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Message from the Executive Director


Fiscal year 2024 is quickly coming to a close. The County Council met yesterday to vote on amendments to County Executive Pittman's proposed FY2025 budget. Some of the Nonprofit Center's staffing and consulting funds were on the chopping block, as were several specific Community Support Grant recommendations. I'm happy to report that those amendments failed, so we can now look forward to fall programming. Please take a few minutes to tell us what you'd like to see continued, added or changed this upcoming year.

Much of the work at the Nonprofit Center (NPC) could not be completed without the help of our amazing interns. We're saying goodbye to two interns and welcoming another. Finally, we'll share the highlights of two recent conferences as well as the announcements you've come to expect each month.

Help Us Select NPC Programs for 2024-2025

In our first year, the NPC offered three cohort programs, a full-day conference, 1:1 consulting, a collection of online resources, an events platform, and this monthly newsletter. Although participants have been very pleased with the programs, which were selected based on last year's survey, we want to identify ways to make these programs more accessible and relevant to current needs. If your organization could benefit from professional development or networking opportunities, please complete this survey as soon as possible. It will take approximately five minutes to complete.

Complete NPC Program Survey Here

Need another reason to complete the survey and participate in our training programs? Check out this quote from a participant in the grant writing cohort that ended May 30th.


I just wanted to thank you once again for sharing with us your depth of knowledge, insider tips, and your enthusiasm for the subject. I never thought walking into this grant proposal writing cohort that I would look so forward to attending each and every session. Your enthusiasm and positivity in every class was both infectious and inspiring. The background knowledge and materials you provided, along with your PowerPoints, are full of great resources that have already helped me with some of the current grant programs we are involved in and will continue to do so in the future. I am much more confident in my ability to write a grant proposal now versus when I first walked in to the first session. As I said yesterday, you are a rockstar!

 

Thank you to NPC and MD Nonprofits as well for allowing me to participate and for hiring such a great consultant! Have a great summer!

Interns In Turn: We Couldn't Do It Without Them

Much of what the Nonprofit Center has accomplished is a result of four hard-working interns. From building a searchable list of nonprofits (Igor) to researching office environments that promote wellness (Simone), creating the Nonprofit Events Hub (Anthony) to reviewing and posting 92 resources (Penelope), each has made a significant contribution to our progress. If there was only enough space to list all they've done.


Igor and Simone were interns last fall. Anthony worked both fall and spring, and Penelope, who joined us in February, is with us for 10 more days (stay tuned for another resource from Penelope). You may have met Anthony and Penelope at the Say What Matters conference. I can't thank them enough for being engaged, responsible, adaptable, and passionate about helping nonprofits. I'm sure they will go on to do amazing things. Thank you all!

After reviewing 11 excellent applications, the search committee recommended someone who possesses these same qualities. Alana Buie is the Nonprofit Center's summer intern. Alana is working toward an MPA degree from the University of Baltimore with a specialization in Public and Nonprofit Management. Among other tasks, she will help develop the policies and procedures for 41 Community Place. Welcome Alana!

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.

 Zig Ziglar

Conference Highlights

Franklyn Baker, President and CEO of the United Way of Central Maryland, shared the above quote at last week's Bridging Communities Conference. I think this is exactly what people working in the nonprofit sector do. The conference was designed to connect nonprofits with state government resources, and it was excellent. Several Anne Arundel County nonprofits were there. For those of you who couldn't attend, we'll share our key takeaways through Facebook and the CECS Newsletter soon.


Some of the most interesting information came from Maryland Nonprofits' statistics on nonprofit revenue in Maryland. Over 50% of nonprofit funding in Maryland comes from the government (all levels - not just the county), almost 94% of revenue is awarded to nonprofits with budgets over $5M (2.5% of nonprofits), yet more than 50% of nonprofits are working with budgets of $100K or less. If that 2.5% can't address 94% of community needs, we need to come up with some creative solutions.

Shifting gears... we were thrilled that 80 organizations joined us at the ‘Say What Matters' Conference. This was our first annual conference, sponsored in partnership with the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. We received a lot of great feedback on the sessions, which we've shared with the presenters. Only 30% of participants evaluated the program as a whole, but we're using that feedback to plan for next year. If you have suggestions for next year's programming, including the conference, please complete the NPC Program Survey.

Left to Right (Top to Bottom on mobile): County Executive Pittman shares why he supports nonprofits at Say What Matters; NPC staff attend the Bridging Community Conference on June 6th; Handing out Nonprofit Events Hub information with the County Executive's team at the Pride parade in Annapolis.

Celebration of Philanthropy

The Celebration of Philanthropy Awards, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, will be held on October 30th. Nominations will be accepted through July 11th. We all know people who have gone above and beyond for Anne Arundel County, so please consider nominating that person today. More details are at https://www.cfaac.org/Celebration-Philanthropy

Other Nonprofit News and Announcements

☆ Free resources are available at the Anne Arundel County Public Libraries (AACPL). Don't forget that Candid's Foundation Grant Database is now available at all branches. AACPL also offers access to over 7000 newsletters and magazines online. All you need is a library card, which is available to any Maryland state resident. Both are great resources for nonprofits.


Congratulations to Anne Arundel County Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC) on receiving Standards of Excellence accreditation from Maryland Nonprofits. This national initiative was established to promote the highest standards of ethics, effectiveness, and accountability in nonprofit governance, management, and operations.


☆ Candid Learning often offers free training for nonprofits. Two sessions this month include: Introduction to Measuring Your Impact (June 25th; 2:00 - 3:30) and Introduction to Project Budgets (June 27th; 2:00 - 3:30). They are free. You just need to create an account to enroll.


☆ Last week, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together announced their 2024 grant awards totalling over $190K supporting 9 nonprofit organizations in Anne Arundel County. Congratulations to the recipients and thank you to AAWGT for, year after year, supporting the organizations that improve the quality of life for women and families in the county.

Research shows that nonprofits can increase revenue and have greater impact when they collaborate with other organizations. That is why Maryland Nonprofits recently announced FREE grant writing services for nonprofit collaboratives who are working jointly on a grant proposal. This is part of the Nonprofit Accelerator Program, funded by the State of Maryland. Email help@mdnonprofit.org to learn more.


☆ If your organization serves aging or senior populations, consider completing this survey from Maryland Nonprofis. They will use the information to tailor workshops to meet your needs.


Applications are now being accepted for the Class of 2025 Maryland Certified Public Manager® Program offered by the Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore. Applications are due by July 12, 2024. The program is fully funded for those selected.


☆ A recent study shows severe workforce shortages for nonprofits serving human services in New York City. Anne Arundel County is not NYC, but recommendations from the study are still relevant. They include eliminating degree requirements, investing in training, raising wages, providing burnout supports and more. Read the article here.


☆ A new federal rule goes into effect July 1st that will raise the amount of money a nonprofit employee must earn ($43,888 annually or $21 per hour; $58,656 beginning January 1, 2025) to be exempt from being paid overtime. The Chronicle of Philanthropy covered the story in late May. This update came from the National Council of Nonprofits. Subscribe to their newsletter for the most up-to-date information.

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The Nonprofit Center is a program of Anne Arundel County government. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Each NPC-sponsored event includes information about how to request an ADA Accommodation.

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