provide.