A letter signed by fifty-five national nonprofits urges President Joe Biden and congressional leadership to recognize and invest in the nonprofit sector's critical role in rebuilding the economy, restoring livelihoods, and strengthening communities.

The letter highlights how "charitable nonprofits have...stretched beyond all reasonable measures and continue to advance their missions despite unfathomable challenges" and "have stepped up to support vaccine distribution and awareness." Given the nonprofit sector's role in providing pandemic relief and supporting the nation's economic recovery, the letter asks "that Congress and the Administration enact a package of relief solutions tailored to the actual needs and realities of these organizations that, like you, are devoted to serving the public good."

Specifically, the signatories urge Congress to pass the Work Opportunities and Resources to Keep Nonprofit Organizations Well (WORK NOW) Act (S. 740/H.R. 1987), which would infuse $50 billion into nonprofits across the country and help ensure that nonprofits are able to meet the needs of the populations they serve; extend the Employee Retention Tax Credit and modify nonprofit eligibility beyond the current "gross receipts" test to reflect the increased costs charities experienced during the pandemic; and direct the Bureau of Labor Statistics to provide quarterly data on nonprofit employment and wages to help inform nonprofits' decision making. The letter also urges Congress and the administration to raise the cap on the above-the-line deduction for charitable donations that was established in the CARES Act, extend it at least through 2022, and preserve the itemized charitable deduction; appropriate funds for emergency grant programs that enable nonprofits to advance their missions and serve their communities; and invest $100 billion to guarantee all citizens access to affordable high-speed broadband, build out the infrastructure to prioritize the hardest-to-serve communities, and fund the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

Signatories to the letter include the American Alliance of Museums, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Goodwill Industries International, Independent Sector, National Council of Nonprofits, and United Way Worldwide.