Nonprofits are the Backbone of Our Communities

There is a disturbing change of rhetoric taking place across our country and across Montana.  The idea being perpetuated is that anything other than big business is “parasitic” to our civil society. Nonprofits – the organizations that bring people together to solve a problem without profit-seeking —  are cast as “inefficient,” and public funding that supports them as “waste, fraud, and abuse”. This rhetoric is myopic, untrue, and quite harmful. 

Montana’s nonprofits are essential — to our economy, to our communities, and to the lives of every Montanan.  Nonprofits exist to do things that government and business can’t, won’t, and shouldn’t.  They exist for a fundamental purpose other than turning a profit and satisfying shareholders.  There will never be profit in your local 4H club – but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t exist. And yet, we have seen increasing attacks on nonprofits (also called NGOs) that threaten to remove funding from an entire sector of our economy. Frankly, we need more opportunities, not less, to come together for the sake of people and communities, not profit.

So, on behalf of the Montana Nonprofit Association and the thousands of nonprofits we represent and serve, I want to say clearly and directly what too often goes unsaid:

When nonprofits charge fees or seek grants and donations, we are doing what it takes to meet our missions. Nonprofits don’t have shareholders and don’t build equity for profit-sharing; every dollar is reinvested back into the mission and to communities.

If you want to know what’s happening in your community — ask a nonprofit leader. These leaders have deep roots in their communities and dedicate their professional careers to their missions. We are on the front lines of housing, healthcare, education, childcare, the arts, conservation, and more. Our insight is invaluable in crafting solutions that work in Montana.

From food banks to mental health centers, from theaters to conservation groups, nonprofits build the social fabric that makes life in Montana rich and meaningful. Our work reaches every community in our state, supporting people across the lifespan. If you live in Montana, a nonprofit has touched your life.

Nonprofits often deliver services on behalf of government because we are trusted by and embedded in our communities, and we can do the work more efficiently and effectively. But we are not a free substitute for public investment, and private philanthropic support cannot backfill the difference left by cuts to government funding.

Nonprofits are held to high standards of transparency, governance, and ethical practice. Resources are stewarded by volunteer board experts and our financial statements are publicly available by law, ensuring that organizations are accountable to donors, clients, and the public.

Montana’s nonprofits employ more than 50,000 people — that’s 1 in 10 workers. We contribute billions to Montana’s economy and support local main streets.  Nonprofit employees are data-scientists, counselors, teachers, advocates, biologists, and more— all working to meet real needs in nearly every town, large and small, across Montana.

When actions are taken to undermine “those nonprofits,” the harm is not to some amorphous NGO. Rhetoric and actions that strip support for nonprofits undermine your community and the local nonprofits dedicated to it.  If you are a board member, donor, patron, or client of a local nonprofit organization, its impacting you!

Take a moment today to appreciate what nonprofits do in your community. When Montana’s nonprofits are strong, Montana is strong.

This Letter to the Editor was published in the Billings Gazette on March 12, 2025 and the Daily Interlake on March 16, 2025.