On the heels of our annual lobby day in Washington D.C., Donors Forum wants to remind grantmakers and nonprofits of the ongoing importance of engaging with public officials.  The mayoral election ushers in the promise of a new era for Chicago; as a city, Chicago faces many challenges, but this new administration also offers nonprofits and foundations an opportunity to build new critical relationships. We encourage you to submit ideas to Mayor-elect Emmanuel here on how to make Chicago better. 

Now is the time for grantmakers and nonprofits to amplify our collective voices and advocate for a stronger 3-way partnership between government, nonprofits, and philanthropy. Remind the Mayor-elect of the value nonprofits and foundations bring to communities through strong partnerships as well as the substantial economic contribution we make.

Donors Forum submitted this letter to the Mayor and will be engaging with the Mayor-elect's transition team, which includes a number of Donors Forum Members and Partners.  Here are some ideas for messages you may want to share:

• Nonprofit organizations are surprisingly robust economic engines, generating nearly 10 percent of Illinois’ gross state product and employing nearly 9 percent of the state’s work force.

• Without our work, change doesn't happen: nonprofits provide a spectrum of essential services – for example, job training, economic development, and housing, plus arts offerings, environmental protection, and much more.
• Foundations are critical repositories of independence, innovation and investment, as well as effective conveners of influential networks and catalysts for regional and local problem-solving.

When submitting your ideas online, we recommend that you include your name, title, the official name of your organization, and a phone number in the submission itself.

~Hannah White, Public Policy Associate

photo credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rahm_Emanuel_press_conference.jpg via Wikipedia Commons