This 2009 letter written by a public policy officer of the Pennsylvania Association of Non-profit Organizations (PANO) provides a fascinating insight into the changing dynamic between the non-profit sector and the state and local governments they rely on for solvency. In particular, Ross pleads with the budget and finance committee not to eliminate tax exemptions for Pennsylvania non-profits in order to offset budget problems at the local and municipal level.

Ross argues the net result will be negative, making the case that non-profits provide many services that local governments fail to and that removing their tax-exempt status would hinder those efforts. This exchange perfectly captures the financial anxiety that captured not only the private sector as a result of the 2007 recession, but in the public and non-profit sector as well.