The latest from National Council on Nonprofits ... ACS ... NYC IBO

The National Council of Nonprofits is calling for people in the nonprofit sector to contact U.S. senators today. At issue is the Johnson Amendment, which for more than 50 years has limited the political activity of nonprofits. The Senate is expected to take up a bill in the coming days that includes language undermining the amendment. It has already received approval from the House. The result could be a disaster for nonprofits across the country, according to Tim Delaney, president of the National Council on Nonprofits.

“We all know that what’s considered controversial in the halls of Congress depends on whether politicians are hearing from constituents (with an assist from reporters and social media). I know you are busy and don’t want to waste your time. But the truth is, Senators need to hear from you loudly,” he writes in Nonprofit Quarterly.

More information and talking points can be found here.

Twenty-five nonprofits will receive a total of $3.1 million in funding from TD Bank. A July 24 press release states that the money will pay for affordable housing programs. The deadline to apply is Aug. 31. More information is available here.

The New York City Independent Budget Office has released a new report examining how the Administration for Children’s Services has performed since two high-profile child deaths in 2016. Here are four big takeaways:

• “The number of investigations of suspected child abuse or maltreatment, which are triggered by calls to the New York State Central Register of Abuse and Maltreatment, rose by 1,383 in the months of October-December 2016, an increase of 10 percent over the same period in the prior year.”
• “The number of reports of abuse that were substantiated rose by 20 percent in fiscal year 2017.”
• “The number of initial hearings at Family Court resulting in court-ordered supervision of children increased substantially.”
• “City spending on investigative staff increased in fiscal year 2017.”

"The IBO report validates the Administration for Children's Services' commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of New York City's children. While the number of abuse and neglect-related calls increased in 2016, the IBO report accurately points out that this increase did not result in more children being placed in foster care," ACS spokeswoman Chanel Carawy said in a July 24 email to NYN Media. "We will continue to focus our efforts on expanding the capacity and quality prevention servies that help keep families together."

Read the full report here.

Send your press releases, photos, and word of your latest happenings to reporter Zach Williams at zwilliams@nynmedia.com.