Dear Colleague,
When the world around us feels fast-moving, divided, and uncertain, our nonprofits are often the steady, trusted presence in our communities. That trust isn’t accidental or passive. It’s something we’ve built over decades through purpose, connection, service, and advocacy – and by pausing, especially in uncertain moments, to realign our work with our values. To make sure our advocacy reflects who we are, our management practices truly support our people, and our relationships sustain the work our communities count on.
Here’s to the steady, ongoing work and the leadership, courage, and care you bring to it every single day. |
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Advocacy As Core Work – Not Extra Work |
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Nonprofit educator and long-time Center partner Nancy Bacon recently wrote that 2026 must be the year nonprofits fully embrace advocacy as essential to mission success. She makes a compelling case that advocacy isn’t add-on work. It's how we protect our missions, our communities, and the systems that make our work possible. For nonprofit staff and board leaders, this means asking: |
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Are we equipping our board to understand its role in advocacy?
- Are we using our voice to represent the people we serve?
- Are we shaping policy conversations instead of reacting to them?
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Advocacy is how we move from responding to shaping what comes next. Unsurprisingly, AI can strengthen that advocacy. Not as a replacement for our voices – but to sharpen them. AI tools can help to: |
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Summarize legislation and policy updates quickly
- Draft talking points or board briefs
- Analyze community feedback or survey responses
- Tailor advocacy messages to different audiences
- Prepare rapid-response communications during emerging issues
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Used thoughtfully and ethically, AI can expand your advocacy capacity without taxing your staff. The key is keeping your values, lived experience, and community voice at the center.
All of that amounts to trust. And nonprofits are no stranger to intentionally holding and maintaining that public trust, especially in moments of polarization and uncertainty. The Communications Network’s Trust Playbook offers practical tools to help navigate disruption without sacrificing clarity or care — naming reality honestly, communicating across differences, and strengthening trust inside organizations and communities when it’s under strain.
Similarly, our sister association, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, calls organizations to center care, connection, and steady leadership in crisis communications. While developed in response to profoundly concerning immigration enforcement actions in their home state, their ally and solidarity resources can apply broadly to stay grounded in your values, communicate with steadiness, and center care for your community.
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Honor History & Strengthen Leadership |
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February invites us to pause and reflect during Black History Month. For nonprofits, it's an opportunity to recognize and respect the history, leadership, and lived experience that our staff, volunteers, board members, and community members bring into our organizations every day.
In honoring history, acknowledging systemic inequities, and intentionally creating space for diverse voices in decision-making, we strengthen our organizations from the inside out. This commitment shows up in how we: |
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- Build inclusive workplaces
- Compensate and develop staff equitably
- Elevate community voice in governance and advocacy
- Fundraise in ways that respect dignity and partnership
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We’re partnering on two learning series to support this work:
Re(Human)ized Resources Series: Inclusive HR Practices for Nonprofits follows the employee lifecycle – from hiring through development and retention – anchored in equity, emotional intelligence, and human-centered systems. The 5-part series from March 4-April 29 is designed to help nonprofit staff and board leaders build workplaces that reflect the dignity, history, and humanity of the people who power our missions. Register now.
As the funding landscape shifts, successful fundraising requires clarity, adaptability, and strong donor relationships. The Fundraising Series from March 4-18 begins with a discussion of the forces reshaping nonprofit fundraising, then explores impactful strategies including designing annual appeals, making bigger asks, assessing campaign readiness, and prospecting. Register now.
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Building Stronger Nonprofits Together |
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We don’t need to tell you – leading a nonprofit right now when so much changes so often takes a strong foundation, consistent management practices, and a community you can lean on. The Nonprofit Management Institute allows you to join fellow nonprofit executives, managers, and board leaders for a six-week, collaborative learning experience from April 7-May 12 to self-assess and dig into essential nonprofit management practices including board governance, program design and evaluation, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, and human resources. Register now to learn and connect with peers who truly understand the work.
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Member Benefit: Center Members save $200 on registration for the Nonprofit Management Institute! Join now during our 35th anniversary celebration to get $35 off your membership (with code 35OFF) plus the NPMI member rate.
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Civically Engaged, Mission-Aligned |
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We’re gearing up for our Nonprofit Policy Conversations, with the first event in Asheville on March 23. These in-person gatherings are a great way to get updates on current sector trends, explore key policy challenges and solutions, discuss the state and federal issues most affecting your nonprofit, and ask questions about legislative priorities and issues. Learn more and join us as we confirm more dates and locations.
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We’re excited to welcome Mary Kathryn Kimray to our team as executive project manager. She brings her knowledge of executive-level support and operational excellence to the nonprofit space, serving our Center President as well as coordinating projects and initiatives across our org. Born, raised, and still living in NC, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling (pictured here with her family on their latest trip to London), attempting to complete a paint-by-number kit, and attend as many NC State sporting events as possible!
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| With Valentine’s Day this month and National NGO Day on February 27, it’s a great time to lift up and acknowledge the work nonprofits do every day.
The National Council of Nonprofits has shared its #NonprofitsGetItDone toolkit for organizations to feature the impact of nonprofits in our communities and throughout our sector. Join in to share stories and celebrate the ways your nonprofit shows up. |
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We appreciate the support of these businesses with new listings in Business Finder, our online directory of businesses and consultants that work specifically with nonprofits. |
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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. |
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Not a Member? If you're like many nonprofit leaders, you’re committed to your mission but often pulled in a dozen directions with limited resources. We get it. That's why we provide trusted guidance, tools, and support tailored to the challenges nonprofits face – so that you can lead with confidence and create lasting impact in your community. JOIN NOW during our 35th anniversary celebration and use discount code 35OFF to save $35 off your membership!
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