First, I want to say that our hearts go out to communities in Harney County as they suffer through the worst flooding in over 40 years. We hope all our nonprofit colleagues and their families in the flood zone are safe and recovering.

There is obviously a lot going on in the world, a lot of disruption and chaos being created, and at the same time, the fruit trees are blooming, the grass is getting that emerald- green that it does in Oregon, and the juncos, magpies and hawks are all singing their spring songs, searching for food for their young. This intense juxtaposition is at times hard to process. Why do we as humans make it so hard on each other to allow each other to thrive? We all have the right to live and thrive in our communities. We all want freedom to be who we want to be and allow our families to grow and flourish. That is why last week’s spate of program closures caused by the implementation of several Executive Orders is so biting. Many nonprofits began receiving letters either directly from federal government agencies or indirectly from State and local governments that receive funding from the Feds notifying them of program cancellation with instructions to immediately cease spending.

Many of you have asked our Team at NAO, “Where is the State in all this? What’s the plan to prioritize and backfill these losses to the State and Oregon communities?” The answer we have so far is: we don’t know. The most we have been able to clarify is stated in the 2025-27 Co-Chairs Budget Framework released in March which shows scenarios for 10%, 20% and 30% federal funding losses to the State. We noticed that none of these scenarios show a net neutral bottom line. (In other words, there is no way to make up for the losses even though they set aside $100 million for emergency gap filling.) Programs will close. The Framework states that, “it is necessary to plan for varying levels of reductions so that the state is in a nimble financial position to preserve the most critical services for Oregonians in the event of future declines in federal support.” We applaud that proactive planning. What nonprofits need to know is; which programs does the State think are the most critical services? What does that look like at the local level? We hope that the Co-Chairs “Road Show” which will take feedback on the framework will answer some of those questions. We encourage nonprofits to go to these road show sessions and advocate for your missions. You can find a list of members of the Joint Ways and Means Committee and a list of the upcoming Road Show dates and locations on the right side of this page.

On the executive side, we have been asking the Governor’s office since the first week of the new Administration if they would engage with the nonprofit sector on these cuts. As nonprofits play such a vital role in the fabric of our communities, we think it is critical that the Governor address this sector directly. We mentioned that the nonprofit sector is the essential infrastructure that the state, counties and local governments use to run almost every program in our communities. We noted that with over 245,000 wage and hour workers in the sector, big losses of federal funds going to and through nonprofits will have catastrophic impacts on the economy of Oregon. So far, we’ve not had luck getting a response more than, “We’re thinking about it.”

NAO is so appreciative that Senator Wyden and Oregon Attorney General Rayfield will soon be holding Town Halls with nonprofits, and we hope you’ll come and listen to how they are planning and reacting to the current situation. You can find links to sign up for those sessions here and here.

We know that the State of Oregon did not create this mess, but… here we are. You as nonprofit leaders need to make decisions about programs and staffing and having clear, coordinated communications with the State would go a long way to assisting you in how you make those decisions. We are calling on the leaders in the State – both executive and legislative – to hold direct conversations with the nonprofit sector at-large to clarify the priority programs that will be saved, and which programs will fall victim to the whims of DOGE.

We do not expect that the State will have all the answers, NAO certainly doesn’t. But we need their commitment to keeping you informed, support coordinated inter-agency information, and help you manage through this tumultuous time. NAO stands ready to assist in that effort in whatever ways are useful.

Finally, I’ll mention that now more than ever, nonprofits need to advocate. Next week is our hearing on SB602 – the Oregon Nonprofit Grant & Contract Modernization Act. Please send your letters of support for the passage of this bill. If you are not sure if you’re allowed to advocate or lobby, we have you covered. NAO is releasing a free, self-guided E-course on the Fundamentals of Nonprofit Advocacy.

Finally, back to those juncos and magpies and hawks. We need to remember that life does go on. We also need to take care of ourselves and each other in these tumultuous times. Go outside and listen to the birds, watch the grass grown, smell the fruit tree blossoms, walk in the sagebrush. We need all of you to remain as whole and as resilient during this time as possible.

I hope I’ll see many of you at the Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Conference or the Oregon Heritage Summit in two weeks!

Be well and take care,

Jim White
NAO’s Executive Director