DELETED FOR BUDGETARY REASONS.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

• Marcia Avner, Public Policy Director, MN Council of Nonprofits, 651-642-1904 ext. 222, cell 651-210-2618, marcia@mncn.org
• Chris Langer, The Minneapolis Foundation, 612-672-3832, clanger@mplsfoundation.org
• Ginger Sisco, Sisco Public Relations, 763-544-0629, ginger.sisco@tela.com

MINNESOTA COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS AND THE MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION
LAUNCH ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
ALERTING THE PUBLIC TO BUDGETS CUTS AND THEIR IMPACT

Tell them you didn't vote for this. Remind them that peoples' lives
are hanging in the balance…of the budget.

NOTE: Ads are available here in PDF format

St. Paul, MN…March 10, 2003… Working families are the backbone of Minnesota's economy. If we cut programs families need to help keep them working, like childcare programs, healthcare and job training, is that good for Minnesota? Contact your legislators today. Tell them you didn't vote for this. Remind them that peoples' lives are hanging in the balance…of the budget.

That is one of the messages in the Deleted for Budgetary Reasons advertising campaign unveiled today at the State Capitol by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and The Minneapolis Foundation.

Minneapolis Foundation CEO Emmett Carson asked, "What kind of a Minnesota do we want? Difficult choices must be made. However, they should be informed choices based on having examined all of the options and their consequences. All of us are affected and should participate in this public dialogue."
The advertising campaign will begin the week of March 24.

"We are asking people to visit www.GoodforMinnesota.org and call their legislators to tell them that making budget cuts on the backs of our most vulnerable populations is not what they want nor what they voted for," said Jon Pratt, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

"We know our deficit is the biggest in our state's history, but now is not the time to strip away hopes for opportunity and self sufficiency and the very bedrock of our value system and quality of life," said Pratt. "We want Minnesotans to pay attention to the choices and to the consequences and to speak up. That's the purpose of the Deleted for Budgetary Reasons campaign."

"Nonprofit organizations are in key partnerships with government in providing needed programs and services along with foundations like ours, corporations and individual donors. These budget discussions directly touch the lives of the people we serve," said Carson. "We can't be under the illusion that individual donors, corporations, and foundations will contribute enough money to replace government support for the work of nonprofits when budgets are cut."

Print and radio ads address the proposed cuts in the areas of senior services, youth intervention services, critical city services, and low-income families and children.

# # #