OneSource Center Nonprofit News

July 2024

It's That Time!

OneSource Center's Annual Toys for Tots/Summer Giveaway event is almost here, or as some of our members fondly refer to it, "Christmas in Summer".

This is an enjoyable, weekend opportunity for your clients to bring their kids to pick out two new toys each and use their vouchers for needed items in the Common Good Store.

Don't wait for Santa, come early on Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and have some fun with us!

~Together We Build a Thriving Community for All~

Christie's Reflections

Summer is in full-swing and the kids are out of school. I remember days from my youth of playing outdoors from morning to night. Today's youth seem to be more interested in devices and being indoors. This prompted the Marines Toys for Tots program to introduce "Unplug and Play" during the pandemic. Now in its 4th year, we again have an opportunity to receive and distribute thousands of toys! Look for member agencies toy distributions around town this summer.

One opportunity for toys will be at OneSource Center in July. We will be open and giving away toys to children 2-16 at our Summer Fun Give-Away event all morning on July 20. See the news blurb below for more information. It will be more than just toys that are given away, and this is a great opportunity for your agency's clients to use vouchers to shop in the Common Good Store. Join us for a morning of fun and excitement!

But that's not all—our commitment to children's development goes beyond just play. "Children are our future" are not just lyrics of a song, but rather a reminder of the real challenge agencies face in developing young minds to be the leaders of tomorrow. We are excited to announce the launch of our new Child Literacy Circle, a collaborative group dedicated to supporting the agencies working with these young minds. Learn more about this initiative in the article below, as we kick off another collaborative group to support the agencies working with these young minds.

Additionally, we are thrilled to share that we have received a grant from the Dater Foundation to support agencies working with children. Together, we can ensure that agencies have the resources they need to strengthen their work with children and youth.

Mark your calendars for July 20 9:00 to noon and join us for the Summer Fun Give-Away event!

WELCOME CAROLINE TANNER!

OneSource Center is excited to welcome Caroline Tanner as its new Director of Development and Marketing. Caroline brings 18 years of experience in the nonprofit world, focusing on marketing, fundraising, event planning, membership, and volunteer development.

Caroline and her family are new to Cincinnati, having recently moved from Pinehurst, NC. She is enthusiastic about meeting members and becoming active in the local community. Caroline looks forward to contributing to OneSource's growth and success, leveraging her skills and experience to enhance the organization's impact

In her free time, Caroline enjoys exploring the city and trying new restaurants, cheering on FC Cincinnati, traveling, watching her daughter play volleyball and compete in equestrian competitions, gardening, and decorating her home with new finds from HomeGoods.  

Join us in welcoming Caroline!

NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IS OFFICIALLY A PART OF ONESOURCE CENTER!

This month, OneSource Center has officially incorporated the popular EXCEL and ADVANCE leadership development programs into our training services. Additionally, the BUILD program (formerly Young Nonprofits) has been added to the NLI offerings.

Visit our new Nonprofit Leadership Institute pages on the OneSource Center website and give a wink to it's dynamic new logo which represents the growth and "reaching for the stars" of those who invest in professional development for themselves and leaders within their organizations.

Is Your Team Sticky? 

How does your organization ensure that you, your executive team, and your most promising directors are the kind of leaders your staff wants to follow, not leave? Perhaps the answer is to join us for the 2024-25 EXCEL leadership program!

The EXCEL program is a nine-month leadership development and skills training program via The Nonprofit Leadership Institute of Greater Cincinnati (NLI) for nonprofit executive directors and those reporting directly to them. This program is designed to nurture the capabilities of those individuals leading or preparing to lead nonprofit organizations in our region.

Consider the positive marks EXCEL grads give this legacy leadership program:

"The content was all helpful and impactful; the networking and relationships that were formed throughout will have a lasting impact on me personally and professionally. I really enjoyed the strengths based leadership and the EI inventory, as well as access to individualized coaching."

"Great program- it was like my entire nonprofit graduate program summed up in a crash course!" 

“Overall, I am much more confident. The shift in my thinking EXCEL brought about has completely transformed how I interact with the other senior managers, as well as with my own staff.” 

There are still spots available for the EXCEL 2024 Fall Cohort so don't delay enrolling your top leadership talent!

Does Your Organization Have a New Board Chair or Treasurer?

OneSource Center has recorded Lunch and Learn sessions that are terrific resources for your new officers to help them prepare for their new roles.  Each video is approximately one hour in length.  

New Board Chair On-Demand Webinar: Learn about leading your board in effective board governance to ensure a well-run agency with high impact and to develop a successful and productive partnership with your Executive Director. 

New Board Treasurer On-Demand Webinar: Get a better understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a Board Treasurer and the Finance Committee. Discussion on the differences between for profit and nonprofit financial statements and tax filings; review separation of duties and oversight plus additional responsibilities. 

NONPROFIT TREND: CHILD LITERACY

We’ve all heard the phrase “it takes a village.” Nonprofits dedicated to child literacy help ensure that all children can read and write, but their impact can be amplified exponentially through collaborative partnerships. Through collaboration, those of us working in the child literacy space can pool resources, share expertise, and reach more children, creating a more liberated and empowered future for us all.

One of the most significant [and measurable] benefits of effective collaboration is the ability to share resources. Many child literacy nonprofits operate on limited budgets, relying heavily on donations and grants. Through mutually beneficial partnerships, organizations can combine their financial resources, enabling them to afford more durable materials, higher quality training, and more modern technology. For example, one nonprofit might have an excellent library of educational materials, while another might have a strong network within CPS . Together, they can create a comprehensive program that neither could achieve alone.

