Nonprofit Association Of Oregon

Voice: nao amplifies the nonprofit sectors voice through public policy and advocacy work on behalf of oregons nonprofit sector. Nao directly advocates on behalf of all nonprofits, as well as catalyzes important conversations with policy makers and among nonprofits. Nao works to raise the awareness of nonprofits impact, issues challenging the sector, and need for policy change. Nao educates and informs policy makers and others at the local, state and federal levels. In 2024, naos director of public policy worked extensively with the oregon task force on modernizing nonprofit grants and contracts arriving to a strong set of recommendations in september 2024. Those recommendations are set to be discussed and hopefully passed in the 2025 oregon legistlative session.

Member services: nao uses a membership business model to provide valuable services for nao members, including reduced fees at trainings and free events like webinars. Nao continues to expand our benefits for cost saving to our member nonprofits and forged partnerships with nao business verified affiliate members who want to support nonprofits. These benefits create opportunities by offering discounts on services and products. Nao nonprofit members save money by taking advantage of these cost-savings opportunities.

Principles and practices and referral services: nao supports nonprofits with resources, information and statistics about the sector. Nao runs a helpline, assists callers, and emails questions from around oregon with short problem-solving consultations and referrals. Nao disseminates the best principles and most promising practices for nonprofits and their board volunteers. Nao links nonprofits to pro bono legal assistance through partnership with local law firms and provides other information resources for oregons nonprofits. Nao refers nonprofits in need of specific consulting services to competent, vetted experts through a referral service placement system. The referral program provides an opportunity for any charitable benefit nonprofit in oregon to be matched with appropriate technical assistance.

Thought leadership: nao provides thought leadership at the overall nonprofit sector level about and for the nonprofit sector. Nao leads the effort to conduct, collate and share key research information about and for the nonprofit sector. Nao also ensures that oregons nonprofits and the general public have relevant and timely information about changing ideas, opportunities, and issues that affect nonprofits around the state. In 2024, nao published a compensation and benefits study as well as an econometric study of the suppression of wages by government in the nonprofit sector. Nao also partnered with the other four states in the northwest and surveyed and created a report on nonprofit capacity.