Dear Friends & Supporters,

Our fearless leader and CEO, Christie Brown, is taking a well-deserved break with her family this week and is excited that it's opened an opportunity for two of our most inspirational partners to guest-author some fresh features in place of her monthly Reflections column. Different viewpoints and insights enrich our usual content, providing us with new ideas, approaches, and opinions that resonate with an even broader audience and showcase our community's collaborative spirit.

We hope that you enjoy the following reflections and musings by our dear friends Linda Neenan and Mike Moroski. If you do, please share your thoughts and feedback ...so many important conversations to start!



With Gratitude,



The OneSource Center Editorial Team

Long before I became a OneSource Center volunteer, I was a user…a user of OneSource services, that is.

iSPACE, the nonprofit I founded 23 years ago is still going strong thanks to the support we received from OneSource. When I retired from iSPACE in 2017, I knew I wanted to stay active, so it was a no-brainer for me to offer my services to the organization that helped my nonprofit succeed.

Like most nonprofits, iSPACE had needs that we could not resolve internally. Paying outside consultants and coaches was beyond our budget so we turned to OneSource Center who provided us with exceptional and affordable consulting services, training and coaching. OneSource also made it possible for us to furnish our offices and procure materials, equipment and other essentials for just pennies on the dollar through the Common Good Store and Marketplace.

OneSource now also “powers” the highly regarded Nonprofit Leadership Institute (NLI), which provides a myriad of leadership development training opportunities for all types and levels of nonprofits and their fearless leaders. You are likely familiar with EXCEL, the highly regarded nonprofit executive leadership development program and ADVANCE, the leadership development program for up-and-coming nonprofit leaders.

As the founder of a nonprofit who learned many lessons over years of bumbling, stumbling and banging my head against brick walls to ensure that it thrived, I felt I had something unique and important to share with fledgling nonprofits and their leaders. This realization led to the creation of BUILD, the NLI program that helps new nonprofits determine if their visions are viable and if they are, provides them with the basic knowledge, skills and support they need to begin building a solid foundation. BUILD rounds out OneSource’s continuum of essential training programs allowing regional nonprofits—large and small, new or established—to access training at their point of need. It is my hope that nonprofit visionaries who have the passion to start their own organizations will lean on BUILD to support them in their courageous and meaningful journeys.

I have loved every minute of working with the exceptional staff and volunteers at OneSource Center. The time, talent, and treasure I have invested in this organization has been repaid many times over as we work together to serve our region’s nonprofits.

MIKE'S MUSINGS

Hello, friends! If we haven't met yet, I'm the Executive Director of the Human Services Chamber of Hamilton County (HSC). Many of you are members, including OneSource Center! For those who are not, HSC works collaboratively with 100+ members on local policy change and initiatives that benefit those we serve. Our priority areas are housing, issues related to immigrants & refugees, mental health, local government funding, and issues impacting seniors & people with disabilities. All of that said, I'm honored for the opportunity to share with you the positive things I see happening in our nonprofit community.

Many of you took part or dove into the recent 2024 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report that the HSC spearheaded, OneSource Center and the Leadership Council for Nonprofits supported and the The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati knocked out of the park.

The power of this report is manifold, but its most profound impact is that it shows powerful local decision makers that we are ONE sector. All too often nonprofit agencies in our sector get segmented and/or pitted against one another when big systemic changes occur in our community from the top-down. The information in this report helps us to advocate as one sector for social change that benefits everyone. Not only does this report help us speak the same language as those who are most often at the table, but of those at the table who are amenable to partnering with us to drive change. In Cincinnati, we are fortunate to have many business and elected leaders who want to hear from us.

The nonprofit sector was born in the 1600s because governmental and commerce leaders knew they could not handle all the social ills rapidly facing them. As such, we should be seen as partners of government and business, not after-thoughts to clean up messes that have been unintentionally or intentionally created. When all our region’s sectors work together powerful things can happen and society can move forward more expeditiously for everyone.

I have great hope that this can happen.

Greater Cincinnati's nonprofit community is one group of diverse and unique organizations run by the smartest and kindest people I have ever met. We should be proud of that. And we should be proud of one another and support one another. If we do that, then there is no limit to what we can accomplish.



NEWS YOU CAN USE



OneSource Center is proud to announce our partnership with VIE Ability, the nonprofit community's one-stop-shop for office supplies, janitorial, breakroom and mailroom necessities.Your OneSource membership offers your nonprofit discounted pricing on their already competitive rates.

VIE Ability is proudly operated by the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CABVI) which is a local, non-profit, mission-based agency that provides meaningful employment for over 4,000 blind and visually impaired people in the Cincinnati area.

Call today for more information at 513-487-4515 or sign up online.

OneSource Center is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations delivering on their missions to meet the needs of our community. Our Common Good Voucher Program is designed to support agencies that provide essential household and personal items to individuals in need through their programs.

Your basic OneSource membership gives you access to 20 vouchers each calendar year. Premium members receive 50 vouchers and may request even more if they are available. To apply for vouchers and/or membership please reach out to Erin Long.

