Nonprofits, where are you? 😕
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Today, SCOTUS is hearing a major homelessness case for the first time in decades, featuring arguments over whether people can be punished for sleeping outside if there's no shelter available.
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The decision will have dramatic implications for all of us as a society, and the sector at large, and many of the people we aim to serve.
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But, so far? I've heard CRICKETS. 🦗🦗🦗
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I donate to and support many nonprofits that work directly with people experiencing homelessness, and I have yet to hear a peep.

The only email on this subject I saw today was from Mark Horvath at Invisible People, with this powerful plea:

"As criminalization spreads, it is crucial we amplify the truth and combat misinformation surrounding homelessness. Independent journalism plays a vital role in serving as the voice for vulnerable homeless individuals and those living in poverty, challenging the narrative that labels them as criminals. Thank you for helping us rewrite the narrative of homelessness and fostering a more compassionate world."

More of us should be shouting from the rooftops about this news story, but sadly, we remain shockingly silent.

For fear of offending donors?

For fear of "getting it wrong"?

For fear of ruffling feathers?

What do we exist for, other than to share big ideas, to get people to think differently, to change hearts and minds, and to make a better world?

We like to think that the work we do is not political, that it is not controversial, and that it is not polarizing.

I'm calling BS on that.

As the homeless plaintiffs wrote in the case, this would be “punishing the city’s involuntarily homeless residents for their existence.”

I encourage my nonprofit colleagues to stand with Invisible People, to spread the word about their Op-Ed in The New York Times, and to educate donors and constituents on the implications of this case.

We can do better, and we must.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Email me, or comment on my LinkedIn post.

I believe in you, Reader.

~Julia