Dear Friend,

Happy New Year! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

I know we say this every January, but... how is it 2026 already? 2025 somehow felt like it lasted three months and three years all at once.

One of the most valuable lessons of 2025 for me was watching how we as a community shows up when urgent needs arise. The nonprofit sector is always ready to come together--that's something I'm endlessly grateful for. But I also noticed something else: sometimes our own well-intentioned processes (our "red tape," if you will) can slow us down right when speed matters most. And here's the thing about our sector--we're really good at finding solutions. So I'm inviting all of us to think creatively this year about how we respond to urgent community needs. How do we remove barriers and get resources where they're needed, quickly? I don't have all the answers, but I think it's a question worth sitting together with.

Speaking of sitting together--one of the best ways we can show up for our communities is by learning how to better partner with grassroots organizations. That's exactly what HandsOn will be doing in January's Nonprofit Essentials class on Working with Leaders in Grassroots Communities on January 15th. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do as a sector is sit back, listen deeply, and simply ask: "How can we support you?" It sounds simple, but it's a muscle we can all strengthen.

Here at the Asset Building Coalition of Forsyth County (ABC), we're grateful to be a Supporting Partner of HandsOn NWNC. ABC focuses on changing systems in our community by challenging the processes that have been the same for years and changing them to create financial stability for our community. We believe that for people to be financially stable, they must earn livable wages (nobody wants to work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet!) Working together to tackle the systems is how we bring change. HandsOn is one of those organizations that has provided our board with essential training--everything from navigating the changing state requirements for nonprofits to better supporting the organizations we serve. It's learning opportunities like these that make the red tape seem less red. 

And speaking of what makes our work possible--volunteers! We could not do what we do without you. Muchas gracias for all that you do to support our missions and our communities. If there's someone (or a group!) in your world who has gone above and beyond this year, dedicating their time and heart to making a difference, please don't wait--nominate them for the Forsyth County Governor's Volunteer Service Awards today! The nomination deadline is Friday, February 27th--which, just like 2026, will be here before we know it!

Wishing you all a year filled with understanding, intentionality, and community,

Vivian

Vivian Pérez Chandler

Executive Director

The Asset-Building Coalition of Forsyth County

Editor's Note: We're now booking guests columnists for the rest of 2026, so please let us know if you'd like to share your love of HandsOn and how it furthers your mission in a future issue! We make it easy for you--we promise!

DATE: Thursday, January 15, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

LOCATION: Zoom

Our fifth session in our 2025-2026 Nonprofit Essentials series provides a strong introduction to the basics of working with small, grassroots organizations and neighborhood leaders. As the sector continues to be more focused on collective impact, place-based initiatives, and asset-based community development in general, these competencies will be crucial to all nonprofits in the future. 

Paula McCoy, our facilitator, is the current Director of the Partnership for Prosperity, which aims to empower low-income communities and individuals to achieve economic stability and opportunity. She has more than 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector.

COST: Individual classes are $50 for Supporting Partners, $60 for all others. Register for all 10 classes and receive one class for free ($450 for Supporting Partners and $550 for all others.) For questions about this class or other training, contact Kathy.

Not sure if your organization is a Supporting Partner? Please check the list on the Join/Give Now page on our website or call 336-724-2866.  If payment is a barrier to your organization's participation in this program, please contact us.

DATE: Wednesday, January 21, 9 am to 11 am



LOCATION: Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, 114 W. 30th St., Room 209 (see map)

We're excited to partner with Forsyth Tech's Small Business Center and Nicole Royer to offer a follow-up to Nicole's workshop last year on the use of Artificial Intelligence in fundraising. In this session, participants will discover how AI can personalize donor outreach, improve fundraising campaigns, and uncover new opportunities, including sample donor communication flows and AI-generated fundraising ideas tailored to their organizations.

Specific takeaways include:

How to use AI to generate segmented donor appeals

How to identify ways to automate stewardship and follow-up

Learn how AI can support campaign planning and forecasting

COST: Just $10 for all! Water and light refreshments will be provided. 

For questions about this class or other training, contact Kathy.