Partnerships allow nonprofits to expand their reach. Through collaboration instead of competition, organizations ensure that their literacy programs are reaching a broader audience. This is particularly important in rural or underserved areas where resources are scarce. A collaborative approach can bring together urban-based organizations with those working in remote regions, ensuring that children everywhere have access to quality literacy education.

OneSource Center currently has two opportunities for child literacy organizations to deepen their impact through effective collaboration:

First, we are launching a Child Literacy Peer Circle. This will be a facilitator-organized space for nonprofit leaders of Childhood Literacy nonprofits to build relationships, nurture trust, and develop collaborative action plans. We will have both digital and in-person engagement opportunities.

Second, we have grant funding available to support business development partnerships between two Childhood Literacy organizations. This will include consulting services on negotiation agreements, MOUs, and capacity-building contracts.

If interested in one or more of these opportunities, please reach out to Amanda Lynn Barker, VP of Consulting Services at OneSource Center, for more information. 

Those amazing vouchers!

We hope your clients are finding great value and the essentials they need for themselves and their families at the Common Good Store through use of the vouchers that are a primary benefit of your OneSource Center membership.

Please note: Vouchers you've received in the first half of 2024 have expired, so if you anticipate distributing more vouchers to your clients, or if you are a member who has not yet received vouchers, now is the time! Please submit an application so we can issue/reissue you new vouchers.

Also note: Vouchers issued in 2024 need to be used by the end of the year, so make sure that your clients are taking full advantage of this investment you've made in them.

For questions regarding vouchers, reach out to Erin Long.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: WAVE FOUNDATION

OneSource member WAVE Foundation is on a mission to inspire and foster environmental stewards of aquatic life through education, conservation, and volunteerism.

WAVE Foundation, historically housed behind the scenes at Newport Aquarium, is experiencing tremendous growth and demand for programming. With the guidance of OneSource Center Consultant Dennis Watson through strategic planning, our Board of Directors recognized the need for WAVE to have space for onsite classrooms, offices, and storage. Because our work with Dennis, in Fall 2024, WAVE’s Education Center will open at Newport on the Levee. A Grand Opening and 25th Anniversary Celebration, is planned for Friday, October 24, 2024...get your tickets now!

A new space means additional furniture, equipment and supplies will be needed. WAVE Executive Director Tricia Watts says, “Given our limited budget and their ever-changing selection, OneSource Center is a vital resource for acquiring all of the items we need for the Education Center”.  

In partnership with Newport Aquarium, WAVE educates about conservation using STEM based curriculums bringing the WOW! factor to the program with live aquatic animals. Many of the children in WAVE’s programs have never visited the ocean, or even an aquarium. WAVE takes the ocean to the classroom and the local library. The opportunity to smell saltwater for the first time, touch an urchin or a shark, or even meet a penguin creates an unforgettable learning experience.

Learn about what WAVE Foundation is doing for the community here. And to help support their conservation efforts, considering Adopting a Fishy Friend.

Greater Cincinnati's Green Umbrella Climate Collaborative has proposed the use of Inflation Reduction Act funds to build large solar panel arrays for Greater Cincinnati nonprofits. The City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden have already shown how successful such projects can be. This project will also offer jobs in solar which will pay the prevailing wages in this growing industry.

Green Umbrella invites more organizations to join hands in this sustainable journey, creating a powerful impact on our community and environment. You can help by going to www.Green-Cinninnati.com and vote for this wonderful opportunity for nonprofits to go carbon-neutral.

AmeriCorps Public Ally positions are open for those looking to explore a career in the nonprofit sector.

Public Allies serve a full-time, 10-month apprenticeship at a local nonprofit organization, participate in professional and personal development trainings, and complete a team service project that focuses on one of the neighborhoods in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Public Allies can then use their new leadership skills to help strengthen their placement organization, as well as connect to leaders and organizations in the community to help address real issues.

Visit https://publicallies.org/be-an-ally/ to complete an application. Contact: fredae@publicallies.org or bricem@publicallies.org with any questions or concerns.

The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio has released their updated State of Black Cincinnati: The Journey to Parity report. 

This report focuses on data from 2015 to 2023 to shed light on the equities and inequities that impact our community and challenge our efforts to achieve racial parity in the Greater Cincinnati region.

CLICK HERE to download the report.

Level-Funded Health Health Insurance Options

In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in the way employers provide health insurance for their employees. Traditional plans are being replaced by level-funded health plans. While not a fit for every agency, it can be a good option for those that qualify. Learn more about this option in this PHP article which explains the What and Why of level funded plans.

To learn more about the plan offered to OneSource Center premium members, contact Nick Beatty at Assured Partners. 

Here To Help With Your Big Project!

Barnes Dennig is closing their doors for a full day on October 25 and sending their team out into the community to work with great non-profits like yours on their Annual Outreach Day.

Nominations are open through July 26—Nominate your project here.

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month!

• July 10 CPL: Grants Research Lab
• July 16 CPL: Introduction to Proposal Writing
• July 17 CPL: Advanced Funder Research Lab
• July 18 LC: Cost-Saving Incentives for Energy Upgrades for Nonprofits
• July 19 GCF: Environmental Beautification RFP Deadline
• July 26 GCF: Safety Net RFP Deadline
• July 31 Duke Energy Nature Grant Deadline
• August 1 L&L Nippert Foundation Grant Deadline
• August 1 PNC Charitable Trusts Deadline
• August 1 Sutphin Foundation Grant Deadline
• August 7 Giving USA Report (Virtual)
• August 15 The David C. Herriman Fund LOI Deadline
• August 15 Warren County Discretionary Grant deadline
• August 20-21 Crossroads World Impact Summit
• August 21 Quarterly Employment Webinar Series Session #3