We are at a pivotal and unprecedented moment. The new presidential administration’s policy shifts—including efforts to greatly reduce federal funding, cut the federal workforce, and restrict the type of funding available—have introduced uncertainty across the nonprofit sector. These changes will have severe impacts on those who need the services at risk of being cut. Services that affect all communities, all sectors, and all people.
At Business Impact NW, we face the real possibility of losing 35% of our funding—funding that ensures small business owners continue to have the support they need to succeed. This includes access to nonpredatory capital and free business training and coaching. These wrap-around services are critical to the success of the small business owners we serve. They often can mean the difference between making it and not.
I have spent over 30 years in the nonprofit sector, and I can say with certainty that this is the single greatest threat we have ever faced. While Business Impact NW is at the forefront of my concerns, this crisis extends far beyond our organization. The stability of the entire nonprofit sector is at stake.
Those of us in the nonprofit sector will continue to do the work, what we have done every day through every kind of adversity, to make sure those at the margins have a roadmap and access to life-changing services. But we cannot do this alone. We need funders to meet this moment with urgency.
We need you to step up and do more, give more, invest more, and stand in the gap where federal funding is falling short. The philanthropic sector has long spoken about its commitment to equity, opportunity, and economic justice. Now is the time to act on those values.
We ask you to stand with us, act boldly, and make sure that we do not lose the progress we have fought so hard to achieve. Together, we can ensure that communities remain supported and economic opportunity remains accessible to all.
Joe Sky-Tucker, MSW
President and CEO
About the author
Joe Sky-Tucker
(jO sky-tuck-ER)
Joe Sky-Tucker has over thirty years of experience working in the nonprofit world in a variety of positions and organizations, including direct experience working with “at-risk” youth and families in crisis, fund development, and strategic planning. He has also worked with “at-risk” youth in mental health settings, including foster care youth, children in locked psychiatric settings, and group homes. Further, he has worked to ensure hardworking families have access to safe, fair, and affordable financial services.
Currently, Joe is the President and CEO of Business Impact NW, an asset-building/community lender that specializes in supporting small and micro-businesses, helping them achieve financial stability through technical assistance and lending services. Joe has a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Washington.