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Yes, we know it's not March anymore but ran into a technical glitch with this particular email. Now that the bug's been worked out, we're happy to bring you some news from March, two days into April 😆. We'll be back in your inbox later this month with our April Community Connector. Pardon the delay!
NEW Resources & Updates on Recent Executive Orders
As many of you know, on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed dozens of Executive Orders (EOs) on a broad range issues affecting nonprofits and those we serve. Several more EOs of note were signed in March.
The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN), of which PANO is a proud member, continues to update the following resources to help nonprofits stay on top of the latest changes and what they may mean:
On March 8, President Trump signed the Restoring Public Loan Forgiveness EO, directing the Secretary of Education to revise the current rules on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), in which many nonprofit professionals are currently enrolled. The new rules would disqualify organizations that "engage in activities that have a substantial illegal purpose", including organizations that advance or support illegal immigration, terrorism, child abuse, discrimination, or public disruptions.
Language in the EO specifically states that nonprofits doing any of the following would be targeted:
Those that work with undocumented immigrants or trans people;
Those doing DEI work; and/or
Those who have organized in support of Gaza
Because EOs cannot override federal law, these proposed revisions will need to go through a process called negotiated rulemaking before any changes go into effect. For now, 501(c)(3) organizations continue to be covered as eligible employers for PSLF, regardless of what type of work they do.
Then, an EO signed March 20 directed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted deliver of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely." While the President cannot legally abolish the entire department, recent actions, including this EO, continue to make the DOE much smaller, resulting in increased servicer wait times and decreased system reliability for those enrolled in the PSLF program.
PANO partner savi is encouraging borrowers currently enrolled in PSLF to be proactive and back up copies of their most important student loan documents. Read their recommendations on what records to save and how to do it here.
EO on Election Administration
Just last week, on March 25, President Trump issued the Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections EO. Broadly speaking, this EO seeks to change voting standards and guidelines, remove federal funding to states for noncompliance, and prohibits foreign nationals from contributing or donating in elections. More specifically, the EO would require:
Proof of citizenship for mail-in voter registration forms
Recording of the type of document an applicant uses as proof of citizenship
Identification of "unqualified voters registered in the U.S."
Information on foreign nationals who have registered or voted in the U.S.
Assessment of citizenship prior to providing voter registration forms for public assistance programs
The EO also prioritizes enforcement against:
noncitizens registering to vote;
foreign nationals from contributing or donating in elections;
lobbying by organizations or entities that have received federal funds.
Several parts of this EO have been called into question on a legal basis, and experts expect it will be challenged in court.
For more, check out this Nonprofit VOTE blog post, co-authored by Brian Miller, Nonprofit VOTE's Executive Director, and David Heinen, VP of Public Policy and Advocacy at fellow NCN member the NC Center for Nonprofits.
Upcoming Webinar - Federal Budget & Medicaid Changes: Implications for Pennsylvania
During our February Café PANO gathering, several of our members expressed interest in better understanding how the federal budget works and what's happening with Medicaid. While we're not the experts in either of those things, our network came through and recommended a few folks who do know a thing or two about all this. Join PANO and our partners at Duane Morris Government Strategies, the PA Health Access Network (PHAN), and Clearlink Partners on Tuesday, April 15, 2:00-3:15 PM for Federal Budget & Medicaid Changes: Implications for Pennsylvania. Together, we'll review:
How the federal budget works
Updates on how the continuing resolution is impacting nonprofit work
The many ways that Medicaid funding supports individuals, communities, and our economy - from impacts on nonprofit employee health coverage to the less obvious access to things like mental health services
What we need to know as we plan for the days and months ahead
PennSERVE's State Service Plan Survey - Deadline Friday, May 2
PANO partner PennSERVE is developing PA's next three-year State Service Plan - and they could use your help gathering insights from volunteers, nonprofits, and community groups across the state!
If you're not familiar, PennSERVE, Pennsylvania’s state service commission, works with AmeriCorps to connect people and organizations to solve important challenges through service.
The next State Service Plan will serve as a vision and roadmap for service in Pennsylvania with the following priority areas:
Bolster the quantity and quality of AmeriCorps programming in PA.
Strengthen the service infrastructure and ethic in Pennsylvania
Improve the AmeriCorps member experience.
Your organization can help by first taking the survey, then distributing it to your network of volunteers, nonprofit partners, and service-minded individuals. The more voices they hear, the stronger the plan will be!
The year's summit theme of “Equity in Action” will explore how to actively take steps to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances, by addressing systemic barriers and providing tailored support where needed. This year's sessions will highlight practical strategies, case studies, and policies that move equity from theory to practice.
