The Selby Foundation views nonprofit organizations through a lens of the highest respect, understanding that their work is what shapes so much of what healthy communities are doing right.
As a member of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, we were honored to learn beside foundation and nonprofit friends from around the state in September at “Nonprofits Count: Meeting the Moment” in Winter Park.
We thought you would enjoy some highlights from three discussions that took place over the two-day meeting as we looked at opportunities in the present situation.
As CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, Diane Yentel’s message was hopeful: we can emerge stronger, with deeper impact because we stand up and advocate for our work and unite. She said, “When nonprofits show up, we demonstrate that Americans can still count on each other.” We may not know what our sector will look like when this moment ends, but the moment will end, and our sector will not look the same. But we can speak not to “defend ourselves but to define ourselves.”
Dawn Lockhart, the CEO of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida, said nonprofits should be doing four things at this time:
- Scenario planning
- Conducting revenue risk audits
- Granting permission NOT to start something new
- Making decisions that sustain the mission, not the organization
Speaker Amy Bonsall helps leaders and organizations create momentum in ambiguity. In her interactive session, she encouraged nonprofits to view uncertainty as an invitation to identify what matters most to their constituents (grantees, donors, community, etc.) Consider a “one day” or small project—not to test something else you can do—but something you can learn.
When presented with challenges, she said, finding an immediate solution is not always a good idea: designers seek inspiration. Consider how you might solve a challenge by looking at inspiration or design outside of the sector.
The inspiration—and the realities—each of these women brought to our experience was a reminder that innovation is driven by discomfort. When something can be better or something can be different, we make it possible.
At the Selby Foundation, we invest in nonprofits through capital grants because we know they need “stuff” to do the good work, whether it’s emerging technology, improved spaces, better equipment or buildings. What’s coming next for communities? We’ll all be part of creating it together—because we all can, and we all believe in access to opportunity.
Special thanks to the Florida Nonprofit Alliance for advocating for nonproifts in our state and bringing people together.
Photo: Susie Bowie, President & CEO, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation; Sabeen Perwaiz, President & CEO, Florida Nonprofit Alliance; Diane Yentel, President & CEO, National Council of Nonprofits