DATE: Saturday, January 24,

10 am to Noon

LOCATION: Winston-Salem State University, Anderston Center, Dillard Auditorium/McNeil Ballroom (see map)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service promotes Dr. King's ideals of service, equality, and non-violence. For more than a decade, we've honored this legacy with our annual "Read-In" event, co-planning the event alongside our partners and friends at Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University. We're excited to announce that this year's event will be hosted at the Anderson Center on WSSU's campus on the morning of Saturday, January 24th. (Yes, that's the Saturday immediately following the holiday weekend.)

This educational and "hands on" event pairs children from kindergarten to 5th grade with a "Reading Buddy" (typically, a college student) who will lead them through various activities related to Dr. King's legacy of service, literacy, self-sufficiency, and human and civil rights. At the event, each child will receive one new civil rights-themed book to take home.📚❤️ Participants will also enjoy healthy snacks, and assistance with transportation to/from the event, allowing them to build connections and enjoy the experience of being on a college campus.

If you're interested in having the youth in your orbit participate, please register them in advance, and please share widely with any youth-serving organizations with whom you have a connection! We still have slots open!


Volunteer registration is also now open; please note that all volunteers will have to pass a basic background check and spaces are extremely limited. We look forward to seeing you on January 24th!

As we announced late last month, the nomination forms for the 2025-2026 Forsyth County Governor's Volunteer Service Awards are now open! Each year, HandsOn NWNC honors the "best of the best" volunteers from across the county for their efforts to improve the lives of our neighbors and wider community. But we can't share these inspirational stories of service unless we hear them from you! Nominating a volunteer for these awards is a great way to not only honor their contributions and recognize their efforts, but it's a wonderful opportunity to highlight your organization and the impact of your mission within the wider community.

This year, our recognition event will once again be a dessert reception held at the Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness on May 6, 2026--save the date! In years past, partners shared that they've recruited new board members and raised significant funds as a result of their participation in GVSA--and it all started with a nomination! But act soon--nominations close Friday, February 27th!

Please remember that EVERY nominee gets to attend the awards reception for FREE! That's due to our generous sponsors--and we're currently accepting new sponsors now as well. Table sponsorships are BACK and start at just $400! Sponsoring this event is a great way to support a wide variety of causes and mission areas with just a single gift!

If you'd like some guidance on how best to craft your compelling nomination for these meaningful and competitive awards, please don't hesitate to reach out to Amy for a one-on-one session. You can learn more about this program on our website. 

DATE: Thursday, February 12, 9 am to 11 am



LOCATION: Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, 114 W. 30th St., Room 209 (see map)

We're excited to be able to offer this second session this season with Forsyth Tech's Small Business Center and Nicole Royer for a strategy-focused session on diversifying funding and blending traditional and emerging models, such as social enterprise, sponsorships, impact funding, and AI-enabled prospecting. Participants will also draft a funding diversification map and "next step" strategy guide.

Specific takeaways include:

How to expand beyond grants into modern funding sources

How to use AI to identify and prioritize opportunities

How to align funding models with mission and capacity

COST: Just $10 for all! Water and light refreshments will be provided. 

For questions about this class or other training, contact Kathy.

Note--TWO LEVELS AVAILABLE!

Basics: Thursday, February 19, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Advanced: Thursday, February 26, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Location for Both Sessions: Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, 114 W. 30th St., Room 213 (see map)

We've again split our sixth topic in the Nonprofit Essentials series into two different sessions, based on the experience of participants. The "Basics" course on February 19th is designed to meet the real-world needs and challenges nonprofit organizations face every day related to fundraising. The course is taught in an active learning style and includes case studies and a take-away project, making the learning experience both substantive and enjoyable. This session offers a complete overview of development functions, featuring the most current information and techniques, and will provide an overview of skills, strategies, and program components for individuals with zero to four years of fundraising experience.

The "Advanced Fund Development" class on February 26th will focus on current and prospective donor research strategies and techniques, securing the gift, and relationship development. Prior to class, participants will be asked to share at least two samples from their organization of the following: case for support, direct mail appeal package, major gift proposal, stewardship and cultivation plan, communications plan, gift acceptance policy, newsletter/impact reports, annual report, your job description, volunteer and or board member job description. Please note: If you do not know about, or do not have the above examples readily available to share, you should probably take the Basics class instead.

