Nonprofit leaders are scrambling to figure out what to do in light of a new state law that so tightly restricts lobbying that many organizations may be forced to register more staff as lobbyists — or get out of politics altogether.

Most troubling, they said, is the expanded definition of lobbying, which now includes strategizing and planning if it is done as part of communicating with a government employee. The new law also lowers thresholds on how many hours someone can spend on lobbying activities and how much money he or she can earn before being required to register as a lobbyist.

While it’s no secret that the public and private sectors are hurting during this lingering recession, the struggle is equally tough for nonprofit organizations, many of which confront ever-increasing need for their services but less public and private funding. The growing trend finds nonprofits fostering new partnerships, consolidating multiple offices, or in the most extreme cases, merging completely with like-minded groups. “The perfect storm has hit for nonprofits,” said David Magnani, executive director of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, an advocacy group. “It’s the worst of all possible worlds.”

When Community Servings moved into its new building, the Boston nonprofit needed to find ways to make money to pay for the new digs.

The organization, which provides free meals for very sick people and their families, launched a for-profit program to provide food for schools and seniors. It also set up a training program for food service workers.

Community Servings’ revenue-generating solutions were creative enough to win two awards, including one from a business group. It won a Nonprofit Innovation Award from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and the New England Innovation Award from the Smaller Business Association of New England.

The Boston Foundation recently announced $19.2 million in grants this quarter, largely to programs focused on the arts and design, closing the achievement gap in minority education, and boosting the vitality of the nonprofit industry.

One art and youth development organization – Raw Art Works in Lynn, Massachusetts – received an unexpected surprise when it was awarded the Out of the Blue grant, an unrestricted and unsolicited grant of $75,000 to an area nonprofit.

Raw Art Works is an art-based youth development program, providing more than 550 students a year with art and film classes, career and college counseling, and mentoring and leadership development programs. Approximately 90 percent of seniors in the program go on to college.