Lena stood in the middle of what used to be her community’s food pantry. The shelves, once stocked with fresh produce and essential supplies, were now bare. The room, usually bustling with volunteers helping families in need, was eerily quiet. Outside, a handwritten sign flapped in the wind: “Closed Indefinitely.”

She glanced down at the letter in her hands, still trying to make sense of it. “Due to new tax requirements, we can no longer afford to keep our doors open.”

Lena sank into a chair, feeling the weight of the moment. This food pantry had been a lifeline for hundreds of families struggling to put meals on the table. But without tax-exempt status, it could no longer survive. The sudden requirement to pay income taxes had drained their limited funds—the same funds meant to feed hungry children, support the elderly, and assist struggling parents.

And it wasn’t just the food pantry.

Across town, the community health clinic had shuttered its doors. Without tax-exempt status, it couldn’t afford to provide free checkups and life-saving medications to those without insurance. The local animal rescue, once a sanctuary for abandoned pets, was gone. Scholarships for underprivileged students? Eliminated.

Lena imagined the rippling effect. The families who once relied on the pantry would now have to choose between rent and groceries. The elderly man who came every week for his diabetes medication—where would he go? The single mother trying to put her daughter through college—what would she do now?

Nonprofit organizations exist because they fill the gaps where businesses and government cannot. They provide food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, education for those in need, and medical care for the sick—all without expecting a profit.

But to do this work, they rely on donations, grants, and volunteers. Unlike businesses that earn revenue from products and services, nonprofits reinvest every dollar into their mission. If they were taxed like for-profit businesses, they would crumble.

Back in the now-empty food pantry, Lena took a deep breath. The tax changes had forced them to shut down, but she refused to believe this was the end. People needed nonprofits—they were the heartbeat of every community, providing services that no one else could.

She pulled out her phone and began typing: “We need to fight for our nonprofits. They exist for the public good, not for profit. If we lose them, we lose more than just services—we lose compassion, support, and hope. Let’s speak up.”

Because a world without nonprofits? That’s not a world we can afford to live in.

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IHMM is a member of the Community Impact Coalition, https://www.cicoalition.org/, created to bring greater understanding about the role non-profit organizations play in our society and economy. Some lawmakers are looking for ways to raise money and are considering tapping nonprofit resources. If Congress puts these essential community services at risk, nonprofits would be forced to cut programs, turn people away, or close their doors completely to those in need.