Why should our community prioritize nonprofit support?
Nonprofits have the specialized knowledge and passion to lead positive change in our community, but they need more capacity to fully engage in the type of work that can bring about lasting systemic change. One of the most important ways we can fuel nonprofits is by helping leaders develop skills to grow their organizations and deliver on their missions more effectively.
The State of Fairfield County’s Nonprofit Community
How is FCCF bringing people together to fix this problem?
As a trusted and experienced resource for Fairfield County organizations, and the largest nonprofit capacity-builder in the region, our Center for Nonprofit Excellence offers training and support at low or no cost to hundreds of nonprofit leaders, staff, board members and volunteers annually. With your help, our Center for Nonprofit Excellence Fund invests in programs that:
Increase Nonprofit Impact
We are connecting more organizations to best practice workshops at low or no cost, helping to make their operations more effective and efficient.
Support Leaders of Color
We are expanding our Leaders of Color Capacity-Building Program to provide one-on-one coaching, workshops, webinars, and networking activities to more leaders who are closely connected to the communities they serve.
Foster Equity Work
Through our Fairfield County Equity Lab, we connect nonprofit staff and boards with training and programs that support their organizational efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Attract a Skilled Workforce
We are launching a Wellness Center to help nonprofits attract and maintain a diverse and healthy workforce by offering programs focusing on holistic health, work-life balance and more.
How can I get involved?
Want to move Fairfield County forward by strengthening our nonprofit sector? Here are three ways you can help ensure that nonprofit organizations get the support they need to bring about positive change.
DONATE
Contribute to the Center for Nonprofit Excellence Fund to help fuel our work in this area.
STAY INFORMED
Join our email list to receive information on Fairfield County nonprofits and how you can make a difference.
ADVOCATE
Write to lawmakers, speak at public meetings, and talk to friends and neighbors about the importance of supporting Fairfield County nonprofits.
To learn more about how you can help strengthen the region’s nonprofit sector and how the Community Foundation can help amplify your impact, contact Rebecca Cordero, CNE Manager, at RCordero@FCCFoundation.org or call (203) 750-3238
DIG DEEPER
Learn more about past & current projects
Learn about projects that have helped Fairfield County nonprofits amplify their impact.
We are building the capacity and effectiveness of Fairfield County nonprofits, with a focus on strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) best practices.
Started in 2009, our Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) works to support local nonprofits in becoming stronger and more effective. CNE offers chances for nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers to learn, get better at what they do, work together, and make a bigger impact on the communities they serve. A majority of CNE’s workshop participants are from women-led organizations with budgets of less than $500,000, and fewer than 10 employees.
From 2009 to 2023, CNE has helped an average of 430 people each year through free and low-cost workshops, coaching, leadership training, fundraising support, and chances to connect with others. In 2019, CNE also started offering training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) best practices for nonprofits. Over three years, more than 350 people took part in these training sessions.
In 2014, CNE started Fairfield County’s Giving Day as an annual 24-hour online fundraising event to help local nonprofits raise funds and awareness. Training, support, and an online platform was provided to participating nonprofits. Tens of thousands of people donated each year, raising more than $15 million in total for local nonprofits from 2014 to 2023.
In 2022, CNE began partnering with the United Way of Western Connecticut to host an online training series called Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management. In the first year, over 100 professionals took part in the series to learn and connect.
We are strengthening the leadership of nonprofit organizations through professional development training, communities of practice, and peer learning – with a focus on grassroots organizations and organizations led by people of color. We are also seeking to grow the pipeline of nonprofit leaders of color in the region.
To support the specific needs of leaders of color, CNE has developed tailored networking, peer learning and multi-year capacity building programs that have served almost 100 leaders since September 2022. We also provide targeted training for nonprofit leaders of color through the highly-regarded Leading for Change program offered by our partner Five Frogs, Inc. A dozen leaders joined this professional development program in 2022. A survey showed that the number of participants who felt they were “effective or highly effective” at getting people to work together for the same goals increased from 56 percent to 91 percent after program completion.
In 2022, CNE teamed up with Resilia to help nonprofits led by or serving BIPOC communities. Resilia offers a hub of online resources, peer learning and coaching sessions that guide leaders to make plans that fit their nonprofit’s unique goals. Every year, we provide 25 nonprofits with free access to Resilia’s resources.
Our annual Susan M. Ross Leadership Institute is a two-day workshop that empowers and inspires nonprofit leaders through presentations and facilitated conversations with industry experts. Institute programs focus on equity in the workplace and community-centric leadership.
Our Board Chair Roundtable provided a space for nonprofit board chairs from different nonprofits to participate in frank discussions and learn about how they can effectively engage board members to achieve goals, and manage challenges such as executive transitions. Over five years, 70 board chairs from 54 Fairfield County nonprofits participated in this program.
Our Executive Leadership Program provided monthly coaching and peer-learning sessions for executive directors of nonprofits that received grants from the Community Foundation. Over six years, 63 executive directors completed this program successfully.
In 2023, we held our inaugural Briggs Tobin Workshop on Board Effectiveness, which shared best practices for effective collaboration, conflict resolution with empathy, and successful fundraising and governance. The workshop was at full capacity with thirty board members taking part.
Through research, training and events that bring people together, we are expanding our nonprofit community’s knowledge about inequities in Fairfield County. We are also giving them information on how to advocate effectively and approach systems change.
We’re helping our nonprofit community drive policy changes and learn how to speak up for what’s right. We do this by bringing people together, doing research, and offering training. We have hosted events featuring nonprofit thought-leaders including Vu Lee, author of the blog NonprofitAF; Beth Kanter, author, trainer and facilitator; and Lucy Bernholz, research scholar at Stanford University and author of the blog, philanthropy2173.com.
