Questions for The Alliance –

with answers from Gian-Carl Casa, President and CEO

1. How does the Alliance plan to utilize additional state funding, particularly the requested
$186 million increase, to address the challenges of its member organizations?
The Alliance doesn’t receive the money. Nonprofit providers of social services have
contracts with various state agencies that spell out the uses.

2. What strategies have been used to improve brand awareness and marketing activities for
the Alliance and its member NGOs, as The Alliance & Fio Partners (2022) reported?
The Alliance uses social media advertising to make the case for our members’ fiscal
needs. We do press conferences, media appearances, a large annual rally and encourage
members to come to the Capitol to advocate directly.

3. How did the 2016 merger of the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits and the
Connecticut Community Providers Association contribute to the formation and mission of
The Alliance?
The 2016 merger created The Alliance. CCPA had a more focused membership of health
and human services providers. The CT Assn of Nonprofits had more members
numerically but they tended to be smaller. The merged organization has both.

4. What role does The Alliance play in advocating for nonprofit organizations in
Connecticut, particularly in public policy, capacity building, and membership services?
We are the statewide advocating organization for nonprofits. We have five registered
lobbyists on staff, a contract lobbyist, a communications consultant and a state budget
consultant. We do direct one-on-one lobbying, testimony, organize grassroots advocacy
by our members, year-round. For other activities, please see our website.
Ctnonprofitalliance.org

5. How do member nonprofits’ operating budgets and revenue sources vary, and how does
this affect their ability to deliver services and advocate for increased funding?
This is a complicated question to answer. They provide different services under contract
with a variety of state agencies – mental health/addiction services for children and
adults, half-way houses for people returning to their towns from prison, services for
people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, shelter, food and more. The
organizations vary in size and capacity in addition to services. Some have a higher
percentage of private payers than others. All are reliant on state funding to provide
services.

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 6. What are some of the critical challenges faced by nonprofits in Connecticut, as
highlighted in the case study, and how do these challenges impact their ability to fulfill
their missions and serve the community?
Funding by the state to nonprofits is 32% behind inflation since 2007 – that is, they can
buy a third less to meet and increasing demand for services. This leads to difficulty
attracting and maintaining a workforce. All leads to limits on access to services for those
in need of them.

7. How does the survey conducted by The Alliance & Fio Partners in 2022 provide insights
into the needs and priorities of member nonprofits, and how can this data inform strategic
planning and decision-making for The Alliance moving forward?
It covers a number of issues as explained in both writing and charts. Please refer to it
directly.

8. How can The Alliance demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of investing in brand
and marketing planning to state legislators and other stakeholders, emphasizing the
potential long-term benefits of increased public awareness, donor engagement, and
fundraising success for member nonprofits?
Community nonprofits have detailed information on the services provided and the
number of people served. In addition, the hours in which services are provided can be
shown.

9. How can The Alliance leverage its partnership with MindEdge Inc. to provide training
and resources in digital marketing to member nonprofits, empowering them to enhance
their online presence and reach a wider audience of potential donors and supporters?
It’s one of many groups that help provide training to members as part of our membership
services.

10. What digital marketing strategies is The Alliance implementing to engage residents and
highlight the impact of nonprofit services through storytelling, testimonials, and engaging
content across social media platforms and other digital channels?
We advertise on social media and link to our information, short video testimonials and a
“contact your legislator” page, as appropriate. The digital advertising is targeted by zip
code to the districts of key legislators, and follows them from the original pages of sites
that report on state government, such as CTNewsJunkie. We also use the major social
media platforms.

11. Besides presenting itself as a case to students, does the Alliance partner with colleges and
universities and provide internships, work studies, etc., and partner with local businesses
to help with their low staff and aid the student with possible career opportunities within
its organization and local businesses?
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 We have “academic partnerships” with several colleges to provide discounted tuition to
employees of nonprofits and, in some cases, their families. We have no ability to help
businesses get interns.

12. What specific initiatives has The Alliance undertaken to advocate for the interests of
community nonprofits before legislative bodies and government agencies?
It’s our main undertaking: https://ctnonprofitalliance.org/public-policy-advocacy/

13. How does The Alliance support its members in navigating and accessing critical funding
sources for their organizations?
See #12

14. How does The Alliance select and collaborate with business partners in its Allies Program
to provide tailored services and products for nonprofits?
The Allies program is really a method for those in the for-profit sector that work with
nonprofits to show their support for the Alliance in its advocacy, education and other
programs.