Both sessions will be led by Michelle Speas who brings over 20 years’ experience in Japan, Africa and the United States to her current role as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Family Services Foundation. Family Services, a HandsOn Supporting Partner, is one of the Triad’s largest nonprofit organizations and an anchor agency in Forsyth County. They are committed to strengthening the safety, security, and well-being of women, children and families in our community. For the majority of her career, Michelle has worked as a development officer and has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) for over 15 years.

Cost: $50 for Supporting Partners, $60 for all others. Light snacks and water are provided.

As we headed towards some of the coldest weather of the year, HandsOn was excited to work with a new corporate partner, Delta Dental NC, to provide a warm "community hug" in the form of no-sew, no-cut blankets to children experiencing immediate foster placement through Family Room Triad.

As part of their holiday social gathering at Summerfield Farms, approximately 28 employees of Delta Dental came together from across the state to spend some time in small group "no-sewing circles" to design and put seven blankets together. Each one was customized with different kinds of decorations and each small team created a hand-written card from the volunteers that worked on their blanket. There was much laughter and holiday spirit present--all before lunch was served! That spirit infused each of the brightly-colored and cheerful blankets.

As one volunteer shared:

“We had a lot of fun working together and having some laughs!"

As always, we share these stories of service and engagement to not only celebrate these volunteers and the organizations they work for, but in hopes it will inspire you to participate in a similar project. Whether that means submitting a service project idea, signing up for Speed Dating, or mobilizing your team to partner with us on a customized service project, your participation is crucial in making sure that everyone in our community can serve in ways that are appropriate and impactful. Please don't hesitate to reach out to Amy to learn more!

Allegra is a full-service marketing and print communications company based in Winston-Salem, NC. They help companies solve simple or complex problems through their expertise, creative solutions, and can-do attitude. When you’re looking for a convenient and local resource for turnkey marketing solutions or printing services, look no further than Allegra.

Small-to-medium-sized companies representing all industries and nonprofits have made them their trusted resource since 1992. Allegra is the premier local source for a wide range of everyday business printing communications like letterhead, business forms, cards, and identity materials. Plus, they offer strategic marketing programs that drive real results, like direct mailing services, promotional products, websites, graphic design, and labels on a roll.

15 years ago, Allegra Winston-Salem launched its FootPRINT Fund®, which awards marketing communications and print services, through Allegra, to select applicant non-profit organizations; to help enhance their image, expand their services, and extend their marketing, communications, and printing budgets. Since then, they have been able to donate over $375,000 to local non-profits through the FootPRINT Fund®. HandsOn NWNC has been a beneficiary of the Fund in the past.

Draw on the expertise of their team, which has more than 200 combined years of experience in marketing and print communications. From start to finish, you can rest assured that your projects are managed efficiently and with care, to meet your tightest deadlines and budgets. They look forward to working with you!

Kicking off the New Year as a Vendor/Consulting Partner can be a great way to get your for-profit business in front of HandsOn's non-profit network! Already in our nonprofit network but have a favorite vendor or consultant you work with and would recommend to others? Please let us know so that we can reach out to them and encourage them to become part of our network as well.

The cost to become a Vendor/Consulting Partner is *still* just $100/year! Prices will go up later this year, so we don't want anyone to miss out. We're hoping to host networking events that will provide opportunities for our for-profit *and* nonprofit partners to mix and mingle, in addition to our other Partner benefits for vendors and consultants. Have questions or the name of someone you'd like to recommend? Don't hesitate to reach out to Amy.

America250 Aims to Make 2026 a Record-Setting Year of Service!

America250, the official nonpartisan organization established by Congress to lead the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration, launched its latest tent pole program this month, America Gives, a nationwide initiative designed to make 2026 the largest year of volunteerism in U.S. history!

America Gives challenges businesses, nonprofits, schools, youth groups, faith-based networks, and organizations of all kinds to commit to increasing their volunteer efforts and measurable impact. Developed in response to research America250 conducted showing that most Americans believe rekindling a culture of community service should be part of the nation’s 250th anniversary, America Gives aims to build a movement of sustained impact — helping nonprofits expand their volunteer bases and inspiring individuals to continue giving back long after the fireworks fade.

Points of Light, and its Global Affiliate Network (of which HandsOn NWNC is a part,) is America250's National Resource Partner and will help connect interested volunteers with the right organization. AmericaGives is also offering an incentive to volunteers who log their hours over the year at their site--250 winners will split $1 Million dollars and choose where the donations go!

