From the Desk of Diane Banks, Executive Director

It’s been said that innovation is born during a crisis.

The role of Advancing Macomb in supporting nonprofit organizations in Macomb County became even more critical during the pandemic. More than ever, nonprofit leaders needed resources and tools to help them survive this challenging time.

Advancing Macomb solved this challenge by developing the Advancing Macomb Nonprofit Roundtable; a monthly conversation held virtually to help connect Macomb County nonprofit organizations as they navigated through a maze of unknowns.

We began with 20 nonprofit leaders, representing organizations throughout Macomb County, with each participant providing an update on their organization and the challenges they faced.

In the early days, we focused on grants and ways to support each other.

Interest grew quickly, reinforcing our suspicion that there was an unmistakable need for nonprofit leaders throughout Macomb County to connect with each other more frequently and beyond the pandemic.

Today, the Advancing Macomb Nonprofit Roundtable is 80 organizations strong and still growing.

Advancing Macomb’s Nonprofit Roundtable meets virtually and in person, when possible, every other Wednesday at 1 p.m. Sessions typically include a presenter and a peer discussion during which leaders talk about what’s happening in their organization and where they need support. Topics vary, depending on need, and have included volunteer management, fundraising, workforce development and “meet the funder” sessions.

The sessions are part of our mission to cement partnerships in the nonprofit sector. Our goal is to help nonprofits build knowledge and organizational capacity.

Through our roundtable discussions, nonprofit leaders can seek/provide feedback, brainstorm solutions, learn new strategies and identify areas for collaboration to support the nonprofit infrastructure in Macomb County. It’s not uncommon to see nonprofits using their strengths to assist each other after these discussions.

This type of collaboration helps nonprofit leaders stay connected instead of going it alone.

If you are a nonprofit leader in Macomb County, we encourage you to join our mailing list to learn more about upcoming nonprofit roundtable sessions. There is no cost to attend these sessions. To register, please visit advancingmacomb.com/nonprofit-roundtable/.