15. What unique features does the nonprofit job board offered by The Alliance provide, and
how does it contribute to the recruitment and hiring process for nonprofit organizations?
The advertisers are offering nonprofit jobs. https://careers.ctnonprofits.org/

16. Could you elaborate on the academic partnerships The Alliance has established and how
they benefit member organizations and their staff?
See above. #11 and
https://ctnonprofitalliance.org/membership-services-benefits/#AcademicPartnerships

17. What sets Grant Station apart as a premier grant research resource, and how does The
Alliance facilitate member access to this resource?
Discounts: https://ctnonprofitalliance.org/grantstation/

18. How does The Alliance assist member nonprofits in managing unemployment claims
through its Unemployment Services Trust, and what are the potential cost-saving benefits
for organizations?
The Unemployment Services Trust is a separate organization that we work with. It’s
explained here: https://ctnonprofitalliance.org/ust-partnership/

19. What types of professional development and training opportunities does The Alliance
offer, and how are they tailored to the needs of nonprofit leaders and staff?
We have a strong education and training program that covers a wide range of targets for
an array of different types of nonprofits. Many of the members who take advantage of this
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 are smaller ones who cannot afford their own training programs.
https://events.blackthorn.io/en/6g33SCF7/g/948Wz4pR72?
search=&sortBy=date&category=&date=TODAY&keywords=

20. How large is the State of Connecticut’s budget, and how is the budget broken down?
(What percentage of the budget do nonprofit organizations receive?)
The CT state budget is approximately $26 billion this fiscal year and nonprofit contracts
total about $2.4 billion. So nonprofits are a significant part of state services. Nonprofits
employ about 118,000 people statewide. They are a major part of the state economy

21. What effect has the COVID-19 pandemic had on the funding and operations of nonprofit
organizations in Connecticut?
Nonprofit health and human services providers could not close during the pandemic.
Covid imposed many expenses on nonprofits, including expenses to make physical
changes or additions to facilities to make them safer, new types of equipment, staffing
costs as many people left, requiring others to work (and be paid for) multiple shifts. This
also took a toll on the morale of remaining staff. Covid’s psychological and financial toll
on individuals has increased demand for many services provided by nonprofits that
provide health and human services.

Other types of nonprofits, museums or music venues, for example, did close and lost
virtually all of their revenue during that period.

22. If The Alliance doesn’t receive the funding it needs, what will the consequences be?
Community nonprofits are dealing with increased demand, inflation, covid costs and a
workforce crisis that has many understaffed by more than 20%. Without adequate
funding that will get worse. You can’t attract and retain employees without the money to
pay them, without employees you can’t provide services. Without services Connecticut
residents who need help won’t get it. Our members report growing waiting lists.
People can earn more elsewhere and they are leaving nonprofit work, which is often very
difficult physically and mentally. A person making $18 an hour at a nonprofit can make
$22 an hour in a big box store, with less responsibility, or even more as a state employee
doing the same job they are doing now. Even better-paid workers, for example behavioral
health clinicians/therapists, can earn more by going into private practice.
If nonprofits can’t maintain services because of insufficient funding Connecticut’s quality
of life will be hurt.
23. What stories can The Alliance tell? What are some stories that can be used to convey he
importance of what The Alliance does?
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 We encourage our members to bring their employees and people that they serve to the
Capitol to tell their individual stories – for example, people who have turned their lives
around from periods of addiction or families whose disabled child or sibling has lost
employment and day services. There are tens of thousands of stories and the more we can
get people to tell them the more policymakers respond. Here are two video-stories we
made this year:

https://youtu.be/hAJ820-ph6Y?si=mfmA8ISAdEGmyDnh
https://youtu.be/SOJzivuf8qY?si=axNX99UCMuRltUYn

24. Can The Alliance receive funding from sources other than the state? If so, what would
be the risks associated with that?
The Alliance doesn’t receive funding from the state, our members work under contract
with the state – with at least $2.4 billion in contracts there is simply no other way to get
funding necessary to provide the types of services needed. Individual donations are
helpful, but they can’t substitute for the state paying the cost of services.

25. How did the nonprofits The Alliance represents learn about The Alliance? (What are
the strengths that exist and how can we best incorporate them?)
We have built a good reputation among nonprofit providers, partly because we have had
legislative success and success being recognized as speaking for nonprofits.

The larger problem is the general public which does not really know what nonprofits do –
that’s what need to be addressed.

26. What are other limitations to the marketing/awareness strategies aside from funding?
As stated above, the public doesn’t know what nonprofits do.

27. Do you have lobbyist? Who are talking directly to for more money? The governors,
senators, etc?
We have five registered lobbyists on staff and a veteran contract lobbyist. I have 40 years
of experience in advocacy. We advocate before the General Assembly, Governor, state
agency commissioners, and our federal delegation.

28. Who is your biggest competitors?

There are many worthy needs for state funding – keeping college tuition down is one.
Budgets are choices among priorities. We need officials to choose nonprofits.

29. How do you expect your non-profit to be positioned?

We are the statewide trade association for all nonprofits.

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 30. What is the ideal funding goal?
This year we are asking for a $186 million increase in state funding for nonprofits.

31. How many people are currently in a “waiting” space for help? Is there one community
that is in further need than the others?
Individual nonprofits report different numbers of people on waiting lists. Many say they
have lists now and they never had them before.