Call to action: Newspapers must improve coverage of nonprofits

"It's time for a change," said Robert Egger, nonprofit CEO and HANO membership meeting keynoter, in an article in the Dec. 7 edition of the The Chronicle of Philanthropy. "Nonprofit leaders must now make a solid case for newspapers to cover charitable organizations with the same sophistication accorded to business and government," Egger wrote.

"After all, when nonprofit assets are bundled together they become as large as the seventh biggest economy in the world," Egger wrote. "What's more, one of every 10 Americans works for a nonprofit organization."

Egger makes the case that newspapers simply do not know how to cover nonprofits. He discounts the "annual guide to giving" and fluffy, feel-good stories that newspapers often devote to charities. "Nonprofits want tough coverage about important issues," Egger wrote.

He notes that an information gap that has led to the loss of confidence in charities "can only be solved by pushing newspapers to produce informed, in-depth articles about nonprofit groups on their business pages and to put them there every day."

A regular flow of ideas, information and analysis of the kind devoted to business and government will lead to "an environment where good work is rewarded, fraud or failure is exposed and expunged, and everyone will be better prepared to invest their time, energy and ideas with confidence," he said.

Through the Nonprofit Congress email broadcasts and web site, Egger is urging nonprofit leaders across the country to visit their local newspapers to "Make the case that strong nonprofit organizations are essential. They are good for business, which is good for the community, which is good for all."

"Let them know one thing for certain," Egger said. "Today's nonprofit world isn't about charity and its leaders mean business."