Standing With Our Communities in a Difficult Moment

Like so many of you, we are deeply concerned by the events unfolding in Minnesota and across the country.  The militarization of ICE operations in violation of basic legal and civil rights and the violence unfolding in American communities is horrifying.  This increased ICE presence is not limited to Minneapolis, Maine, and Los Angeles. They are targeting our neighbors here as well.   

If you would like to know how you can best support communities in Minnesota, this resource page from our dear friends at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) has the latest and greatest information from those closest to the need. 

If you are wondering what you should be doing and thinking about here in Montana, as a leader, as a helper, as a service provider, and as an employer, MNA recommends getting to know the law and your rights as citizens, immigrants, and employers.  Again, MCN has curated a wonderful resource page for you to visit (scroll down to “Know Your Rights” and “Nonprofit-Specific Guidance” sections).  

Beyond knowing your rights, there are local and regional legal experts who can help provide specific guidance to protect your employees, clients, and community. We also recommend taking the time to connect with your volunteers, board members, and community stakeholders to learn about the community organizers, mutual aid groups, and concerned citizens who are gathering in your region to provide on-the-ground support to individuals and families. 

In our work, we’re used to seeing both the best and worst of who we are, as people, as a community, and as a nation.  We are, frankly, too well-accustomed to need, injustice, violence, and suffering – they are the conditions that we fight against day by day across Montana and beyond.  When we look across our state and across our country today, it is easy to falter and to question the enduring impact of our work. It’s natural to feel like our individual efforts are just a drop in the ocean. 

From one nonprofit leader to another, I’m imploring you today: Whatever you are doing to make Montana better, keep doing it. We need you. This state needs you. Art matters. Mental health matters. Natural resources matter. It all matters. 

The news unfolding right now on so many fronts is heartbreaking and deeply unsettling. It’s hard to stay focused when the world feels like it’s fracturing.  And yet, our ability to continue to show up and do our work — both the marvelous and the mundane — with selflessness, courage, hope, and love is the antidote to hatred and fear.  Keep going.  And know that we are here for you and with you. 

With deepest gratitude, 

Adam 
Executive Director 
Montana Nonprofit Association