Should Government Get More Involved with Nonprofits?

An interesting story today in the Washington Post regarding an effort by some nonprofit leaders to boost “strategic coordination” between government and the nonprofit sector. The apparent goal is to funnel more government money through the private nonprofit sector in order to address chronic societal problems. Not all (maybe even not most) nonprofit leaders think this is a good idea; governmental cooperation often becomes governmental control, as strings of one kind or another get attached to program funds. The next thing you know, nonprofits feel they can’t exist without the government money and the strings that go with.

I’d give the nonprofit sector the same advice I always got from Grandma Della Colombo: be careful what you wish for. In this case, be VERY careful.

JDC