Support OpenSky on Give to Lincoln Day; early donations now being accepted

After the most recent meeting of the state’s revenue forecasting board, one board member told us that our Twitter feed is one of the main ways he stays up-to-date on the state’s fiscal discussion. As we were talking, another person inquired about ways people could keep up with what the forecasting board was projecting. The forecasting board member quickly responded: have them follow OpenSky’s Twitter feed.

At OpenSky, we have worked hard for eight years to become this kind of trusted resource for lawmakers, journalists, community leaders and others. We aim to inform our state’s fiscal policy discussion because we believe the best decisions are informed decisions. This session, our work is helping lawmakers as they work toward solutions to our state’s long-running overreliance on property taxes to fund K-12 education. Our data and analysis also are helping inform discussions about reform of our state’s business tax incentive programs and funding the implementation of Medicaid Expansion.

You can help ensure OpenSky continues to be an essential resource in our state’s fiscal discussion by making a Give to Lincoln Day donation through our Give to Lincoln Day campaign page. A Give to Lincoln Day donation to OpenSky is a great way to maximize your support of OpenSky’s mission as it will allow us to receive a proportional share of a $450,000 match fund provided by the Lincoln Community Foundation and other sponsors. Last year, the matching fund allowed us to raise almost 10 additional cents for every dollar we received in donations after gift processing fees were applied.

And you don’t have to wait until Give to Lincoln Day, which is May 30, to make your donation either. You can make a secure donation online anytime between now and the end of the day on May 30. You also can donate by:

• Making a gift from your Lincoln Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund and designating that it is a Give to Lincoln Day donation to OpenSky Policy Institute;
• Making an Omaha Community Foundation Account donation to the Lincoln Community Foundation and note that it is a Give to Lincoln Day donation for OpenSky Policy Institute (Omaha Community Foundation gifts must be initiated by May 23); or
• Dropping off checks or cash gifts at the Lincoln Community Foundation (215 Centennial Mall, Suite No. 100) on Give to Lincoln Day.

You also can mail or drop checks off at the OpenSky office and we will hand-deliver them to the foundation office. Checks must be made out to “Lincoln Community Foundation” with “OpenSky Policy Institute” written in the memo line and in the OpenSky office by 4 p.m. on May 30 if you would like us to deliver them to the foundation office. Our address is:

Please support OpenSky on or before Give to Lincoln Day to help us continue to bring sound data, research and analysis to our state’s fiscal debate in order to improve opportunities for every Nebraskan!