I want to clarify my perspective due to a large number of off line posts I recieved after my post concerning nonprofit concentration in the central city. I am in FAVOR, for the most part, of encouraging and fostering a strong third sector(nonprofit) economy in Mpls. The third sector IS a competitive sector and contributes to economic and community vitality in ways that organizations organized as for profit businesses or as government entities are either unable or ill designed to fulfill and that often go unmeasured or are not readily apparent in economic reports.
If, as I suspect, the concentration of third sector properties is much higher in Mpls than in surrounding communities I feel that surrounding communities should help defray the costs of the benefits of all these organizations to their communities and not leave those costs to be borne by Mpls alone. I think that the third sector in Mpls is generally well developed. I doubt the membership of this list is representative due to a necessity to have an abnormally high interest in civic life to even want to participate here, but I bet alot of us contribute financially or otherwise to some nonprofit or other whether it be to a place of worship, an arts institution, an advocacy organization, funds for neighborhood improvement, higher education, social services or health care, etc. The third sector is VERY competitive particularly in this time of tight government budgets, lower philanthropic giving by corporations, lower levels of grantmaking due to lower returns to foundations on their investments, and financial security concerns of regular contributors in a shaken economic environment. The emergence of the whole career field of "development directors" is an acknowledgement of how competitive the third sector environment is and indicative of how much work these organizations have to put into financing the good work they do in our community. SOOO... If there is a nonprofit that you value, if it's contributions to your quality of life are clear as a consumer, a beneficiary, or a recipient of it's product, services, or advocacy presently or in the past, if it's presence 'round the corner enriches you by raising the value of your property or routinely raising your spirits, if it's presence helps those in need and you've been there or a loved one has, NOW is a good time to write that check or sign up to volunteer your time or expertise. Valuing the contribution to the community of third sector, David Strand Loring Park __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
