<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2fhbVj_1H2sm0DX00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2fhbVj_1H2sm0DX00" width="500" height="500" ><figcaption>Michelle Gonzalez, CEO of the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County and president of the Nonprofit Chamber for Health and Human Services. Photo by Coastal Click Photography</figcaption></figure>The dust has barely settled since Amendment 3, which increases Florida’s homestead property tax exemption for 2027 and beyond, passed on Tuesday, Nov. 3.With the title “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments,” Amendment 3 was the only one of the three Florida constitutional amendments on the ballot to meet the 60 percent voter threshold for approval. Amendment 3 garnered 4,922,400 votes (61.98 percent) statewide, with 3,019,415 votes (38.02 percent) opposed. It also managed to pass the 60 percent mark among Palm Beach County voters.Legitimate fears are already beginning to surge in the nonprofit sector, since this will reduce the flexible, critical revenue funding that counties and municipalities receive. Local nonprofits are likely to feel those impacts considerably.The Nonprofit Chamber for Health and Human Services held a special legislative presentation on the community impact of Amendment 3 on Monday, Oct. 26 at the Wellington Community Center. Michelle Gonzalez is president of the 80-member organization, whose mission is to strengthen the nonprofit health and human services sector across the county. She explained the sector’s concerns.Gonzalez emphasized that the role of the chamber is to work with other nonprofit CEOs on a leadership level, advocating across the nonprofit network and collaborating on solutions. “They are all in the mix with funding challenges,” she said. “There are many unknowns, and the individual nonprofits are working through their own contingency plans internally.”Gonzalez added that the organization she leads outside her chamber duties, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County, gets 62 percent of its funding from the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County.Gonzalez further explained that “the community doesn’t understand what a strong network exists among these large and small nonprofits” and that “no silos exist among the service organizations, and there is a system of care coordinated among dozens of partners.”It is a model that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the state, she said. For example, a mother receiving prenatal care from one organization can be seamlessly referred to another for support with food insecurity or domestic violence.Health and human services nonprofits play a vital role in Palm Beach County. According to 2024 data, “ALICE” households — Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed — make up nearly 40 percent of the county’s households and face growing financial hardship.Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor, CEO of the Children’s Services Council, which relies on property taxes for 90 percent of its budget, said in a statement that her local government entity that funds smaller health and human services nonprofits, is anticipating a considerable impact resulting from the passage of Amendment 3.“The passage of Amendment 3 will have a significant impact on programs for children and youth across Palm Beach County,” Williams-Taylor said. “By 2028-29, the Children’s Services Council anticipates a 14-percent budget reduction, equal to about $26 million. This reduction will no doubt be felt by our organization and, in turn, the funded programs and families we serve.”The Children’s Services Council is a special taxing district, which estimates that each household contributes approximately $166 per year based on an average home value of $350,000. Amendment 3 could eliminate much of that over time. That would reduce access to physical, mental and behavioral health support, nutritional services and much more.“We understand that Floridians are struggling with high costs of housing, food, insurance and childcare,” Williams-Taylor said. “We also worry about the impact a budget reduction may have on services that so many families rely on. Over the next few months, we’ll be working with our board to consider how best to balance this constitutional mandate with the needs of local children and families. We will keep the community updated as these conversations progress.”Amendment 3 will likely also shrink community investment, thereby affecting public resources, fire-rescue, parks and recreation, community development and behavioral health programs, along with the community’s nonprofits, arts and culture organizations.It is far too early to know which partner members are likely to be impacted the most, Gonzalez said. Smaller, financially constrained municipalities like Belle Glade, could be impacted more severely than larger, wealthier ones, like Wellington and West Palm Beach, for example.Several nonprofit leaders, like Renée Layman, the CEO at the Center for Child Counseling, and Barbara Stark, CEO of the Milagro Center, were asked if increased philanthropic donations could offset the property tax funding shortfalls.Stark explained that there are only so many philanthropic families in the county that will donate for education, since there are so many worthy causes, and each family has their own special interests.The Milagro Center, which focuses on after school and summer camp programs, plus academic and cultural arts programs for low-income families, serves children who are 40 percent less likely to graduate.Layman, whose organization serves 7,500 children a year catering to mental health and trauma needs since 1999, relies heavily on funding from the Children’s Services Council. She emphasized the “trickle down” effect for her center and so many other organizations.“If their funding shrinks, then all our programs shrink,” she said, suggesting that losing these important programs will be detrimental to the communities they serve. “We collaborate to prevent people from incarceration, contend with crisis situations, possibly even being Baker Acted. This will all be affected.”Gonzalez added that, “Palm Beach County has a great deal of philanthropic potential,” but admitted that “not all nonprofits are prepared for heightened fundraising activities,” which will affect their fundraising success.Stark has already conducted an entire projection for contending without some funding. Her board wants to understand her backup plan and how to fund insurance, staff salaries — all are teachers — and securing more grants. She believes that the Milagro Center is in a better position than other organizations. “We are very nimble and pivoted well during [the pandemic],” she said.But she emphasized that “fundraising will become a much larger part of social services.” Exploring alternate funding to fill gaps will be critical. And the challenges loom larger because so many organizations are pursuing the same funding universe.Health and human services funding is unaffected until Oct. 1, 2027, when the current budget cycle expires. Therefore, they are unlikely to experience a real financial pinch until the 2028 budget cycle.For more information about the Nonprofit Chamber for Health and Human Services, visit https://nonprofitchamberpbc.org.</div></body>

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The dust has barely settled since Amendment 3, which increases Florida’s homestead property tax exemption for 2027 and beyond, passed on Tuesday, Nov. 3. With the title “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments,” Amendment 3 was the only one of the three Florida constitutional amendments on the ballot to meet the 60 percent voter threshold for approval. Amendment 3 garnered 4,922,400 votes (61.98 percent) statewide, with 3,019,415 votes (38.02 percent) opposed. It also managed to pass the 60 percent mark among Palm Beach County voters.

Amendment 3 Will Likely Have Significant Impact On Nonprofits

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The dust has barely settled since Amendment 3, which increases Florida’s homestead property tax exemption for 2027 and beyond, passed on Tuesday, Nov. 3. W

Amendment 3 Will Likely Have Significant Impact On Nonprofits

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