Imagine an awful scenario where nonprofits no longer exist in our communities. What would our communities look like if they didn't have our services?

• Position: Industry Outlook: Q&A

ACKER: Without the nonprofits, we would have a sterile, cold and isolated world. Most of us have smaller organizations in which we have a very strong and intimate relationship with the people with whom we work, and we have shared values and common goals. That's such a rewarding thing from the perspective of somebody within the organization.

My concern is if all of the nonprofits went away, all the ways in which we could, from very disparate places in our society, invest in a common social good would evaporate. And that would be a terrible cost. I would hate to see that loss.

FARRINGTON: If there were no nonprofits, our government--municipal, city, state, federal--would have to become more robust. They would have to really be able to expand their mission. I'm telling you right now, it's not going to happen.

For example, in Park City education, up until this year there were very few full-day kindergartens. For poor people who are working two, three jobs and undergirding that tourism industry, what are they going to do with children? They have to have a job, but children cannot stay home by themselves. So nonprofits were able to help them understand that and set up a model. We're able now to get out of that; it is a school system. That is state funded, federally funded. They are going to have to really belly up to the bar on this.

HASSAN: It would break my heart if all of the arts nonprofits went away. The building I work in is a 93-year-old theater that was built by the town's industrialists. They actually built their first theater on the top two stories of a bank. So this was something that they relished, that they thought was a pillar of the community, that they wanted to use to augment and complement their business efforts.

GARZA: I'm particularly concerned about justice, equality and how different populations will struggle. There is a big, big disconnect between the government and different communities and how those are covered. The work that we do is really, really focused on facilitating the access, facilitating that connection. I definitely don't see that happening in the next few years or decades, until the government and other sectors really step up and make sure we have equality and more justice in terms of how services are delivered and access to everyone who needs them.

ALCABES: We are a community-based program and part of what we do is we make it possible for people to exist in a community and be a part of something larger than...