Love Overwhelming

5 Surprising Truths About How Nonprofits Are Actually Funded Have you ever looked up a nonprofit's tax form, seen a revenue figure in the millions, and wondered where all that money really goes? Maybe you’ve heard someone claim a local charity is "keeping 97% of donations" and felt a sense of skepticism or confusion. It’s a common reaction, but it’s often based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern community healthcare services are funded. The numbers on a tax document rarely tell the whole story. What looks like a massive pile of public donations is often something entirely different: a complex, highly regulated, and performance-based system of contracts and grants. This article will reveal the surprising reality behind those figures by breaking down five counter-intuitive truths about nonprofit funding. We’ll clarify what’s really happening with Medicaid contracts, healthcare grants, and community services funding to demystify the system designed to support ou...

When "Middle Class" Can't Afford Groceries Anymore: A Cowlitz County Reality Check By Charles D. Hendrickson, Executive Director, Love Overwhelming The comment section exploded: "A middle-class family can't afford this anymore." They weren't wrong. Here's the brutal math that proves it. The $202 Shopping Cart That Broke the Internet Someone posted their SNAP grocery haul online the other day. Milk. Eggs. Cheese. Pasta. Meat. Vegetables.  Nothing fancy. Just the basics every family needs. The total? $202 at Fred Meyer. The Rural County "Middle Class" Reality What Does Middle Class Even Mean Here? According to HUD's 2024 Area Median Income data: Middle-class household (3-4 people): $78,500–$87,000/year Actual median household income: $72,932 (2023 Census data) That sounds comfortable until you calculate take-home pay: Monthly after taxes: $4,200–$4,500 Now let's see where every dollar goes. Follow the Money: The Va...