What I Love about Bloomberg’s Nonprofit Plan for NYC
Via the Chronicle of Philanthropy, full press release from NYC.gov here.
While I certainly have issues with Mayor Bloomberg, I nearly jumped up and down when I saw his plan to strengthen nonprofits. Here’s what excited me:
- The fact that he has a plan: One giant step forward for government commitment to the sector. By creating a specific plan for nonprofits he is validating the indispensible resources that nonprofits provide the city while making non-profits a central part of the city’s economic and social recovery.
- Making it easier for nonprofits to serve: New York City is notorious for being a difficult city to navigate because of the amount of permits, paperwork, and reviews required to get anything done. A standard application for providing city services, a 311 option for nonprofits to get the resources they need, and a Nonprofit Contract Facilitator to help nonprofits understand funding awards and contracts.
- Collaborations across departments and sectors: I believe that collaborations are key for sustainability because there are more players invested in success and pooling together their resources. The mayor’s city wide initiative is being supported by several government agencies, NYU Wagner, and includes voluntary support from various business leaders to help nonprofits.
- Loans and money saving programs: There is money! And opportunities to cut down on costs.
Some questions I have:
How the successes and failures of this initiative will be measured in two years? Whenever a new program/initiative is launched I like seeing long term and short term measureables so we know what to watch for.
Are all nonprofits eligible or just those with a social service focus? Is this only for those that are facing financial difficulties or those that want to prevent them?
How were these programs designed and by whom? Was a survey done? Is there a snapshot available of NYC’s nonprofit sector that highlights the challenges?
Do you have any information or comments to share about his new plan?
