Comments from Supporters for the Bailout for Nonprofits Working with Low-income Communities Vote at Ideas for Change in America, One.org

Thank you for your support of the Ideas for Change in America. The ideas for the Bailout for Nonprofits Working with Low-income Communities are currently in first place. I am looking for more support, comments and discussion about the ideas. This first round will end December 31, 2008. The winners of categories move to the second round. Round two ends January 15, 2009.

Here are comments from supporters at Bailout for Nonprofits Working with Low-income Communities. Please join the discussion and vote here.

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/bailout_for_nonprofits_working_with_low-income_communities

This is a terrific idea. As a career worker in the nonprofit sector, I can attest to the widespread positive impact we can have when we help disadvantaged people take charge of their own lives and communities. Social enterprise, and all it brings to effecting change, is a powerful tool to reach these goals.
Posted by Jeanne Donado on 11/26/2008 @ 09:04AM PST

This is a wonderful, practical idea...teach a person to fish. I am unemployed from twenty years with the same non-profit and will be paying close attention to President Obama's new initiatives. I'll be exploring ideas for starting up my own non-profit to help people in my community help themselves and pay it forward. Helping others to help themselves has always worked and it always will. We can heal our country...believe it.
Posted by Renee Vala on 11/26/2008 @ 02:19PM PST

This is an great idea. This can and will really help us in the non-profit sector that is helping the communities and not able to stay afloat with the economy the way it is and in the process we are having to let go of great employees because we can no longer keep them. I pray this can help my foundation and others like mind. Please keep me informed.
Posted by Charlene Frame on 11/26/2008 @ 07:08PM PST

This is a great idea! Conservatives would label this idea a handout, based on the double standard often used to justify bolstering the prospects of one group of people over another. The "captains of industry" have always known that wealth can be used to create more wealth - and that's precisely what this idea poses! It applies the same principle used to justify providing "bailouts" to industry, to the poor. It really is quite a simple equation: when you invest in people, that investment will produce a return on investment, if it's done right. The GI Bill after WWII is one terrific example of how a "hand out," in the form of free education for veterans, that yielded a return on investment to the U.S. economy that was so vast that economists have not been able to quantify it because of the endless ripples that this investment created. Bravo! Let's go!
Posted by RO Hall on 11/27/2008 @ 10:18AM PST

I also think it's a great idea. However, I think it would be even more important if on every Monday Obama used his bully pulpit to encourage some business, church, social or civic group, or college alumni association, to make donations or provide volunteers to support the operations of non profits in high poverty areas around the country, using zip code maps and databases to help people shop for where and who these non profits are. A bailout will only last for a short term, these non profits need on-going general operating dollars.
Posted by Daniel Bassill on 11/27/2008 @ 06:18PM PST

Daniel, I agree with your ideas. My suggestions are to rescue as many nonprofits now before they go under. I am so sad that almost daily nonprofits are closing or laying off staff in the U.S. and around the world. Many will not be there for the long run if we do not help in the short run. We need to look at new models and partnerships such as social enterprise to work on sustainability and maintainability. The base of my writing above, however, is to create and find jobs. put food on tables and have housing for low income people. Nonprofits help make those things happen.
Posted by Donald Griesmann on 11/27/2008 @ 10:00PM PST

It's not a hand out or bail out, it's a hand up and recognition of the value of those nonprofits who improve the quality of life. I hope that others will also vote on this issue. I also think that we need to reach the "newly displaced" - millions of formerly middle class people who are now unemployed. Supporting the nonprofit sector could create jobs that don't exist now, support re-education and training and new career paths! Good idea, Donald!
Posted by Susan Daily on 11/28/2008 @ 07:37AM PST

This is a terrific idea. Maybe we in the non-profit world can help change the vocabulary from "hand outs, help us and bail out" to words like social investment, social capital, etc. The schools, the current public assistance structure and a myriad of other institutions initially designed to "help" have failed our families, youth and children who live in abject poverty. Let's work to ensure that those who have not prospered from Wall Street's largesse realize the American dream -- home ownership, excellent education (not teaching to the tests), health insurance, a minimum wage that actually allows people to support themselves and a family, food. This is 21st century America and it's appalling that we are even having this discussion. Non-profits are the ones picking up the pieces here, and we need broad based support. Thank you Don for your continued belief in the power of non-profits to make a difference -- we do and we are!
Posted by Laurie Rogers on 11/30/2008 @ 07:38PM PST

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