As part of DANA’s Strategic Priority to “Shape Public Policy to Strengthen the Nonprofit Sector” (DANA Strategic Plan Goal), we are activating nonprofit voices early in the fiscal 2027 state budget development process to ensure that the needs of Delaware’s nonprofit sector are heard before funding decisions are finalized. 

DANA is mobilizing nonprofit leaders to testify at the upcoming Office of Management & Budget (OMB) public hearings, which directly influence the governor’s recommended budget and shape funding decisions with impact to the nonprofit sector. 

Nonprofits across Delaware provide essential services that strengthen our communities, yet state contracts have long been chronically underfunded for years, creating workforce strain and jeopardizing service delivery and continuity. Early advocacy during the hearings is a critical step in driving reform and sustainable funding. 

By testifying, nonprofit leaders can: 

• Share the full costs of delivering essential services. 

• Highlight years of underfunded contracts that strain staff and operations. 

• Demonstrate the economic and community impact of nonprofit services. 

• Urge investment reflective of the genuine cost of service delivery inclusive of indirect costs. 

We are asking nonprofit executives, program leaders board members, staff, and community partners to sign up to testify at one of the upcoming hearings. Your voice will ensure that Delaware’s nonprofit sector is represented in the earliest phase of the state budget process, when your stories have the greatest ability to shape investment priorities. 

To make participation easy, DANA will provide optional testimony templates, data points and key messages, aligned with our sector-wide priorities that may be personalized for your organizations. Whether you want to share your organization’s story, highlight contract challenges, or uplift statewide impact, we will support you every step of the way. 

You will find a calendar of OMB hearings HERE and please sign up for the OMB hearings you plan to attend by clicking the button below.