OMB/Uniform Guidance Changes: Speaking Up Spurs Incremental Change

And now for a bit of good news…You may recall Amanda and I having a lot to say and write over the last few weeks about the proposed changes to the OMB/Uniform Guidance, and how they would politicize grant making and hamstring the abilities of nonprofits and local governments to serve their communities.

Special appreciation to everyone who posted their own comments online in the government portal. When I last checked before the comments window closed in mid-July there were more than 400,000 comments, which leads me to the promised tidbit of positivity mentioned above.

According to news sources The Hill, CBS News, and several others, this past Saturday the US Senate approved a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open until December 11. This CR also included language prohibiting the enactment of the major and detrimental changes that OMB proposed until December 11. Side note: the federal grant making system, like all other grant-making processes, could definitely benefit from thoughtful reform, but these proposed changes are not that!

While this doesn’t mean that the House will agree, and it probably won’t, the fact that there was bi-partisan support in the Senate to keep federal grants under a more objective and transparent review and management process is a win and a lesson. The lesson is that if we all take the time to post comments, contact elected officials, and use our grant writing and management superpowers to succinctly and compellingly make a case, our voices will be heard.

Writing postcards, drafting online comments, and emailing and posting throughout my network are all things that warm the cockles of my introverted heart when it comes to advocacy. I can’t be the only one. So again, many thanks to you for your efforts, and a gentle reminder that now would be a great time to reach out to the local offices of your congressional representatives to let them know how much the proposed OMB changes would affect the communities you serve.  If you’re not sure who to contact, HERE’S A LINK to get you started.