'The Biggest Sin Is Doing Nothing'

At the DMA Nonprofit Federation's Washington Nonprofit Conference last Thursday, Gretchen Littlefield, president, nonprofit and government, at Infogroup, and Angel Aloma, executive director of Food for the Poor, tackled some very important issues regarding the potential USPS rate increases for charities and the limit or elimination of tax breaks on charitable donations.

Angel delivered an impassioned speech, relaying his anger and frustration with members of government threatening the vitally important work fundraisers and nonprofit organizations do all around the world. I would be doing Angel a disservice to even try and replicate his moving and crowd-rousing speech. It really was one of those "you had to be there" moments. But his message was loud and clear.

The biggest thing Angel urged everyone present at the luncheon and everyone working in the nonprofit sector to do was take action. Write your representatives. Make your voice heard. Do everything in your power to protect the sector and its life-saving work. And he delivered a line that really struck a chord with me: "The biggest sin of all is the sin of doing nothing."

If you don't take the time to take action for the good of the sector, you are essentially condoning its deterioration. Heed Angel's advice. Do your part. Visit www.dmaaction.org and make your voice, your organization's voice, your beneficiaries' and donors' voices heard. Without your help, there will be organizations that suffer, people whose needs won't be met, and all the great work your organizations do will be weakened.

Listen to Gretchen and Angel and the DMANF Public Service Award Honoree Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL), who also delivered an inspiring speech encouraging fundraisers everywhere to fight for the betterment of the world. Don't sit idly by and become complicit through inaction.

As Angel said, he's not asking anyone to storm Capitol Hill and petition on the streets — at least not yet. He's just asking to make your voice heard for the good of the sector and all the great work you and your organizations do — so you can continue to champion and address your essential, life-saving missions.