About the Nonprofit Institute

The Nonprofit Institute provides support and training for our vital nonprofit organizations who serve the many needs and interests of our community. The Institute seeks to enhance the effectiveness of nonprofits through the provision of training, networking, and consultation services for nonprofit leaders, their staffs, board members, and volunteers.

Role of the Nonprofit Institute

The Nonprofit Institute exists for the sole purpose of helping nonprofit organizations,serving the community, grow stronger. Major goals:

• Determine the size, scope, and diversity of the nonprofit sector to gain a reliable picture of the nature and range of its needs and interests.
• Provide a variety of seminars, workshops, training programs, and conferences for board members, staff, and volunteers.
• Work directly with specific organizations in areas of organizational governance, fundraising, marketing, and management.
• Serve as a clearinghouse of information specific to nonprofit concerns, ranging from the board’s role and legal requirements to organizational assessment, leadership development, policy development, fundraising, fiscal management, communications, employment, and volunteer use.
• Identify professional resources in the community that are able to provide pro bono or reduced-cost assistance.
• Promote greater public understanding of the community benefits provided by the nonprofit sector.
• Maintain an up-to-date snapshot of the nonprofit community.

A Vibrant Local Community

One of a community's finest assets is its wide array of nonprofit organizations joined in a common purpose: to help improve the quality of life for residents.

Nonprofit organizations do this in myriad ways, depending on their chosen missions. Some address the needs of children, others of senior citizens. Some focus on broad issues pertaining to health, housing, or job training, while others tackle specialized problems such as illiteracy or animal rescue. Still others enhance the role of arts in the community, protect the natural environment, safeguard historic legacy, provide educational services, or promote sports and recreation. It is a rich mix, and it is hard to imagine a community without it.

In today’s world, operating a nonprofit organization can be a daunting challenge. Nonprofit leaders have to keep up with arapidly changing environment marked not only by technological change but also by greater regulation and increased competition. Often, they have to figure out how to stretch limited financial and human resources to meet growing needs. Throughout the nonprofit sector, sustainability over the long haul is an understandable concern.

Whatever its challenges, the nonprofit sector not only enhances quality of life but also contributes importantly to the area’s economic health. In Charles County alone, nonprofits provide jobs for over 2,000 people. Throughout the region, the nonprofit sector plows its charitable income back into the community for the community’s betterment.