Across the country, nonprofits are helping to feed the hungry, provide health care, our environment, empower at-risk youth, and satisfy the desires of our most vulnerable populations through other meaningful acts of charity.
Needs increase exponentially during this pandemic, creating more desires than resources. In addition to the significant fitness hazards of COVID-19, leaders of many organizations are involved in the economy and how the virus affects their ability to carry out their mission.
At a time when others need to volunteer in their communities, nonprofit leaders are also asking tough questions about how to resume programs responsibly. Adopting more cleaning protocols, following the orders of the masks and following common sense precautions are all the next obvious steps to reach a “new normal”.
A practical way for federal lawmakers to allow these organizations to continue to provide an essential article is to provide them with legal protection. Nonprofits, as well as companies, want that certainty to continue.
For example, 400,000 foster children were housed in transitional families for five months with little re-relief that the child and the family circle want to succeed. Religious communities and other nonprofit organizations would certainly be pleased to organize an outdoor “parenting party” with games and activities for young people, giving parents a well-deserved rest and expanding the likelihood that they will continue to promote. Nonprofits are much more likely to organize such breathing opportunities if they are legally for acting smart.
Even a claim for COVID-19 is enough to end up with a small nonprofit. The charge of protecting a claim is the cash that can be used to obtain a soup kitchen, rent a grant writer, employ a shelter worker, young moviers waiting for adoption, or care for a veteran.
Simply put, other people who act in a smart religion to achieve a smart audience don’t have to open themselves up to legal action by helping others.
This same line of idea is the impetus for the legislation of the “Good Samaritan”, which protects those who act in intelligent religion in emergency situations. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have Good Samaritan status.
No one expects Americans not to be compensated if they have been intentionally harmed. We have a legal formula prepared for each type of circumstance. What we don’t have is a consistent state-to-state policy to provide certainty to nonprofits seeking to serve the public.
Most people who apply for nonprofits do a smart job because they need others. It’s a vocation. We ask our leaders in Congress to continue our collective project by staying frontline and out of court.
Janet Kelly Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2010 to 2014 and is now president of Virginia’s Kids Belong.