Nonprofits are under assault as never before. This difficult economic climate has stretched and strained the nonprofit sector—many are facing increased taxes and fees from state and local governments, proposals in the federal government have called for the end of the tax deduction, and for-profit businesses are encroaching in on traditional nonprofit fields.

Now is the time for a renewal strategy for the sector based on nonprofits’ unique values and their role in society. Instead of moving away from the sector’s core competencies, this strategy must focus on the qualities and attributes that allow it to make such a special contribution to the U.S.’s changing society.

To begin this process, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies surveyed 1,500 nonprofit organizations around the country and found a widespread consensus on seven core values of the nonprofit sector. These values, outlined in a recent report from the Center, can serve as a foundation for the renewal of the sector, but all nonprofits must add their voice.

“These values reinforce the fact that the not-for-profit sector is an essential component of  American society because it brings out the best in all of us,” said Larry Minnix, President and CEO of LeadingAge. “It is time for a not-for-profit spirit of renewal in our country where the sector reclaims its strengths, recommits to its unique responsibilities for the public good, and society recognizes the sector’s enduring contributions in improving the quality of our lives. The report on these values summarizes in new and fresh ways why and how the sector’s mission is so important.”

The report will be released Thursday, December 6. It will be available for download here: http://bit.ly/npvalues

Please join Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies on Twitter (use #nonprofitvalues ) and Facebook to add your voice!

~ Lester Salamon and Stephanie Geller, Johns Hopkins Center For Civil Society Studies,
Johns Hopkins University