10% Discount for LANO members on Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Report

The Nonprofit Times is offering a 10% discount to LANO members on their 2009 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Survey. This 750+ page study is the nation's most comprehensive, data-rich, versatile and user-friendly salary and benefits report for the nonprofit sector, from industry leader The Nonprofit Times in collaboration with Bluewater Nonprofit Solutions.

The report includes:

• Total cash compensation data, including bonus pay practices, on 241 nonprofit jobs from entry-level to the executive office.
• Key performance metrics allow you to benchmark and evaluate your organization's salary and benefits costs, employee productibvity, staff turnover and more.
• Quartile rankings enhance reporting and analusis at multiple levels to compare compensation practices against the performance in the marketplace by geography, financial size, employees and organizational forcus.
• Comprehensive benefits data including plan costs, participation rates and eligibility.
• 94 benefit offerings from employee leave to telecommuting.
• Comparable data to satisfy the new IRS 990.

The Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report is also available as an annual subscription with quarterly updates.

A New Shape and Direction for LANO

As an organization committed to strengthening nonprofits and increasing the impact of our sector's work, LANO is expected to do more than merely advise others. We are striving to practice the same critical evaluation of our mission and operations that we encourage in our member organizations.

Our goal is to focus on outcomes and prove the worth of our supporters’ investments, knowing that LANO’s investors include not only donors and agency partners but also our membership. Our responsibility to provide tangible benefits extends to all.

LANO is now changing to meet this challenge. After receiving intense review and direction from our stakeholder community, and with much internal deliberation, LANO has revised its strategic mission and business plan to improve its service to Louisiana's nonprofit sector and membership.
As a champion of the nonprofit model, we pledge to provide the following benefits:

a) A Unifying Voice, relying on data to improve our understanding of the sector and to better advocate on its behalf

b) Accountability through an expansion of Standards certification, continual use of evidence-based practices and instruction; and by becoming a model of accountability to all observers

c) Strategic Collaboration as an active facilitator for our members and through outreach and coalition-building with our existing and new partners in every sector

Our work, culture and success will be measured against these values. Honoring them will affect every aspect of our operation. One difficult outcome of this deliberative process is a recent reduction and restructuring of personnel.

Some valued and long-time LANO employees have been released, and others have been asked to accept new roles within the organization. The contributions of those staff members separated from LANO are lasting and appreciated. The challenge to those who remain is significant: meet a growing demand and an ever higher calling.

As President and CEO, I accept the burden of these decisions while knowing fully that our members, friends and many stakeholders must share them with me. Our challenge in these times is to see past near-term difficulty and on toward greater opportunity. That opportunity is ours to seize and to share.

LANO will proceed with renewed commitment to our members; to increasing their numbers and enhancing their experience of our association. A statewide membership survey will be completed before the end of the year, and plans are underway for regional member meetings in the first quarter of 2010.

We will continue to track vital policy issues on behalf of nonprofits and the people they serve. Current points of focus include the daily evolution of health care reform, state government streamlining efforts and supporting the critical work of the Louisiana Budget Project.

We thank our members, trusted partners, colleagues and donors who stand in support of our work and recognize the value LANO brings to Louisiana's nonprofit sector. We will keep you informed of our service through blogs, email updates and on our website, www.lano.org.

As always, we welcome your ideas and advice in support of the strong, vibrant nonprofit sector we will cultivate together.

Sincerely,

Ann Silverberg Williamson
President and CEO

Congressman Cao Introduces Bill to Help Solve Louisiana’s Looming Medicaid Funding Crisis

On November 6, 2009, Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao, joined by Louisiana Congressmen Steve Scalise, Rodney Alexander, Bill Cassidy, and Charles Boustany introduced House Bill 4047 calling for the use of historical average per capita income to calculate the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for the Medicaid program in states affected by federally declared disasters.

The purpose of the bill is to mitigate the effects of the inflow of federal disaster recovery money on the calculation of per capita income used to determine the level of federal Medicaid matching funds.

Absent relief on this issue, Louisiana and other states hit by large disasters face the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of federal Medicaid matching funds, resulting in the loss or reduction of critical healthcare programs for low- to moderate-income families.

Below is the language of House Bill 4047:

SECTION 1. FMAP CALCULATION FOR DISASTER-AFFECTED STATES.

(a) In General- With respect to a State, for purposes of calculating the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for a State under section 1905(b) of the Social Security Act, the Secretary shall substitute the average historical per capita income for such State for a year in any instance for which the Secretary, without regard to this section, would use the per capita income for such State for such year if--

(1) in such year, the per capita income for a State exceeds the average historical per capita income by at least 8 percent; and

(2) during such year or any of the 2 previous years, a major disaster was declared in such State by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

(b) Average Historical Per Capita Income Defined- For purposes of this section, the term `average historical per capita income' means, with respect to a State, the average annual per capita income for the period beginning with the first year in which the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage was calculated for such State under section 1905(b) of the Social Security Act and ending with the year prior to the year during which the average historical per capita income is applied under subsection (a).

