Dear Members and Friends,
Nonprofit New York congratulates our incoming administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris, on this historic day. We also congratulate members of the New York Congressional Delegation who are now part of the 117th Congress.
We have much work to do to ensure nonprofits and the communities we serve will not only survive, but are able to play a critical role in the recovery of our nation. Amidst a weakening economy, deep social divisions, and stark racial, gender, and socioeconomic disparities, we know that nonprofits have the expertise, community connections, and dedication needed to navigate through current crises to a more equitable and sustainable place.
Today offers us an opportunity to reflect and set new intentions for a new era. We look forward with hope, but know that a clear-eyed understanding of past events and an insistence on accountability are necessary for our future’s foundation. Nonprofit New York condemns the white supremacist violence, voter suppression, racist ideologies and language, and lies that have made the transfer of power to the 46th President so turbulent and had such a devastating impact on our nation.
Nonprofit New York embraces the opportunities and obligations presented by the lessons we have learned over the last several years. We welcome our responsibility to be a driver of multiracial democracy that deeply values Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian communities. We commit to working to dismantle white supremacy and to re-center power to amplify the voices and experiences of our communities. We commit to demanding the support and respect our communities need.
We recognize that our call for accountability needs to include a critical look in the mirror. The nonprofit sector has a racial equity problem. People of color are less likely to be in senior leadership positions, the revenues of Black-led organizations are 24% smaller than revenues of white-led counterparts, and unrestricted net assets of Black-led organizations are 76% smaller than white-led organizations. We commit to reflecting on how white supremacy has shaped the work nonprofits do and the ways we do the work for the purposes of aligning our values, our missions, and our practices.
To move from crisis to recovery, New York nonprofits require a robust level of support, not seen in generations. New York State faces a $46 billion budget deficit and New York City a $13 billion deficit over the next four years. These deficits mean communities will forego critical investments in services, culture, education, and potentially deepen their cuts to nonprofit organizations--organizations who are often the bedrock of their communities and who have the expertise and community connections to help rebuild our nation, our City and our organizations in inclusive and sustainable ways.
Nonprofit New York is encouraged that President Biden’s American Rescue Plan includes relief for struggling communities, state and local governments, and small businesses. We urge the incoming administration to include all nonprofits in relief efforts.
We look forward to working with the new administration, the 117th Congress, and most importantly our members and coalition partners in promoting a strong democracy and civil society. Together, we are and will continue to be a relentless collective force for good.