Volunteers are encouraged to log their individual hours and sign up for the sweepstakes. Organizations can also log their hours and be eligible for the sweepstakes by using this link.

HandsOn NWNC is excited to be part of this initiative and would love to see some local volunteers and organizations be one of the winners at the end of the year!



Board Source Releases Data from Most Recent Survey!

BoardSource, the long-time authority on US board governance, has been researching board trends for more than 30 years. Just before Christmas, they released the initial findings from their most current Leading with Intent national survey. 

Given all the shifts in the sector, and based on feedback to past reports, they're presenting the results a a series of briefs, rather than a single report. Instead of viewing the document as a point-in-time tome, the briefs will hopefully provide insights that can be shared more easily and applied in different ways to support board effectiveness and engagement. The briefs deliver concise, actionable content to help boards navigate complex challenges and lead with clarity and purpose. You can track their releases through a new dashboard on the report's site. Check it out today!

Resilience High Point Launches Stitching Stories Reimagined Series!

As part of their compassion effort, Resilience High Point, one of One Sector, One Voice Triad's fellow backbone organizations, is hosting the Stitching Stories Reimagined exhibit in partnership with the High Point Public Library from January 12 to February 18th from 9:00am to 4:30pm daily. Stitching Stories was originally a 25-foot-long prison awareness quilt, crocheted by women incarcerated at North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women as they survived COVID in prison. The Arise Collective received funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a HandsOn Funding Partner, to transform the quilt into a permanent and durable art installation that is traveling alongside the original quilt to spark community engagement and dialogue with and about challenges and issues related to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. Female incarceration rates are on a steep incline and the roots of incarceration reach deeply into every community.

Opening Ceremony, Morgan Room High Point Public Library Monday, January 12, 2026 2:45 pm. Local dignitaries and the community will be invited to celebrate the arrival of the traveling art exhibit to High Point. Refreshments will be served after remarks and the ribbon cutting.

Cider & Cookies, Post MLK Day Parade, High Point Public Library Sunday, January 18, 3:00 pm. As the MLK Day parade wraps up we will serve warm cider and cookies to capture the attention of parade attendees and encourage them to view the art exhibit.

Compassion Quilt Workshop, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1:00 – 4pm. January 20-22, Morgan Room High Point Public Library. Community members will have the opportunity to make a quilt block with the help of volunteers to become part of the Compassion Quilt that will be displayed upon completion at the Library. Each quilt block will be designed by the participant from precut fabrics to send a caring message. This is a free event but registration is requested to ensure enough volunteers are on hand to assist participants. Register here.

Compassion Workshop - Re-Entry Simulation & Lunch, Boys and Girls Club, 314 Barker Ave, Friday, January 30, 9:45 am – 1:00 pm. Community members will experience the hurdles faced by individuals returning to their community after imprisonment. The workshop is a realistic portrayal of the systemic barriers to beginning anew in a community. We will discuss what we learned with each other during lunch. Free event but preregistration is required. Register here.

Compassion Workshop- Lunch & Panel Presentation, Morgan Room, HP Public Library, Friday February 6, Noon.  Join us for lunch, a short film, and a forthright discussion of the real costs of incarceration to communities and families. Our panel consists of educators, formerly incarcerated women, and those currently working to help formerly incarcerated women succeed. Register here.

Margaret Collins Steps Down as ED for the Center for Creative Economy

Margaret Collins, the Founder and long-time Executive Director of the Center for Creative Economy, has been a member of our network and a key player in our local entrepreneurial ecosystem since CCE was founded 15 years ago. At the end of December, she transitioned to a new role as Founder and Consultant.

As she stated in one of her final emails as ED, "Together with entrepreneurs, mentors, facilitators, donors, board members, and partners, we built programs, trust, and momentum. We helped shape Winston-Salem and the Triad into a place where creative businesses can take root and grow, and we earned recognition far beyond our region."

In late November, Margaret was featured in a interview in "Side by Side with Nido Qubien" on PBS North Carolina. While we look forward to continuing to work with Margaret in her new role, we anticipate the hiring of a new Executive Director as the board begins its search process this month.

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114 W. 30th St, Suite 600, Winston-Salem, NC 27105

phone: 336.724.2866

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