DHH Issues Request For Applications for LaCHIP Outreach

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is seeking applications from community-based nonprofit organizations to perform targeted outreach and enrollment assistance to children eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid or LaCHIP.

Complete applications must be submitted by December 11th, 4:00 PM .

• The Community Canvassers Request for Applications
  
• Community Canvasser Application Form

Questions must be submitted to Katie Baudouin at Katie.baudouin@la.gov by November 13th , 4:00 PM .

Questions and answers will be posted at the DHH web site by November 20th.

Please pass this notice along to anyone who may be interested in applying.

Perfect Storm Awaits Louisiana Medicaid Funding

State Nonprofit Association and Budget Watchdog Warn Congress of Pending Healthcare Crisis

BATON ROUGE—In a letter to Louisiana’s nine-member Congressional delegation, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and its parent organization, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), warn a combination of economic and legislative conditions is set to decimate the safety net for Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations.

The state’s Medicaid program, a key provider of healthcare to Louisiana’s poor, elderly and other disadvantaged citizens, is supported by federal funding at a rate pegged to per capita income. Louisiana’s current match rate is 80%, meaning the federal government pays 80% of the cost for services provided under Medicaid. Unless changes are made, this support will soon be drastically reduced.

Due to an influx of billions of dollars in one-time federal hurricane relief, Louisianan’s average income increased 17% between 2005 and 2007. This would have decreased significantly the federal share of Louisiana’s Medicaid program, except that provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) suspended any decrease and provided additional funds to the state’s program.

When ARRA stimulus funding expires at the end of 2010, the federal match rate for Medicaid support in Louisiana will drop from 80% to approximately 63%, crippling the state’s ability to provide vital human services.

“Louisiana is facing the largest decrease in federal Medicaid matching in the nation’s history,” wrote Edward Ashworth, LBP Director and co-author of Monday’s congressional letter.

According to the LBP and LANO, Louisiana will lose an estimated $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding in state fiscal years 2011 and 2012, with an on-going, annualized reduction of $900 million. This comes at a time when the state projects severe shortfalls in state general fund revenues due to the effects of the recession and the decline in the price of oil and natural gas.

If forced to absorb this reduction in funding, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has announced it may reduce or eliminate such programs as Pharmacy Services, Intermediate Care Facilities for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (ICF-DD), Personal Care Services, Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and various waivers that expand services or reduce costs for needy recipients. Additionally, up to 125,000 children from low and moderate-income families could lose health insurance currently provided under Louisiana’s LaCHIP program.

“Thousands of Louisianans will continue to need vital assistance” provided through Medicaid funding, said Ann S. Williamson, LANO President and CEO. “The nonprofit sector can ease the burden, but no single sector can meet this need alone.”

Williamson stated that a steep decline in federal support would impact the nonprofit sector by raising demand for its services without increasing resources. Louisiana nonprofits, many of them small and locally focused, are already stretched thin by current economic conditions.

According to LANO and LBP, three Congressional remedies are needed to prevent widespread loss of healthcare coverage in Louisiana:

1. Have the federal government spread out the lowering of the match rates (that were increased under ARRA) over a two-year period, beginning January 1, 2011.
   
   
2. Discount the effects of one-time federal hurricane relief funds in the calculation of Louisiana’s average income.
   
   
3. Change the method of calculating the average income for states by using median income rather than the mean income.

If effected soon, these changes will give the state breathing room to secure new sources of revenue for Medicaid (e.g., by removing antiquated exemptions to the severance tax and realized savings from streamlining efforts) without leaving thousands of Louisianans unprotected in the interim. Furthermore, these federal changes will provide relief to neighboring Gulf Coast states facing similar consequences from 2005 and subsequent disaster relief scenarios.

But time is critical. Louisiana’s budget for fiscal year 2011 is being drafted now and will be finalized in February 2010 for presenting to the Legislature in March.

For more information on this and other issues facing Louisiana’s nonprofit sector and the citizens it serves, contact the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations at 225.929.5266 or visit http://www.lano.org/.

See also: Louisiana FMAP fact sheet

Filing Late Nonprofit Funding Requests with the State

There is still an opportunity to submit a nonprofit (NGO) funding request to the state if you missed the November 1st deadline - however your late request must now be approved by a legislative committee.

If your organization plans to ask your legislators for an appropriation in HB 1 (General Appropriations Bill), in the Capital Outlay Bill, or if you plan to be included in a state agency's budget proposal in the 2010 Legislative Session, you need to enter a NGO funding request on the state's website. This information must be filed annually, so even if you filed last year with the same information, you must file again.

If you are planning on being included in the Capital Outlay Bill, there additional steps that you need to take in order to be eligible for funding and more stringent criteria for late submissions.

If you have any questions, please email NGOdatabase@legis.state.la.us . This e-mail address is monitored by legislative staff members who will provide timely assistance.

If you need further assistance, please email Ashley Herad ashley@lano.org or call (225) 929-5266 ext. 222.

