Notes from an NPO Conversation at GMA Foundations

collaborationThere is cause for optimism among nonprofit leaders who see and feel indicators of family economic well-being on a daily basis. We learned this in lunchtime conversation with eight leaders of strong nonprofits that work with families in many of eastern Massachusetts’ lowest income areas. Since 2010, more of these families are getting quality healthcare, training and jobs. Importantly, the family members themselves are optimistic about their prospects. After all, the unemployment rate in the state is among the lowest in the country.

However, the eight leaders agreed that the communities they serve are struggling – low-income families and individuals were hit hardest by the Great Recession, and they are still struggling to pay the rent, and their cellphone bills, childcare, student loans and transportation costs. These expenses continue to rise but wages have not gone up at the same rate; the pathway to economic success is not accessible to all. Additionally, Massachusetts ranks among the top ten states with the biggest levels of income inequality.

Several key themes emerged in our conversation about pathways to family economic well-being:

  • Family engagement matters. Families need to be in charge of their own self-sufficiency agenda, as they are in several innovative savings programs now operating in Boston. In addition to agency, individuals need a sense of ownership in the larger economy.
  • Government engagement matters. Government can be seen as a member of the dysfunctional American family, with limited investment in its key resource (families), and outdated, inflexible and often punitive programs in place in the name of family assistance.
  • The concept of self-sufficiency may be a misnomer, given the important interplay between individuals and civil society.
  • Education matters, but it’s not magic. The group questioned the notion that high-quality schools are in themselves sufficient to raise young people out of poverty. Several of our guests commented on the alarming rise in the costs of higher education, and the importance of practicality; for poor people particularly, it is important that higher education and training be linked to a clear career pathway that will lead to economic improvements over time.

In closing, we asked, what one thing would you magically change right now to clear the way so that more families achieve economic well-being? The list of answers is a good one.

  1. Reform campaign finance law
  2. Divert money from the military to parents
  3.  Make education affordable for every one; ensure equal opportunity in education
  4. Bring back strong families and traditional civic values
  5. Build civic-mindedness and a national dialogue about what is public; reclaim the commons
  6. Take back Love – as a society, focus more on supporting and loving one another
  7. Invest heavily in people and infrastructure
  8. Change the dialogue around race and class; what is the America we want to create?

What would you add? We would like to hear from you! Please add your comment below or write to our NPO Conversation facilitator, and GMA’s Director of Grantmaking, Phil Hall via phall@gmafoundations.com