Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nonprofit Montgomery? What is its history? What is it trying to achieve? If you have questions about Nonprofit Montgomery, or are just trying to better understand our mission, then check out this FAQ.

Nonprofit Montgomery!
.…collective strength, visibility, and influence for a just and caring community

What is it? Why Should I be Involved?

Why Should the Nonprofit Sector in Montgomery County Seek to Build its Collective Strength, Visibility and Influence at this Time?

Montgomery County is still one of the wealthiest counties in the United States - but it is also now the most diverse county within the State of Maryland. This new Montgomery County is a very different place from the primarily white, bedroom community that many in the Greater Washington region, and the nation, still imagine.

Just as the new Montgomery County is growing, the County’s nonprofit sector is changing. A sector led primarily by a relatively small number of large anchor agencies is evolving into a complex system of small and large, emerging and established organizations carrying out many different missions in an array of diverse communities.

The new Montgomery County and its resulting fast growing and diverse nonprofit sector have created momentum that makes it timely to bring nonprofit leaders together “to build the collective strength, visibility and influence of the County’s nonprofit sector in order to create a just and caring community.”

What Led to the Interest in Developing Nonprofit Montgomery!?

From 2004 to 2006, “thought leaders” within the Montgomery County nonprofit community, including Sally Rudney (Montgomery County Community Foundation), Frankie Blackburn (IMPACT Silver Spring), Theresa Cameron (Arts and Humanities Council), Cindy Price (YMCA Youth and Family Services), Becky Wagner (Community Ministry of Montgomery County), and Jayne Park (Asian Pacific American Legal Resources Center) and many other nonprofit leaders, worked through the Nonprofit Action Team (NPAT) and the Learning Circle to forge a vision of building the nonprofit sector’s collective voice within the county.

The Learning Circle, led by the Montgomery County Community Foundation, brought together leaders from nonprofits, government, corporate and private philanthropy, and the nonprofit technical assistance community. The Learning Circle presented its recommendations to county government, philanthropy and the nonprofit community in November 2006. These recommendations remain important guideposts for action across the nonprofit, philanthropic, and government sectors.

The leaders of both NPAT and the Learning Circle came together in January 2007 to create a small Formation Team to oversee the implementation of the Learning Circle recommendations and the creation of a countywide nonprofit sector organizing effort recommended in the Learning Circle report.

There were two previous efforts in the county several years ago to create a nonprofit sector organizing effort, but both were short-lived due to a number of factors. At this moment, the energy, momentum and support seem to be in place to make this third effort a successful one.

Is Nonprofit Montgomery! the same thing that used to be called the Montgomery County Nonprofit Sector Initiative or the Montgomery County Nonprofit Roundtable?

Yes it is. Our original idea was to wait until many more nonprofit leaders were involved to develop a formal name. But in the meantime, terms like ‘initiative” and “roundtable” were confusing. So we have come up with a name – Nonprofit Montgomery! – that we think conveys the energy and excitement in Montgomery County’s nonprofit sector today.

What Is The Mission of Nonprofit Montgomery!?

The mission of Nonprofit Montgomery! is to build the collective strength, visibility and influence of the nonprofit sector in Montgomery County in order to create a just and caring community.

What type of organization is envisioned for Nonprofit Montgomery!?

The goal is not to create a new 501(c) 3 or a new membership organization, but instead to build an ever-expanding viral network of nonprofits, nonprofit coalitions, foundations, and nonprofit technical assistance providers. We believe this network will enable individual nonprofits and nonprofit leaders to view themselves as part of a larger community of nonprofits tackling issues that affect all Montgomery County residents.

Nonprofit Montgomery! physically resides at the Montgomery County Community Foundation and operates under the fiscal sponsorship of and in partnership with the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.

