More than Federal Grants and Contracts: An Example of the Far-Reaching Financial Impacts of the Policy Environment
These articles are chosen from the headlines to help drive home examples of good practices by nonprofits under stress.
Latino Leadership Northwest of Vancouver, Washington, along with some of their community partners, lost thousands of dollars recently (as reported by KPTV) and has set up a GoFundMe page to try to fill the gap. The largest problem was a 48% drop in attendance from the previous year, attributed to fear of overzealous ICE enforcement in the area; some performers also opted out for safety reasons. The weight of these problems was passed along to partners like the food concessions and event producers.
The GoFundMe describes the cost of the loss beyond finances and tries to recreate a sense of an inclusive resilient community around the event. Sean Guard of the events company Metropolitan Productions writes:
We’re launching this GoFundMe not just to recover financially, but to ensure that community-led, culturally rooted events don’t disappear because of fear or intimidation. These events matter. They create visibility, economic opportunity, and moments of joy—especially for communities that are too often marginalized. Your contribution will help:
- Cover the losses from this event
- Protect our ability to pay vendors and partners fairly
- Ensure we can continue producing safe, welcoming events in the future
- Stand in solidarity with the Latino community during a deeply uncertain time
It’s important to acknowledge the multiplicity of revenue effects that flow from this environment and to recognize that the losses can extend well beyond this year’s budget. It is also worth remembering that when financial revenue becomes scarce, the ability to mobilize social capital depends greatly on the degree to which, through thick and thin, you have been a responsible organizational partner. Following through to try to make everyone whole from this situation is a wise and foresighted move.
