Nonprofit Recommendations for President Obama

The National Council of Nonprofits, in collaboration with CCSNYS and other state nonprofit associations across the country, submitted its recommendations to the Obama Administration regarding ways the federal government can work better with nonprofits. The full recommendations, available here, begin with:

Dear President‐elect Obama:

Congratulations. Your election as President is historic for many reasons, including one that journalists completely overlooked: You are America’s first nonprofit President.

Nonprofits have touched virtually every stage of your life. We recognize that your lifelong immersion in nonprofits includes the following:

• Being born in a nonprofit hospital;
• Attending middle school and high school at a nonprofit;
• Studying at a nonprofit college;
• Earning your undergraduate degree from a nonprofit university;
• Earning your professional degree from a nonprofit law school;
• Working several years at nonprofits in New York and Chicago;
• Honing your community‐organizing skills by teaching at a nonprofit and running another nonprofit;
• Teaching constitutional law when employed by a nonprofit university;
• Playing basketball at countless different nonprofits;
• Serving as a board member of several other nonprofits;
• Getting married in a nonprofit;
• Marrying the leader of a community nonprofit who became an executive at a nonprofit hospital; and
• Soon sending your daughters to a nonprofit school.

Your campaign’s successful use of lessons you learned through nonprofits shows you appreciate the insights available from nonprofits. Thus, nonprofits across America hope you will shine the light on the tremendous value of the sector.

Thank you for your Transition Team’s request to provide our recommendations, which are attached. We hope this signals a new beginning for governments and nonprofits to work together to serve our common constituents.

On behalf of our colleagues and members, we extend our best wishes to you and your new Administration.
Respectfully,

Tim Delaney
President & CEO, National Council of Nonprofits

Doug Sauer
Board Chair, National Council of Nonprofits and
CEO, Council of Community Services of New York State, Inc.