Budget and spending decisions by governments affect all Americans and these decisions can have immediate and serious consequences for the people nonprofits serve and the communities in which they operate.

Federal Budget and Appropriations

The National Council of Nonprofits monitors federal budget proposals and the appropriations process to identify trends and proposals that will advance or hinder the ability of charitable nonprofits to advance their missions.

Federal Budget Process

The federal government’s fiscal year begins October 1 and runs through September 30 of the following calendar year….

State Budget and Spending

The response of policymakers to the Great Recession and its aftermath has been inconsistent. Some state and local governments continue to make budget and spending decisions that are detrimental to the work of nonprofits and the communities they serve, while others have chosen to ramp up support for nonprofit services. The Council of Nonprofits opposes arbitrary and across-the-board budget cuts such as sequestration and works to inform policymakers of the impact of budget proposals on communities.

• Mandatory Volunteerism: Legislative proposals that would impose a “volunteerism” requirement for individuals before they could receive such existing benefits as unemployment insurance, Medicaid services, SNAP (food stamps) assistance, and welfare benefits.
• Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR): a state budget and tax-policy process that limits growth of state and local revenues to a restrictive formula, such as capping total spending and taxing to the rate of inflation plus change in population.