Welcome to Our New President & CEO

We’re excited to welcome Ivan Canada as our Center president & CEO!

Ivan joined our staff team at the end of February with longstanding experience and familiarity with North Carolina's nonprofits – he’s served as a staff member, volunteer, consultant, and board member with many organizations, especially in his Triad community.

Ivan takes the lead on the inclusive work the Center’s been doing around the state and on behalf of nonprofits – check out our impact in the 2022-23 Annual Report – and looks forward to getting to know our members, partners, and supporters and furthering the Center’s vision for a stronger and more equitable sector.

Keep Up the Good Work

Kudos, nonprofits! Your voter education and engagement efforts make a true difference. That’s backed by what nonprofits already know – our orgs are trusted and reliable resources in our communities – and Nonprofit VOTE's new Nonprofit Power report that explores nonprofits’ tremendous effect at ‘building a democracy that truly reflects the country.’

Overall, voter turnout increases by roughly 10% among voters engaged by nonprofits compared to those not engaged by nonprofits. In-depth case studies further illuminate the impact nonprofits have in closing voter participation gaps among people of color, low income voters, young voters, and voters with disabilities. This data shows that it's particularly important for organizations to be consistent advocates at the local, state, and federal levels so policy change is not only ongoing but positively integrated into how we all live, work, and play.

In addition to helping NC nonprofits hone nonpartisan ways to advocate, we’re also inviting nonprofit staff, board members, partners, and elected officials to gather and talk about the current public policies, issues, and solutions affecting your organizations and communities. Join us for the Nonprofit Policy Conversation in your area.

Spruce Up Your 990

If your nonprofit operates on a fiscal calendar year, then you know the May filing deadline for IRS Form 990 is approaching. While it’s an important financial requirement for most nonprofits, also consider its storytelling power. Because of best practices and public transparency, your 990 is available on GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and other reliable sites where you have the opportunity to highlight what you do and why it matters for current and potential donors, volunteers, and maybe even future staff members. 

Form 990 is one of many annual requirements that nonprofits check off. So, we’ve done the homework on the what, why, and how for compliance rules and laws for nonprofits in North Carolina - download this checklist to make it easier for your organization to keep track.

Join the Conference Program Committee

Do you have learning and networking ideas to share? Are you a planner at heart? We’re looking for folks to be part of our conference program committee for the 2024 Conference for NC Nonprofits. Committee members will help select breakout sessions and design other programming elements for the October 22-23 event. Learn more and submit an interest form.

We’d also love your input on three things to get our conference planning kickstarted - take this quick survey.

Get Your Board on Board

As we’re inviting nominations for our board of directors (there’s still time to nominate yourself or another community member by tomorrow, March 22!), we’re also planning ahead to make the most of our board onboarding experience. Here are helpful tips we’ve adopted ourselves.

• Intentionally welcome new board members. We personally welcome each new board member, then introduce them to our members and supporters.
• Create and update a board orientation manual. Our board orientation materials are as comprehensive as our staff orientation materials because we expect board members to be equally as informed and vested. We share materials digitally prior to our ‘in-person’ orientation. Materials typically include: our history, mission, vision, and values; staff and board structure; board roles, responsibilities, committees, and recent meeting minutes; current strategic plan, progress, and results; bylaws, personnel policies, and succession plan; budget comparisons, recent audit, and annual report; resource development overview, quarterly reports, and donor lists; overviews of member benefits and services, signature programs, and current initiatives and training; public policy agenda; and quick facts and impact of the nonprofit sector.
• Host a face-to-face orientation. Our board gathers in-person (with virtual options) to meet new members, highlight details from the board manual, and talk in-depth about board culture, performance, roles and responsibilities, and answer questions.
• Designate board buddies. Experienced board members volunteer to ‘buddy up’ with each new board member for their first year on the Center’s board. This relationship helps new members feel comfortable asking questions, get acquainted with and understand the board’s culture, and learn about the Center. The experienced buddy also serves as a liaison between the new board member and board chair if there are any concerns.

What We’re Reading

• Reaching year-end fundraising goals is built on cultivating a community and strong donor relationships.
• Diversity is more than a box to check when recruiting new board members.
• The overhead myth is further busted in support of fair funding for mission and impact.
• There are so many ways to appreciate the volunteers at the heart of your work during National Volunteer Month (April).

Upcoming Training

• Nonprofit Management Institute, April 2-May 7
• Fayetteville Nonprofit Policy Conversation, April 15
• Empowering Impact: Harnessing AI for Nonprofits, April 18
• Wilmington Nonprofit Policy Conversation, April 19
• Neuroinclusive Employment: Creating Workplaces for People with All Kinds of Brains to Thrive, April 23
• Crafting Compelling Messages to Attract Donors, April 25
• Triangle Nonprofit Policy Conversation, April 26
• Charlotte Nonprofit Policy Conversation, May 20
• The Trainer Academy (on-demand, 16-session course)
• The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint: Your Step-by-Step Roadmap and Build-It-Yourself Toolkit for Crafting an A+ Proposal (on-demand, 8-session course)
• Bookmark the Nonprofit Calendar for ongoing training and events

Thank You, Supporters!

We appreciate the support of these new businesses in Business Finder, our online directory of businesses and consultants that work specifically with nonprofits. Check them out and learn how to purchase a listing.

Welcome, New Members!

We appreciate the members of our growing nonprofit network. Your support and partnership make it possible for us to educate, connect, and advocate for and with nonprofits across North Carolina.

Nonprofit Connections is the monthly newsletter of nonprofit news, trends, and resources from the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

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