In September 2017, we told the story of Agnes Gund, the banking heiress who sold a Roy Lichtenstein masterpiece for $165 million and donated the proceeds to the Art for Justice Fund she founded. The purpose was to “do something about” the mass incarceration of minor drug offenders that filled American jails with 2.3 million people and distinguished the U.S. as the jailor of more of its citizens than any other country on earth.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services budget for 2018 is a healthy $1,131 Billion. To keep this astounding number in perspective, a trillion dollar plus budget for HHS is nothing new. In 2016 the total outlay for HHS was $1,103 Billion and in 2017 the number will come in close to $1,130 Billion.

The Health and Human Services budget is the backbone of our entire social services system. Here’s how this enormous amount of money will be spent:

The universe of social services is populated with heroes.

That’s the theme that emerged from our year-end review of blogs we posted in 2017. Every story we attempted to tell contained an individual or an organization that went above and beyond the norm in service to their constituents. 

The OJJDP-sponsored National Criminal Justice Training Center will hold Child Abduction Response Team Training: January 9–12, 2018 in Niceville, FL. 

We very rarely talk about nonprofits across the country who focus on animal welfare. Noticing this oversite, this blog could not let 2017 slip by without taking a look at the ongoing dedication and renewed focus that has been displayed by animal welfare nonprofits throughout the year.

Looking for the right case management software can be a challenge for anyone in the nonprofit sector. After all, there are so many choices and few that actually address the needs of a human services agency at a price that is affordable. When looking, it is tempting to simply look at the price tag first and then see what the software can accomplish. "What can I get for the money...?" while an important question is probably not the most important... at least when starting off.

“I was brought up in a household where Christmas meant fun, laughter, presents and lots of food. Christmas was my favorite time of the year,” a social worker, who prefers to remain anonymous, began her Christmas story. “I guess that’s why, when I began my career in social work, it startled me to realize that for most of the children in my care Christmas was a very difficult time.” 

Since the 1870s, social service agencies have been working diligently to find housing for the homeless, yet on a single night in January 2015, 564,708 people were considered homeless in America.

The current administration in Washington is seeking to repeal the so-called Johnson Amendment in the cause of free speech. This is an issue of critical importance to all nonprofit organizations. While adhering to our long-standing position of not taking sides in the political debate, we would like to take this opportunity to call attention to the impending repeal of the Johnson Amendment.