A Big Step in the Right Direction: Topinka Launches Illinois Nonprofit Advisory Council to Tackle Fiscal Challenges Facing Charities
July 24, 2013
Donors Forum's President and CEO Valerie S. Lies, as well as Board Member Graham Grady, are Appointed to the Council
At a press conference on July 17, Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka announced the formation of the new Illinois Nonprofit Advisory Council, the first of its kind in the nation. The Council will meet regularly to address the severe and persistent fiscal challenges facing nonprofits due to delays in state payments.
Among the 17 members of the council are Valerie S. Lies, President and CEO of Donors Forum; and attorney Graham Grady, who is a Trustee of the African American Legacy Fund and a Donors Forum Board Member.
A blog post by Lies, "How Nonprofits and Government Can Work Together to Tackle Illinois Challenges," was published July 23 in the online Huffington Post. Lies points out the importance of nonprofits and philanthropies joining with policymakers to develop solutions to the fiscal issues facing nonprofits; she also highlights Donors Forum's Public Nonprofit Partnership Initiative, an example of a such a partnership, which aims to strengthen the relationship between nonprofits and state government so policymakers truly understand the value of the sector. Read the blog post here.
~Marilou Jones, Director, Communications, Donors Forum
