Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO)

05/22/2026

Are we supporting our executive director with the same vigor we use to critique them? Check out this sharp piece in the GoErie.com | Erie Times-News from Debra A. Thompson , president of Strategy Solutions, Inc. and a member of PANO's Consultant Collaborative.

The article is a clear-eyed read on fiduciary loyalty and the systems that actually make nonprofit leadership possible.

A nonprofit is not a laboratory for a rotating cast of individuals to test new theories. It is a community trust.

05/12/2026

After five years of listening to Pennsylvania’s nonprofit leaders, today we’re releasing two new publications.

Standards for All: A Call to Reimagine Nonprofit Best Practice names what we heard from focus groups, interviews, and member sessions across the Commonwealth. Here’s what came up again and again:
→ Existing best-practice frameworks were built for a narrow slice of the sector.
→ Compliance without context is not enough.
→ The how and who of nonprofit work matter as much as the what.

The Values to Action Roadmap turns those findings into action. It’s a free, open-source tool any nonprofit can use to assess capacity and work in ways that fit their size, structure, and community.

This work builds on the Standards for Excellence Institute’s recent updates and adds what state partners are best positioned to provide: local context, shaped by our members.

Both publications land at a moment when the sector is under intense financial, political, and structural pressure. That context is part of why this matters now.

Read, share, and use them: https://pano.org/standards-for-excellence/standards-for-all/

Thank you to the nonprofit leaders, organizers, board members, reviewers, and community advocates whose honesty and lived experience shaped this work.

04/30/2026

! Navigating Federal Inquiries and Threats to Tax-Exempt Status
Wednesday, May 20 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Presented by: Morgen Cheshire, Founder and Managing Attorney, Beth Dougherty, Attorney & Director of Legal Education Initiatives, and Diane J. (DJ) Stoeberl, Attorney, Cheshire Law Group
Offered in Partnership with: Cheshire Law Group and PAnonprofitlaw.com

Many nonprofit organizations are confused about the legality of their operations and concerned about government inquiries, fearful that any inquiry into their organization may lead to IRS revocation of their federal tax-exempt status.

This session will help your organization assess and mitigate risk, understand what’s at stake, and identify steps to take if you receive communications from government agencies or congressional leaders.

Learn more: https://pano.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/pano/event.jsp?event=5405
Register Here: https://pano.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/pano/eventRegistration.jsp?event=5405

04/20/2026

Volunteer Centre County supports 140 Community Partners by sharing opportunities to volunteer, donate goods, find employment, and engage with local events and community news through a FREE virtual platform— volunteercentrecounty.org and the associated app. More than 1,549 individuals have stepped up to volunteer through the platform, along with 176 individuals completing court-ordered community service.

Volunteer Centre County connected Centre County to
-313 volunteer opportunities
-103 requests for donated goods
-10 job openings
-157 community events



“Know a Pennsylvania nonprofit powered by volunteers? Tag them below.

Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP)

04/20/2026

For more than 60 years, Pennsylvania's community action agencies have helped individuals and families in every county get the support they need to become more stable and self-sufficient. In 2024 alone, they served 451,044 individuals — including 120,584 children — by providing programs that address basic needs like housing, food, employment, and health. Through the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP), local agencies work together to strengthen communities, improve policies, and create real opportunities for families to build better futures. Community action agencies and other Pennsylvania nonprofits can use The PANO Navigator navigator.pano.org to find curated resources and tools to Get it Done!

04/20/2026

Each year Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County supports 5,000 families across Chester County, PA through in-home parent education, care, benefits enrollment, and community partnerships that strengthen maternal health and early childhood development, providing support in the moments that matter most. Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County GETS IT DONE by supporting parents through every stage of parenting, strengthening family stability, and helping children build a strong foundation for success in school.

04/20/2026

Coco Life is dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes for Black and Brown communities by connecting moms and birthing people with trusted doulas, perinatal mental health resources, and culturally responsive education throughout pregnancy, postpartum, and loss.

Through community-driven programs and workforce development initiatives, Coco Life trains and employs doulas while guiding families through care systems, helping to reduce preventable complications, and ensuring consistent, compassionate support at every stage of the maternal journey.

Coco Life and all PA nonprofits can use the Association of nonprofit organizations navigator.pano.org/ to find curated resources and tools to help Get it Done!

Know a Pennsylvania nonprofit powered by volunteers? Tag them below.

03/24/2026

From therapy and early intervention to early childhood education, child safety programs, social work, and family support, CARE for Children, McKean County, PA is dedicated to improving the lives of children of all abilities through compassionate, high-quality services that support both children and their families. NonprofitsGetItDone.org

03/24/2026

State College Food Bank serves more than 500 Centre County households each month, providing consistent access to nutritious food and essential items for neighbors facing food insecurity. State College Food Bank GETS IT DONE to ensure no one in Centre County goes hungry. NonprofitsGetItDone.org

03/24/2026

Each year, Matters serves nearly 100,000 people, providing quality sexual and reproductive health care, focusing on individuals and families with lower incomes and those from communities facing stigma, health disparities, or barriers to care. Through evidence-based services, a strong network of healthcare providers, and impactful research, training, and advocacy, GETS IT DONE!
The PANO navigator.pano.org provides curated resources and tools to strengthen all Pennsylvania nonprofits’ impact.