"What kind of state do you want for yourself, and more importantly, for those that follow you? We need leaders in government whose vision extends beyond the next election.  We also need leaders in education and the nonprofit sector whose vision extends beyond their own niche – leaders who understand the importance of others in the choppy waters as they struggle to stay afloat."

This call for Illinois nonprofits to come together was from Mike Lawrence (pictured), former Director of the Paul Simon Institute at Southern Illinois University, at a recent meeting in Springfield, Illinois of 80 nonprofit leaders from the around the state.  Called Roadmap to Recovery, the event featured, in addition to Mr. Lawrence's keynote on coming together as a sector, a presentation from Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, who spoke on the Illinois economy and the state budget. The event was presented by Donors Forum in partnership with The Lumpkin Family Foundation and its GoodworksConnect.org web community.

Lawrence stated that we have not seen leadership and bipartisanship in recent years when it comes to funding state services, and he is far from confident that we will see it without nonprofits' strong and energetic involvement.  He urged attendees to educate, motivate and engage the citizens of Illinois and make Illinois the right kind of state.  "You should rally behind principles developed and set forth by the Donors Forum to make the public and private sectors more professional and accountable," Lawrence stated.

Find a full account of the convening, including videos, transcripts, and handouts, here.  To take action on the issues discussed at the convening, Donors Forum asks all who support a strong nonprofit sector in Illinois to:

• Learn about and endorse Fair & Accountable: Partnership Principles for a Sustainable Human Services System.

• Send an email to subscribe to Donors Forum's Policy Update, a free newsletter emailed about twice a month with information on state and federal issues that affect Illinois nonprofits and philanthropy.

• Join the conversation at goodWORKSconnect.org.  Expand your professional network, share ideas, and learn from peers throughout the state.

• Learn about the position and advocacy work of The Responsible Budget Coalition, which is leading a statewide movement to support comprehensive tax reform to ensure the state lives up to its moral and legal obligations.

• If you are part of a human services organization, join Illinois Partners for Human Service and add your voice to this important advocacy network.

~ the donors forum team