Earlier this week, over 350 nonprofit professionals participated – some from the Chamberlain Student Center at Rowan University and some from their own desks at home or in the office – in the South Jersey Nonprofit Summit. Hosted by the Non-Profit Development Center of Southern New Jersey (NPDCSNJ) in collaboration with dozens of other supporting organizations, the event was held as a crucial opportunity to explore how to build a collaborative infrastructure that will position South Jersey to become the most NPO-friendly region in the country by 2030.
You know what? It was great to be back. For many of us, it felt like a welcome return to pre-pandemic times.
We heard about successes in spite of the pandemic and notable trends in the sector. We listened to passionate leaders in the field share their insight about best practices and the power of collaboration. We celebrated the strength and impact of the network of South Jersey nonprofit professionals. The energy in the room, the energy of the online chat, the energy behind each moment of connection – it was a considerable step forward as we all continue to settle into our new post-pandemic normal.
Summit Advisory Committee Chair Mindy Holman’s words that we’re “all in the business of doing good” and that collaborating is the way for us all “to do good better” summarized the spirit of the day. That’s what hundreds of nonprofit professionals came together to do at the Summit, to better understand the strengths of and opportunities in the sector as well as learn from each other.
The day was full of shared knowledge and important dialogue. I considered what resonated the loudest. It was a challenge, but after careful reflection, the top three takeaways that were most meaningful to me were:
1. It’ll take a lot of hard work, but it will be worth it to shift, on a large-scale level, from the scarcity mindset to an abundance one. Andy Fraizer, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of South Jersey said it best, “There is abundance to be had.”
2. Real collaboration takes considerable investment (and time!), but it often leads to considerable return. This is particularly encouraging since the nonprofit sector represents nearly 10% of the statewide workforce.
3. The nonprofit sector in South Jersey is a force to be reckoned with.
To everyone on the planning committee, to NPDCSJ and all the supporting organizations, to the featured nonprofits that shared how they’ve been helping South Jersey flourish, to the funders that recognize how South Jersey nonprofit organizations provide vital service to our communities – thank you for a wonderful day of innovation and conversation. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
Angela (& Arianne too)