Nonprofit Community Forums + What's Next

Maine nonprofits have been facing extraordinary volatility and uncertainty due to rapid, often confusing, federal executive actions. In addition to our virtual forum in March, MANP has been hosting in person community forums so our network can get updates, hear how colleagues are meeting these challenges, and learn how to speak up for your needs and missions. (Thank you to all who attended forums in Rockland and Presque Isle in May!)

Bolster the advocacy capacity of our sector

"Litigate, advocate, communicate, agitate.... Above all, we’ll be strengthened through solidarity, by uniting to defend and advance the entire sector, together." Diane Yentel, President & CEO, National Council of Nonprofits

In MANP's advocacy to state and federal policymakers, we are lifting up themes we are hearing directly from our members. We know you are concerned about:

• Organizational health, including the workforce, planning, and funding challenges nonprofit employers are facing. 
• Real world harm and how current and planned cuts to nonprofit programs and services are jeopardizing the health, safety, and vibrancy of our communities.
• Employee wellness and the daily impact of fear and uncertainty on the mental health of the people behind our missions.
• Nonprofit sector sustainability and the importance of building trust and collaboration, both within and across sectors.
• Nonprofit-government relationships, including your concerns around government capacity, fairness, retaliation, and transparency.

In June, MANP staff visited our Congressional Delegation offices during a Lobby Day in D.C. alongside colleagues from nonprofit state associations across the country, and we will continue our vocal advocacy in opposition to harmful policy and in support of nonprofit non-partisanship. 

MANP has resources to help you stay informed and advocate for your own organization and community as well.

• A Chart and FAQs related to executive orders
• What to do if your federal grant/contract is terminated
• Resources for Navigating Uncertainty & Crisis
• What nonprofits need to know about lobbying in Maine
• Our Advocacy Network provides a community of peers advocating for their missions - together we have a stronger collective voice. 

Please reach out to MANP's Director of Advocacy, Mary Alice Scott, to share your stories and your questions. We have your back.

Elevate the public profile of nonprofits

What nonprofits do matters. MANP is working with local and national communications partners to amplify the voices, contributions, and challenges of nonprofit organizations in our communities and beyond. 

"Aspiring authoritarians understand what too many of us dismiss: Stories are not decoration. They are infrastructure. Control the story, and you control the policy. Control the policy, and you control the people....The nonprofit sector sits at the center of this narrative warfare. Too often, others define our public narrative. We are written off as charity cases, not change agents. Called service providers, not system builders. Painted as dependents of philanthropic largesse, not architects of transformative movements." Sara Hudson, "#WeTheCivic: “America’s” Stories Can’t Be Told Without Us," Nonprofit Quarterly, July 1, 2025

Public trust in nonprofits remains high, but we need to share our stories to continue to counter false narratives. 

• The OpEd Project has a ton of training and resources, and reminds us all, "Whoever tells the story, writes history."
• Use this Nonprofit Communications Guide from National Council of Nonprofits to shape your messaging.
• Contact Diana Jagde, MANP's Marketing & Development Manager, if you have a story to share about the impacts of executive orders, funding cuts, or the federal tax package. We are especially seeking stories with specific data points about impacts to clients and community, such as lost programs, services, or job opportunities. 

Build collaborative capacity to find solutions to shared challenges

Just as the current threats to the nonprofit sector are new in their scope and severity, we in the nonprofit field must work together in new and expanded ways. 

At the beginning of our Forum in Rockland, we asked participants how they were feeling, and common answers were "overwhelmed," "anxious," "tired," "angry," and "concerned." At the end of the day we asked for a word or phrase that captured a top takeaway, and the answers speak to the power of leaning into networks. 

We have resources to support you in connecting with peers and partners, strengthening your networks, and deepening collaborations: 

• A list of networks and coalitions in Maine. 
• MANP's Member Help Desk service can connect you to peers, consultants, and tools to explore collaborative approaches, including fiscal sponsorship, shared services, and mergers. 
• The Power of Possibility has great resources to support boards to explore greater impact through strategic alliances. (MANP’s resource library includes many more resources on collaboration and strategic alliances (up to and including mergers) such as tips, sample collaboration MOUs, case studies, and more.)
• Request a Sounding Board spot coaching session to connect with a thought partner about the issues you’re facing. 
• Use MANP’s Business Finder directory to find consultants who can facilitate community conversations, plan retreats, support collaborative fundraising, and more. 
• MANP’s Shared Workspace Finder is a growing list of organizations interested in sharing office space.

And finally, save the date for Together for Good, an in-person gathering on December 4th in Portland. Through peer-driven conversations, reflection, and collaborative learning, we’ll practice the skills that sustain impact and build momentum for a stronger, more connected sector. You’ll leave equipped with strategies to use and share—sparking ripple effects that deepen collaboration and strengthen the collective capacity of Maine’s nonprofit community.