IT Roundtable

Friday, September 20, 2024

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Attention HR AI Beginners & Skeptics!

Reduce your HR headaches around AI use. Join us at our IT roundtable to learn how to use AI for HR. Gain insight into effective AI utilization in candidate screening and other vital HR practices. Participate in real-world scenarios to refine your AI prompting skills and walk away with our 5-step Prompt Engineering Guide.

Click Here to Register

Introduction to Proposal Writing

September 10, 2024

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

Virtual Class; Free

Introduction to Proposal Writing offers tips and techniques in successful grant proposal writing for nonprofit organizations, including what goes into a successful proposal, how the material is organized, and how to present proposals to grant makers in ways designed to promote a positive response. Registration required.

Register Here

BUILD PROGRAM

Are you the leader of an emerging organization looking to establish a solid base of community support?

BUILD's dynamic 3-part workshop is designed to connect you with expert-level tools and strategies for gaining traction in fund development and community engagement. Each session is carefully crafted to provide you with practical insights and actionable steps that can be immediately applied to your organization.

This workshop is ideal for leaders of emerging organizations – whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your existing efforts, you’ll gain valuable insights and tools to support your mission.

If you'd like to chat with someone about the BUILD program, give us a call at 513-554-4944

Friday, October 18, 2024

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

5/3 Bank Atrium

38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH

Join us for our annual fundraiser celebrating OneSource’s impactful work with local nonprofits. This special evening will feature delicious food, refreshing drinks, and exciting auction. It's the perfect prelude before stepping outside to experience the magic of Blink. Don't miss out on this fantastic event.

We look forward to celebrating with you and making a difference together!

Enjoy complimentary parking.



NLI'S EMERGING LEADER AWARD WINNER:

CANDACE CREAR

OneSource Center and the Nonprofit Leadership Institute are thrilled to announce that Candice Crear, the founder and CEO of From Fatherless to Fearless, a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati that supports teenage girls with strained or absent father figures, has been awarded the prestigious Emerging Leader Award.

The purpose of this award is to create, nurture, and sustain an inclusive community that leverages the talents of executive nonprofit leaders who demonstrate multicultural awareness and advocacy in their work. In this spirit, Candice will have an honorary place in NLI's 2024-2025 EXCEL Executive Leadership Program.

Candice’s achievements reflect the core values of the EXCEL program: excellence, innovation, and leadership. As she incorporates EXCEL into her leadership journey, Candice will be better prepared to take on new challenges and opportunities, leveraging newfound skills and knowledge to create lasting positive change. Her innovative approach to leadership, coupled with her passion for empowering young women who haven't always had the support they need to thrive, makes her a standout participant in this year’s cohort.

Thank you Candice for all you do to make Greater Cincinnati a great community for us all!

BETTER TOGETHER SERIES: COLLABORATION WITH YOUR BOARD

How do you view your relationship with your Board of Directors? Is it a source of support or stress? Collaborative or critical? "All in" or not so engaged?

Come hear from a panel of nonprofit leaders about ways they work collaboratively with their boards to champion their mission and carry out their strategy, for big projects and every day.

Panelists

Amy Cheney, President & CEO, Crayons to Computers

Matthew David Gellin, Executive Artistic Director & CEO, American Legacy Theatre

Chara Fisher Jackson, Executive Director & CEO, Cincinnati Preschool Promise

Moderator

Jay Shatz, BOLD Program Director, Leadership Council for Nonprofits

Presented By

AFP of Cincinnati, Interact for Health, Leadership Council for Nonprofits, OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence and ProBono Partnership of Ohio

Date, Time & Location

Tuesday, September 24, 2024 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Greater Cincinnati Foundation, 720 E Pete Rose Way, Suite 120, Cincinnati, OH

9-9:30 AM Breakfast and Networking

9:30-10:30AM Panel Discussion

Questions? Reach out to Ev Coleman.

WHAT'S THE GOOD NEWS?

The daily grind of our collective work sometimes causes us to lose sight of why we do what we do and just how impactful our work can be. In the words of Mike Moroski of the Human Services Chamber: "We should be proud of one another and support one another. If we do that, then there is no limit to what we can accomplish." Hear hear!

In that spirit, OneSource Center would love to receive the good news happening at your agency, from successful community events to stories of clients who have risen above their challenges because of your support. Let's celebrate our work, our clients and our vibrant community together!

Email L-A Stopa with all the GOOD news that's fit to print...you may just see it in the next newsletter!

Workshops, Trainings & Grants Calendar

• September 6 Music & Medicine Conference
• September 10 Introduction to Proposal Writing
• September 12 Advanced Funder Research Lab
• September 19 2024 FotoFocus Biennial: Backstories
• September 19 The Ethical Nonprofit Summit
• September 24 Better Together Series: Collaboration With Your Board
• October 1 Butler Foundation grant deadline
• October 1 Fifth Third Foundation LOI opens
• October 1 PNC Charitable Trust application deadline 
• October 1 The Erma A. Bantz Foundation LOI Deadline
• October 9 23rd Annual Nonprofit Leadership Summit