Sam Snideman: Our community needs nonprofits; now they need you

Indianapolis is built on civic engagement and a willingness of all Hoosiers to meet the needs of their neighbors. Volunteerism, philanthropy and a commitment to the common good define us. Names like Lilly, Basile, Mays and others are testaments to the public spirit of our city’s residents. Now, in this moment of change, it’s our turn to carry this legacy forward.

As elected leaders work to fulfill promises to voters to reduce and reform the scope of government services, we need new commitments to our nonprofit sector. To ensure we meet our neighbors’ vital needs, we need to invest our time, talents and treasure into the nonprofits that remain a hallmark of Indianapolis.

The last several months have been a whirlwind for organizations on the front lines of responding to community needs. Executive orders, the “one big beautiful bill,” a rough state revenue projection and the ongoing federal appropriations process have not made things easier or more predictable.

But this period makes several things clear. First, needs still exist. Changing eligibility for SNAP does not erase the real food insecurity households face; it just makes the work of food banks more important. Second, we can’t just “wait it out” and anticipate a future return to a more generous set of government programs.

Every day in central Indiana, nonprofits respond to thousands of our neighbors who need help. They are front-line providers for health care, child care, healthy food and housing. They make our communities vibrant. They were built by volunteers and philanthropists—people with a passion for helping others and doing good in the world. In these uncertain times, they provide certainty to every person who walks through their doors.

At the same time, these nonprofits have faced myriad issues threatening their work: a less generous public and volunteerism that still lags behind pre-pandemic numbers. They have faced devastating losses of support through government funding cuts that come at a time when more than one in three households in central Indiana is in or near poverty. Local organizations including Easterseals Crossroads, Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center, and Boys and Girls Clubs are scaling down programs or offering fewer opportunities because of these financial constraints.

The sustainability of many of these community organizations is challenged, and in their absence, the outcomes for our neighbors would be dire.

Knowing that no one is coming to save us but ourselves, we should find those organizations working on issues we feel passionate about and get more involved. We should volunteer; we should donate; we should become advocates for the communities and issues closest to our hearts.

In an era of growing inequality, we need to come together if we are to address the current and future challenges we will face. Nonprofits offer us a means to realize that goal, as they are often organizations with both a view of the challenges communities face and access to the resources necessary to solve them.

This call for greater support for our nonprofit community places an extra burden on each of us as citizens but it is vital to the health of our shared life together. Through rebuilding our own individual civic skills, we will refresh a nonprofit community that has been so central to the wellbeing of our friends and neighbors. By giving our time, talents and treasure, we can ensure our communities have the vital support they need in the face of uncertainty.•

__________

Snideman is vice president of government and sector relations at United Way of Central Indiana.