Selected sessions will be diverse in subject matter, content, and format, with preference given to sessions that present a range of perspectives on a particular topic and/or represent multiple geographies. You may want to submit a proposal if you oversee a project, initiative, or program that works to advance:
Community & Economic Development
Economic Mobility - and Advancement, Successes, and Opportunities
During our 25 Benefits of PANO Membership in 2025 webinar back in January, we announced two brand-new member benefits, now available to PANO members all over the Commonwealth. Scroll down to the Membership section of this email for more about:
Impala - your one-stop-shop for funder prospect research, delivering actionable insights and results that are personalized to your nonprofit's mission and profile.
Ujoin - world-class advocacy tools at an unbeatable price, helping nonprofits take their policy work to the next level with design-forward action pages that will drive policy wins and help you build capacity.
The short answer? Yes, your Form 990 is a public document and must be shared upon request. It's also available online (e.g., on Candid's Guidestar or the IRS website).
The longer answer? Your Form 990 can be a powerful PR tool because it tells your nonprofit's story to the public, watchdog groups, journalists, and potential partners. It's not just a tax document - it's your annual "open book" about who you are, what you do, and how responsibly you do it.
Craft a Strong Statement in Part I, Line 1 - Use clear, compelling language that reflects your real-world impact, not just your legal purpose.
Use Schedule O to Your Advantage - This is your space to explain program accomplishments, clarify unusual financial items, and add color commentary to the numbers (e.g., let's say you received a large one-time grant that increased your revenue one year - you can explain the one-time nature of the grant and how it was leveraged for your org and the people who benefit from your services).
Tell Stories with Numbers in Part III - Use the "Program Service Accomplishments" section to highlight results. Include real data: how many people you served, outcomes achieved, etc. This is not the space for listing your programs; this where outcomes can be accentuated.
Be Thoughtful about Compensation Reporting - Explain any higher salaries in Schedule J or Schedule O to show they are reasonable and tied to performance or market rates.
Highlight Good Governance - Demonstrate that you have policies in place (conflict of interest, document retention, whistleblower, etc.). This builds trust with your donors and supporters. The Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packets (free to PANO members!) include sample documents and helpful guidance if you need to put these in place.
Promote It on Your Website - Share a clean copy of your 990 and include a short summary to help visitors understand what it means. This will also show that you subscribe to accountable and ethical practices.
To learn more:
Check out the Form 990 Policy Compendium Packet, a Standards for Excellence resource complete with sample policies and public relations considerations of the Form 990 (FREE for PANO Members | $25 for Not-Yet Members)
Impala - The Ultimate Platform for Identifying, Researching, and Connecting with Funders Wednesday, April 2 | 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | Free Member Benefit Webinar (Impala) | Free to attend! Learn More|Register Now
Tech Planning and Budgeting Wednesday, April 2 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | FREE Affiliate Partner Webinar (Tech Impact) | Free to attend! Learn More|Register Now
West Philly Research Day (PANO Member Event - Promise Zone Research Connection) Thursday, April 3 | 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM | ExCITe Center (3401 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 | Free to Attend! Learn More|Register Now
IRS Form 990: Public Relations Opportunity or Trap for the Unwary? Wednesday, April 9 | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Webinar (Nonprofit Issues) | $45 for PANO Members, $100 for Not-Yet Members Learn More |Register Now
Empowering Nonprofits: A Temple University Conference Thursday, April 10 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Temple University Ambler Campus (580 Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, PA 19002 - Free on-site parking will be provided for conference attendees) | Registration Fees Vary - PANO Members enjoy a 10% discount with code PANO10! Learn More|Register Now
Scenario Planning: Mapping the Unknown Wednesday, April 16 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Webinar (Susan Loucks Consulting) | $30 for PANO Members, $66 for Not-Yet Members Learn More |Register Now
Coffee Break: Understanding Managed Services for Nonprofits Wednesday, April 23 | 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM | FREE Affiliate Partner Webinar (Tech Impact) | Free to attend! Learn More| Register Now
Effective Teams: How to Engage Board Members When You're the Staff Member Wednesday, April 23 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Webinar (Stephanie Cory Consulting) | $30 for PANO Members, $66 for Not-Yet Members Learn More|Register Now
Storytelling that Connects & Inspires Thursday, April 24 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Free Member Benefit Webinar (Firespring) | Free to attend! Learn More|Register Now
Microsoft 365 Quarterly Office Hours - Session 2 Friday, April 25 | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | FREE Affiliate Partner Webinar (Tech Impact) | Free to attend! Learn More |Register Now
