Support Your Local Non-profits

As we move into the last 6 weeks of 2020 (and not a moment too soon!), many non-profit organizations begin their annual appeals. This year has been brutal for NPOs, with in-person programming cancelled, essential fundraisers shifted online, overwhelming demand for social services. It has also been an energizing year, with new partnerships being forged, government funding for overhead, increased awareness of the necessity for their services.  How all of this will play out in 2021 remains to be seen, but if you are able, please think about how you can help your local NPOs.  

Welty has experienced most of the above…our participation numbers halved this year (9127 in 2019, 4500 in 2020), all field trips moved online, we cancelled our harvest dinner and will likely not have Maple Sugar Fest in February.  However, we were fortunate to receive a forgivable PPP loan and State of WI Cultural Organization Grant; we had two summer staff members working with Stateline Boys and Girls Club and Community Action, Inc. youth thanks to local funders; and we’ve been able to make up the shortfall in program revenue with donations from our wonderful members.

Giving Tuesday is in 13 days, if you want to participate!

Things I’d love to see continue in 2021 include support from state and federal sources that help with NPO overhead; tax credits for NPO donations (more on that here); growing partnerships to give all Stateline youth fun summer activities; expanded access via virtual means–I’m ready for less zoom meetings, but I’ve “gone” to a lot of workshops in 2020 that I never would have attended in person. My concern is that the damage done this year will take a long time for NPOs to bounce back and funding sources will dry up before their recovery is complete.

I hope you can find a way to help your favorite NPOs that is safe and meaningful to you—whether it’s virtually volunteering, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes. If Welty is your favorite NPO, I sent our appeal letter yesterday (if you’d like the paper version, let me know); and our campaign link is live if you’d like to give online. Together we will get to the other side of this pandemic, and hopefully pick up some new strategies along the way.  Stay healthy and we wish you well!

Brenda Plakans
Executive Director, WEC
info@weltycenter.org
608-361-1377