Join MNA and nonprofits across the state in raising our collective voice through local media! MNA is organizing a statewide letter to the editor campaign, and we invite you to join us by submitting a letter. 

Now that the 2024 election is in the books, the players are set and the rumor mill about potential bills has started swirling. MNA’s job is to advocate in Helena on behalf of the nonprofit sector, and every year, at least one bill comes up that tries to tax nonprofit property or otherwise undercut your tax exemptions. You can help us defend the nonprofit sector by joining our LTE campaign this fall. 

MNA will be working through December to generate letters to the editor that highlight the diverse work and important impacts of nonprofits across the state. Decisions made by legislators during the session have the potential to significantly impact our work, our missions, and the communities we serve. Let’s remind them of all the good things we work to achieve. 

Submitting a letter to the editor is a meaningful way to engage the public, local media, and your elected officials on the issues you care about. Nonprofits have on-the-ground knowledge and experience that is critical to shaping effective policy solutions. Help us remind public officials that nonprofits exist as partners to government and to work with local nonprofits as they’re addressing the needs of our state. 

Draft Your Letter

Please draft a letter that makes sense for your organization: what issue or message do you want to share with your community? Consider including the following: 

• Introduce yourself and your nonprofit 
• What is your impact on your community/our state? 
• What is the biggest challenge facing your community or impacting your ability to carry out your mission? 
• What “ask” or takeaway message do you have for your community and/or state legislators? 

Keep in mind: letters should be no more than 250 words.

For more information on drafting a letter to the editor and the impact of LTEs, check out our toolkit, Your Message in Print: A toolkit for using letters to the editor and op-eds to advance your mission.  

Questions? Need help with your letter? Contact Lorianne Burhop, Policy Director, at [email protected]. 

Sample Letter: 

I am the executive director with [org name], a local nonprofit (501c3) organization. Like other nonprofit organizations, we’re supported by donations from local community members. Our staff and volunteers use your donations to [simple explanation of mission].  

We are proud to do this work, and proud to deliver a much needed service to [community name]. Donations from our community support [number of staff] and [other impact].  

But we can’t do this work alone. With incomes not keeping pace with the cost of living for families, seniors, and workers in our community, our resources are stretched thin. We encourage our newly elected state legislators to visit our [organization], learn more about the [issue] in [region], and partner with the nonprofit sector in creating meaningful solutions.  

There are organizations just like ours all across Montana – some bigger, some smaller, all making a difference. Nonprofit organizations like food banks, art museums, animal shelters, 4-H clubs, charitable hospitals, and others are critical to Montana. Not only do we help our neighbors get by and make Montana a great place to live, we employ over 11% of Montana’s workforce. 

We appreciate your support – whether it’s in time, money, or championing our causes, and we look forward to working with [elected officials names] to [mission impact]. 

MNA’s Letter to the Editor  

At the Montana Nonprofit Association, we strive toward a Montana where policymakers, community leaders, and Montana citizens widely recognize and celebrate the contributions and impact of the nonprofit sector. As we approach the 2025 Legislative Session, this work is more important than ever.  

More than 8,000 charitable nonprofits operate across every region of the state providing essential services such as healthcare, youth programs, senior services, arts and humanities, food assistance, affordable housing, conservation, economic development, and more. Nonprofits are also economic drivers, employing more than 10% of our total workforce, and paying 10.5% of all wages in Montana, the highest of any industry. 

Through their work on the ground, nonprofits have a critical understanding of the most pressing issues affecting our state. This legislative session, we call on Montana’s legislators to work in partnership with nonprofits in crafting meaningful policy solutions to issues such as childcare, housing, and healthcare. Reach out to your local nonprofits to better understand the work that they do and the incredible impact of nonprofits across your district. Support policy proposals that keep Montana’s nonprofit sector strong so that we can continue to be partners in creating healthy, vibrant Montana communities. 

The challenges facing our state require collaboration and partnership across government, private business, and nonprofit sectors. This legislative session, MNA will be supporting and amplifying the voices of Montana’s nonprofits, as we stive to bring community-based, people-centered solutions to the table.