Earlier this week, the city’s Finance Committee drafted the idea of limiting nonprofit appropriations to 3% of property tax revenue.

I understand no governmental body should be expected to bankroll every nonprofit’s budget, but I find the suggested 3% to be a low amount to contribute toward groups and initiatives which can reach the truly vulnerable individuals in our community a lot cheaper than the government can. The estimation during Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting indicated the average property tax would contribute about $26 to nonprofits at the 3% distribution.

In my own hands, $26 won’t go very far, but there are any number of nonprofits out there which can wring every penny from it and make real, actionable change in the community. Meals on Wheels can feed about five people with $25 – and this is only one of the nonprofits in our county.

The importance of supporting local nonprofits cannot be overstated. Without them, segments of our community will lack the necessary support they can’t get anywhere else. Homeless of McMinnville Effort (HOME) is one example of invaluable and unique assistance. It has been instrumental in addressing the needs of unsheltered people and it can reach them far quicker than any governmental body.

Those who find themselves in need of HOME’s help can have a hot meal and potentially shelter within a day, whereas programs from the federal and state level move slowly and may never pan out. This makes HOME invaluable in providing a service to the members of our community that the city cannot, and the overhead cost is likely considerably lower than it would be if the city even could produce it as it is run through largely volunteer help.

Nonprofits not only help those who are specifically in need of their assistance, but they lessen the burden to citizens. I can understand and appreciate Vice Mayor Steve Harvey not wanting to spend people’s money for them. But I feel there is a middle ground to be found by listening to the community and investigating the reach of the various nonprofits in our community to help guide where funding should go. Unfortunately, people aren’t often going to think of donating their $26 on their own, and it could truly harm the funding many groups find necessary to survive and serve if they have to wait for that to happen.

Perhaps 3% goes a lot further in places like Nashville or Murfreesboro where properties are denser and more expensive, but the same percentage will barely go beyond the surface in McMinnville. There are many groups which do great things for our city, and it would be a disservice to not expand the allotment to reach more vulnerable groups in our community and improve the lives of everyone overall. Nonprofits serve as an extension of outreach, lessening the strain on municipal resources.

While I know the new nonprofit policy is not yet final, I do hope our mayor and aldermen will adopt a higher rate for nonprofit appropriations at budget time.

Standard reporter Nikki Childers can be contacted at nchilders@southernstandard.com