Page 14 - BusinessWest May 26, 2025

EDITORIAL >>
Nonprofits Need to Be Resilient
In many respects, the timing could not be worse.
Indeed, the sharp cutbacks — and threatened cutbacks
— for programs provided by area nonprofits comes at a time
when needs are rising.
There’s increased need for food provided by area pantries
and soup kitchens because of inflation, workforce reductions at
several area companies, and the soaring costs of other necessi-
ties, like housing and healthcare.
There’s rising need for behavioral health services as people
young and old continue to grapple with the lingering effects of
COVID, the isolation it created, and other side effects.
Need is also rising for programs to assist the victims of
domestic violence, child abuse, stalking, and related issues
because of a worsening economy and the pressures it puts on
families.
These are just some of the many programs and initiatives
that are being threatened by cuts or the threat of cuts in federal
funding to everything from early childhood education to SNAP
benefits; clean air programs to the arts.
As the story on page 4 reveals, these are extremely chal-
lenging times for the area’s nonprofits, who are seeing cuts
large and small involving programs that, in one way or another,
impact quality of life in Western Mass.
These nonprofits are responding, as they always do, with
determination and a strong desire to find ways to carry out
their missions and continue to provide some of the services
mentioned above. They’re looking at alternative sources of
funding — from appeals to the public and area foundations to,
in the case of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, a capi-
tal campaign, not to build a building, but to keep programs
operating.
At the same time, nonprofits are exploring ways to collabo-
rate with other agencies so that vital needs can be met.
In some cases, as with a terminated $1 million grant for pro-
grams to address asthma in area cities, it will be difficult, if not
impossible, to find other sources of funding and continue initia-
tives that have yielded progress on this important front.
Overall, many nonprofits are fighting, not necessarily for
survival, but for the ability to retain their talented workforces
and carry on their critical missions. And it’s an important fight,
for the reasons mentioned at the top, but also because our
nonprofits are a large — much larger than many people real-
ize — and very important cog in this region’s economy. And not
just because of the tens of thousands of jobs they provide, but
because of the services they offer that help strengthen families
and enable people to work and thrive in this economy.
If there is one adjective that could best describe this region’s
nonprofit ecosystem — and it is exactly that, an ecosystem —
it’s resilience.
Indeed, nonprofits have weathered recessions, workforce
challenges, and, most recently, a pandemic that forced many of
them to find new and different ways to carry out their missions.
They will need similar resilience, and much of it, in these
ultra-challenging times, and we are quite confident they will
find it — because there’s simply too much at stake. BW
PUBLISHER
John Gormally
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SALES MANAGER &
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Kate Campiti
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EDITOR
Joseph Bednar
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CONTRIBUTING
WRITER
George O’Brien
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ADVERTISING
CONSULTANTS
Kate Campiti
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Kathleen Plante
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Cecille Youmans
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OPINION >>
EXECUTIVE
ADMINISTRATOR
Melissa Hallock
[email protected]
Community Colleges Change Lives
BY MICHELLE SCHUTT
We recently celebrated National Community College
Month in April, a great time to reflect on what makes
Greenfield Community College — and all community
colleges — so special.
Did you know that 46% of all college students in Massa-
chusetts attend community college? This remarkable statistic
shows just how powerful community colleges are in helping
students attain goals otherwise not possible, changing the
trajectory of their careers and lives. Here are just a few of the
ways GCC is supporting our region and beyond.
Graduates of community colleges increase their earnings
significantly, with the average graduate earning nearly $10,000
more per year than their peers without a degree. Community
colleges also serve as an onramp to higher-level degrees for
many students, and particularly for the most demographically
and socioeconomically diverse students. Approximately 45% of
GCC graduates go on to subsequent education, illustrating the
college’s effectiveness in providing further education pathways,
better career outcomes, and more prosperity throughout our
region and beyond.
Our graduates help build a highly educated and skilled
workforce, which in turn contributes to stronger local econo-
mies and vibrant, resilient communities. As a primary educa-
tional institution for healthcare professionals, first responders,
educators, business owners, tradespeople, and public servants,
our skilled graduates provide essential services that we all
count on. And by training more than 400 individuals per year
through our workforce development programs, we are meeting
workforce needs of many large and small employers through-
ART DIRECTOR
Mike Nasuti
[email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Ryan Leary
[email protected]
MARKETING &
EVENTS MANAGER
Natasha
Mercado-Santana
[email protected]
14 << OPINION >>
MAY 26, 2025
out the region.
GCC also serves as a hub for community engagement and
intergenerational initiatives in Franklin County, hosting close to
100 events each year, including workshops, cultural programs,
and public lectures. These activities foster community involve-
ment and promote lifelong learning among residents. Partici-
pants bring diverse perspectives and experiences to their com-
munities, contributing to cultural enrichment and fostering a
greater appreciation for the arts, sciences, and civic discourse.
Everywhere I go, I am told by current and former students
that choosing to go to GCC has been one of the best decisions
they ever made. And now, thanks to Massachusetts’ new free
community college programs, enrollment has increased 31%
OFFICE MANAGER
Darlene Clarke
officemanager@
businesswest.com
since 2022.
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brighter futures for everyone. BW
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Michelle Schutt is president of Greenfield Community
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