Resources for Nonprofits in Maryland
We love sharing resources for nonprofits in Maryland – there are so many quality resources! This is Part 2 in our series. Thank you to our guest blogger Cara Fogarty, who is a Coordinator for the Charles County Nonprofit Institute at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM).
The Nonprofit Institute at CSM is Southern Maryland’s comprehensive resource for nonprofit organizations. We offer programming and consultations to enhance each nonprofit organization’s effectiveness and achieve success in fulfilling their missions. Retired CSM President Bradley Gottfried created the institute for a few reasons, one of which is his passion for nonprofits and the work they do. Another reason was to offer resources to the Southern Maryland area. His thought was to offer a free/low-cost resource that would meet the needs of a range of nonprofits in the region and housing it at a community college made sense.
We have a lot of programs designed to meet a nonprofit organization’s interests and needs, including:
- Monthly Executive Director learning circles and roundtables that bring leadership together to meet and discuss operational concerns and share lessons learned
- Affinity Groups for networking and sharing of ideas centered on volunteer coordination, fundraising, and marketing/public relations
- Volunteer SOMD – an online program for posting volunteer opportunities
- Training courses covering key areas of nonprofit leadership, management, strategic planning, fundraising and board development
- An annual conference that includes a keynote speaker and breakout sessions that encourage learning, sharing, and celebrating the successes of the nonprofit community
- Regular communications via a monthly e-newsletter and online announcements highlighting upcoming events
- Operational advice and insight in areas of leadership, management, marketing, communications and fundraising. Pro-bono services are available through the Professional Services Hub, a joint program of the Nonprofit Institute and Leadership Southern Maryland offering basic legal, accounting/financial, and insurance-related counsel from LSM alumni at no initial charge.
The Nonprofit Institute has two advisory councils, one each in St. Mary’s County and Charles County. Council membership reflects leadership in the nonprofit sector, business community, and local government. They offer guidance in planning and evaluating the Institute’s work.
Involvement in the Nonprofit Institute offers organizations opportunities that can lead to the following outcomes:
- Stronger boards
- More effective outreach
- Financial growth and stability
- An active pool of volunteers
- More effective management practices
- Engagement and support of colleagues
- Achievement of educational goals
- Effective staff
Our 9th Annual Conference was in February. It’s grown over the years and we had close to 150 people this year. Next year’s conference is Feb. 20, 2020.
We do all of this with two part-time staff members and a third person who works 10 hours a week!
For more information, please visit: https://www.csmd.edu/community/institutes/nonprofit-institute/
We love to share resources in our region! If you or your organization would like to be featured in Part 3 of our series, please email: christine@redstartcreative.com