Café PANO: Topic Coming Soon! Tuesday, April 29 | 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM | Virtual Gathering (PANO Members) | Free for PANO Members to Attend! Learn More|Register Now
Power BI in Action: Bring Your Data to Life Wednesday, April 30 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | FREE Affiliate Partner Webinar (Tech Impact) | Free to attend! Learn More| Register Now
The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint: Your Step-by-Step Roadmap to an A+ Proposal Enroll ANY TIME! | 8-session self-paced online course (GrantsMagic U) | $147 for PANO Members (with discount code 50PANO), $197 for Not-Yet Members Learn More |Register Now
Accreditation is no small feat - it’s the highest honor we offer. WCSI completed a comprehensive application detailing their operations, board governance, employee and volunteer management, fundraising efforts, and program evaluation processes. Their submission was rigorously reviewed by a team of trained peer volunteers and ultimately approved by the Standards for Excellence Committee. This process sets WCSI apart as a leader in their field, demonstrating best practices at every level of their organization. The committee was particularly impressed with WCSI's:
6-month and 1-year employee surveys
Program evaluation
Use of outside sources to assist with compensation study
Thorough process in place to evaluate both the CEO and the board
Use of an employee time study to inform their budget
Sharing their client satisfaction summary on website
The Standards for Excellence tools and resources are available to anyone looking to elevate their organizations. Whether you’re seeking sample policies or striving for Accreditation, these tools will guide you toward meeting the highest standards, legal requirements, and regulatory compliance.
Let’s give a big round of applause to WCSI for setting the bar high and showing what it means to lead with excellence!
AI for Nonprofits Resource Hub & Upcoming AI Web Series
While AI certainly isn’t new, the surge in consumer-ready products now marketed to nonprofits brings both fresh opportunities and obstacles.
So, NTEN, in partnership with the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) and Maryland Nonprofits, put together this resource hub, designed to be a central repository for nonprofit staff. You can share everything in the hub with your team and board, and NTEN will keep expanding the available resources based on your needs and feedback.
Additionally, PANO's sister association in Maryland, Maryland Nonprofits, is hosting a three-part web series in partnership with NTEN starting later this month. PANO Members are invited to register for free using code NCN!
New from Building Movement Project - NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY | Nonprofits in the New Landscape
Building Movement Project’s (BMP's) Navigating Uncertainty resources are designed to provide perspective on executive orders and memoranda issued by the current Administration and their impact on nonprofit organizations regarding infrastructure, funding, programming, and community harm. Their latest blog, Sustaining the Safety Net: How Service Providers are Navigating Political Uncertainty, explores the challenges organizations face and community-driven strategies helping them adapt. The following trends have surfaced:
Funding remains a top concern
Staffing is stretched thin while demand for services grows
Organizations are adapting and building power across both new and established networks
One of two new benefits introduced at the beginning of this year, Impala is a one-stop shop for funder prospect research that scrapes billions of data points across every nonprofit and foundation in the U.S. Then, Impala applies smart data intelligence to deliver actionable insights and results, personalized to your nonprofit's mission and profile. The goal is to help you find more of the right funders, see who supports your peers and ecosystem, save time on prospect research, and ultimately boost your chances of securing more grants.
PANO Members enjoy 10% off Impala products and ALL Pennsylvania nonprofits (not just PANO Members!) get free access to Impala Essentials, the digital platform where you can search 2.9M nonprofit and 220K funder profiles, claim your own, and build lists to turn insights into action. Learn more about Impala in their upcoming webinar, Impala - The Ultimate Platform for Identifying, Researching, and Connecting with Funders - TODAY Wednesday, April 2, 11:00 - 11:45 AM eastern.
For nearly 20 years, Firespring's beautiful, easy-to-use websites and results-driven marketing solutions have empowered nonprofits to raise funds, manage events, and tell their story. This means you can focus more on engaging your target audiences, sharing impactful content, and nurturing engagement...and less on technical overhead.
PANO Members save 20% on Firespring services like new website development projects, printing and direct mail pieces, digital campaigns, creative packages, strategic consultation, branding workshops, and more. Experience Firespring's expertise in action in their upcoming webinar, Storytelling that Connects and Inspires, later this month on Thursday, April 24, 12:00 - 1:00 PM eastern.
The other of two new benefits introduced at the beginning of this year, Ujoin's mission is and always has been to deliver world-class advocacy tools at an unbeatable price point while delivering high quality customer care. Made by advocates, for advocates, Ujoin takes your policy work to the next level - energized members, partners, and donors will see your design forwarded action pages that will drive policy wins and help you build capacity for your organization overall. The best part? PANO members get 20% off!