Streamlining Commission Adopts Amended Nonprofit Recommendation

LANO Cited as Improving State Nonprofits' Accountability

BATON ROUGE—Members of the State Commission on Streamlining Government voted Tuesday to amend recommendation AGEB#6, a proposal that in original form called for elimination of line-item state appropriations, or earmarks, for nonprofit organizations.

New language introduced by Rep. Brett Geymann of Lake Charles, recommends nonprofits receiving line-item support meet codified standards of accountability, to include existing transparency measures established in Act 842 of the 2008 Regular Session and by executive order, new oversight by the Legislative Auditor and Inspector General, and a nationally-recognized accreditation.

The Louisiana Standards for Excellence, the certification process administered by the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), is cited as one example of suitable accreditation.

LANO was mentioned several times during the Commission debate, receiving praise from members Rep. Geymann, Sen. Mike Michot (District 23), and gubernatorial appointees Mr. Barry Erwin of Council for a Better Louisiana and Vice Chair Mr. Roy O. Martin of Lafayette.

In proposing his amendment, Rep. Geymann stated that suitably accredited nonprofits can partner with government and save taxpayers' money.

Nonprofits like LANO, he said, "provide services to the community that we can't do alone through the state. . .We can't go out and do the job that LANO can do. If we have to take that burden upon ourselves, we are not going to be as efficient or as effective."

At the invitation of Sen. Michot, LANO President & CEO Ann S. Williamson provided brief testimony regarding the value of the nonprofit sector and the Standards for Excellence certification. This nationally recognized certification, she said, includes defined criteria for transparency and 57 distinct measures of performance-driven accountability.

Following Williamson's comments, the Commission voted 8-2 in favor of the revised recommendation.

A video recording of the meeting is available at the Commission website, with discussion of AGEB#6 beginning near the two-hour mark and continuing approximately 35 minutes.

Additional coverage of the debate is available in a November 4 Times-Picauyne story and in the November 3 afternoon update of the Baton Rouge Business Report Daily Report.

Gulfsouth Youth Action Fund RFP

The Gulfsouth Youth Action Fund (GYAF), a program of Operation REACH, Inc., is now accepting grant proposals for its 2010 grant making year.

The Gulfsouth Youth Action Fund is a youth-led philanthropy initiative that provides competitive grant awards to progressive youth-serving organizations. The GYAF was founded in 2007 to "engage, empower and inspire youth with the resources to make strategic investments in their community."

Since inception, GYAF has awarded more than $20,000 to initiatives that empower and train a young generation of community leaders. Past grant awards have ranged from $500 to $5,000.

Applicants should submit Letters of Intent by Friday, November 20, 2009, and the complete proposal is due Friday, December 11, 2009.

Individuals and organizations who submit a Letter of Intent will be invited to a Technical Assistance Workshop hosted by the Gulfsouth Youth Action Fund Youth Advisory Board on Wednesday, December 2, at 6 p.m. at 2115 Carondelet St., New Orleans, LA 70130.

For more information, contact Cynthia Okechukwu at (504) 529-1922 ext. 106 or cokechukwu@operationreach.org.

Key Streamlining Proposal Vote Tuesday, Nov. 3

BATON ROUGE—The State Commission on Streamlining Government will vote tomorrow, November 3, to adopt, amend or reject the proposed recommendation AGEB#6, to "prohibit all state appropriations to nongovernmental entities."

The proposed recommendation is non-binding. But if accepted and passed into law, it would eliminate line-item state funding of nonprofit organizations.

Nonprofits would still be able to receive public support through competitive departmental grants and bid processes.

Consideration of AGEB#6 is scheduled for tomorrow's meeting, which begins at 9:00am in Senate Committee Room A-B of the Louisiana State Capitol. The vote is listed as item 7 on the meeting agenda, following an opportunity for public comment.

LANO has provided testimony on this issue in two separate meetings. President & CEO Ann S. Williamson appeared before the commission's Advisory Group on Outsourcing, Privatization and Risk Management on Friday, October 23, to share critical information about the nonprofit sector and opportunities for partnership with state government.

The Advisory Group requested further information on specific areas in which state government could successfully outsource functions to the nonprofit sector. LANO Vice President of Public Policy, Dr. Alison Neustrom, provided an initial list of such recommendations to the Commission at its October 28 meeting. A video of Neustrom's testimony is available at this link; comments begin near time signature 3:47:50.

LANO invites all Louisiana nonprofits to suggest additional ways in which the sector can provide efficient and effective opportunities for state government outsourcing. The Commission accepts suggestions at its scheduled public meetings and through an online form.

LANO will continue to follow and report on this issue, and to provide expert testimony and suggestions that advance the state nonprofit sector's profile as an essential provider of important human services.

The Commission on Streamlining Government was launched by Executive Order on April 24, 2009. The goal of the streamlining commission is to make Louisiana state government more efficient and cost-effective. A list of Commission members can be found here.