The leaders of NPAT and the Learning Circle melded their efforts into Nonprofit Montgomery! in early 2007. In 2005, NPAT sponsored a Funding EXPO that was well received by nonprofits throughout the county, especially smaller organizations. Nonprofit Montgomery!, building on the work of NPAT, sponsored a second Funding EXPO in July 2007. We constantly refer back to the recommendations of the Learning Circle as we work with county government, philanthropy, business and nonprofits.

What is Nonprofit Montgomery doing right now?

In its early formative stage, Nonprofit Montgomery! has, through discussions with nonprofit leaders across the county, identified an Action Agenda under each of the elements of its mission for 2007-2008. Specific outcomes have been assigned to each task so that Nonprofit Montgomery! is accountable to the larger community. These outcomes are described in detail in a separate document, Nonprofit Montgomery! 2007-2008 Outcomes, which is available by contacting MaryAnn Holohean (maholohean@nonprofitroundtable.org)

Collective Strength

2007-2008 Action Agenda

1. Demonstrate an increase in collective action by the Montgomery County nonprofit sector

2. Develop the initial stages of a lasting and effective viral network of nonprofits that is both collaborative and catalytic

3. Provide ongoing support to an organized research and capacity-building effort by nonprofit leaders serving the many Asian communities and the Asian American Studies program at the University of Maryland

4. Engage over 300 nonprofit leaders in two or more convenings or other events that focus on critical issues facing the entire nonprofit sector, including the development of approaches to performance-based measurement and strategies to address state and local revenue shortfalls

5. Map the nonprofit capacity-building and technical assistance network for Montgomery County nonprofits and facilitate connections between nonprofits and services they need

6. Establish collaborative working relationships between Nonprofit Montgomery! and other key organizations and networks working in the nonprofit sector within Montgomery County (including, among many others, the Collaboration Council for Children and Families, the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and the Corporate Volunteer Council, the Montgomery County Funders Roundtable, the Upcounty and Downcounty Latino Networks, the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, the Foundation Center Cooperating Collection at the Rockville Public Library, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Venture Philanthropy Partners, the United Way of Montgomery County, the Asian Nonprofit Leaders Collaboration Network, etc.)

7. With a 2007-2008 special emphasis on the state and local revenue challenges in Maryland and Montgomery County, establish an ongoing working relationship with the Rockville Public Library and the Foundation Center to expand free access for nonprofits to critical grant-seeking information and other sources of technical assistance

8. Support development of a collaborative network among multi-tenant nonprofits in the county.


Collective Visibility

2007-2008 Action Agenda

1. Create lively interactive communications vehicles, including a blog, that support and stimulate network-building among nonprofits in the county

2. Sponsor an annual Funding EXPO to bring nonprofits together with county and foundation funding sources; nonprofit leaders who have been successful in generating funding; and technical assistance providers who offer support in the fund-raising area.

3. Co-sponsor an annual Montgomery County Nonprofit Expo/Fair with the Montgomery County Government Employees’ Charitable Campaign, the County Executive’s Office of Community Partnerships, the Montgomery County Volunteer Center, and the six (6) involved charitable umbrella groups as the kick-off for the campaign.


Collective Influence

2007-2008 Action Agenda
Government sector

1. Co-sponsor ten (10) monthly “brown bags” with the County Executive’s Office of Community Partnerships (OCP) to expand the shared knowledge and understanding among government, business, and philanthropic and nonprofit leaders

2. Support the nonprofit sector in advocating for improvements in the County Council grants process, including convening nonprofit leaders to develop recommendations and working closely with Council grants management staff and Council members to communicate these recommendations in the most effective ways possible

3. Engage actively in discussions led by a Procurement Working Group, led by the Director of Procurement and the Director of DHHS, focused on potential improvements in contract solicitation, execution, and administration

4. Work with the Departments of Procurement and HHS to design and implement two informational sessions on contracting processes for nonprofits

5. Design and host at least two convenings on the measurement of nonprofit value and impact, including the relationship of the county’s new results-based budgeting approach to nonprofit reporting (see #4 above)

6. