Public budgets are one of the most important policy instruments of our government. They are moral documents that reflect our values and priorities through decisions on how to tax residents and businesses and spend those collective resources. These decisions impact what families have to spend on basic needs and invest in their future, define the size of the government and its role in the national economy, and affect the lives of all Americans. Join Maryland Philanthropy Network for a special screening and discussion to learn about and discuss why federal and state budget and tax work matters to national, state, and local philanthropy. 

Join Maryland Philanthropy Network and our speakers for an overview of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to contextualize the ways funds are being disbursed, including the $350 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). Drawing on ideas found in this Philanthropy News Digest article by Darius Graham of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, we’ll discuss how a greater understanding of priorities and processes in a community can help with allocating SLFRF in ways that inform grantmaking. We will conclude with a dynamic panel discussion with our partners on how funders can support nonprofits, provide community input about public dollars, and address any potential funding gaps.

Maryland’s public health policy cuts across all sectors: housing, transportation, education, public works, planning, and community development, and renewed investment in public health is critical to ensure the strength and vitality of all of these sectors. Please join Maryland Philanthropy Network and our distinguished experts for a discussion on how we can collaborate and support a coordinated, equity-focused advocacy agenda to create change in the funding appropriations for public health infrastructure at the state and local levels.