The Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation and The Boston Foundation released a “white paper” report that would promote human services efficiencies. An executive summary of the report, entitled The Utility of Trouble, was released at a forum conducted at The Boston Foundation. 

On June 28th, the Providers' Council participated in a rally in front of Senator Scott Brown's office on New Sudbury Street in Boston. The rally drew a large crowd that filled the sidewalk in front of the federal building, and it was sponsored by a coalition of labor groups and human services organizations.

Participants asked the senator to restore funding for critical services in Massachusetts after he and other Senate Republicans blocked the FMAP legislation with a series of procedural maneuvers. The loss of funding will cost Massachusetts more than $600 million.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued an Administrative Interpretation clarifying its opinion on eligibility regarding employee qualifications to take Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

A recent advisory provided to the Council via our Endorsed Business Partner, TD Insurance from Ford & Harrison LLP outlines the changes clarified by the DOL.

According to Ford & Harrison, the DOL is, for the first time, defining eligibility to include "birth, bonding or to care for the child of a domestic partner or same-sex domestic partner, as well as other children for whom an employee has responsibility for day-to-day care or financial responsibility, even though the employee has no biological or legal relationship with the child."

This expansion of eligiblity stems from clarification over the definition of whether an employee stands "in loco parentis" and may now include examples such as:

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04) recently introduced the Nonprofit Sector & Community Solutions Act in D.C., a bill designed to improve the relationship between the federal government and nonprofit organizations. The bill is available on our site for your review or download.

Providers' Council staff members Carly Burton, Kevin Gilnack and Michael Weekes met with U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum and National Council of Nonprofits CEO Tim Delaney on a recent trip to Washington to discuss the legislation.

The bill will do the following:

• Create a U.S. Council on Nonprofit Organizations and Community Solutions to consider the relationship between government and nonprofits, and make recommendations on efficiencies, contracting issues, research needs, and improving community-based impact.
• Create an Interagency Working Group on Nonprofit Organizations and the Federal Government to create a coordinated process between nonprofits and the government in regard to policymaking.
• Put a single, federal agency in charge of coordinating data collection about nonprofits.

Human service agencies want to make every dollar count, especially as you think about your year-end purchases.  That's why the Council wants to make sure members know about how our Endorsed Business Partners are helping members you do that right now.

Here are some year specials that help your purchasing dollars go even farther...