Nonprofit Primary Project Establishes Steering Committee

September 20th, 2007 - Strategies for engaging all the presidential candidates in discussions on the impact of the nonprofit sector in America were discussed by the newly formed NH Nonprofit Primary Project Steering Committee of NH this week.

Lead by Chairperson Cynthia Mills, president of the Tree Care Industry Association, committee members decided to invite the candidates participating in the upcoming Republican debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover on September 26 to participate in a session with the nonprofit sector prior to or after the debate.

Earlier in the week, the project team hosted a successful forum with presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas who met with more than 50 people at the McConnell Center in Dover, NH, which is a multi-tenant site housing more than 12 nonprofit organizations.

“The Huckabee event was extrememely successful. The Governor responded to our entire question, reflected on his experiences with the sector, and then contemplated ways in which he, as president, would strengthen the sector,” remarked project lead for NH, Mary Ellen Jackson of the NH Center for Nonprofits.

Jackson also noted that many of the candidates when asked about the nonprofit sector seem somewhat perplexed when asked how they would invest in the sector. 

“They are disconnected with the reality that the sector is a significant part of the country’s economy, is counted on to address a myriad of critical issues and at time of natural disasters and crisis, and yet is woefully undercapitalized and stretched too tight. It is important that we engage them in understanding how important it is to recognize the work of the sector and work toward its long-term viability,” remarked Jackson.

Attorney Ann McLane Kuster, of the Education and Nonprofit Law Practice Group at Rath, Young and Pignatelli and consultant to the project, told the group that she was working daily with the contacts from all the campaigns and many, including Edwards, Dodd, Richardson, and OBama have all expressed interest in meeting with project leaders.

In addition, committee members agreed to increase their efforts to attend a variety of presidential candidate events in different parts of the state with the hopes of documenting the responses of all the candidates to the three Primary Project questions.

Monica Zulauf, executive director of the YWCA of Manchester, noted that she would be willing to host candidates at the YWCA and could be ready to host an event with very short notice.

“Our goal is to inspire all of the candidates, from every party, to insert the importance of the nonprofit sector into their dialogues and articulate their plans for investing in the sector so that it is able to respond to all the issues and needs of communities across the nation,” stated Cynthia Mills.

The committee members agreed to all attend at least one political event and make every attempt to ask the candidates the Primary Project questions and to work to broaden the media awareness of the project with letters to the editor, press releases, and speaking engagements on radio and television.

The committee members included Zulauf, Mills, as well as Greg Burdwood, director of the HUB Family Resource Center in Dover; David Deizel of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of NH & VT; Joan Goshgarian of the NH Business Committee for the Arts; Laurette Edelmann, Megan Dumm, and Mary Ellen Jackson from the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits; and coordinator of the project and consultant Attorney Ann McLane Kuster of the Education and Nonprofit Law Practice Group at Rath, Young and Pignatelli. Nonprofit leaders who are interested in serving on the committee are welcome and should call Mary Ellen Jackson at NHCN, 225-1947.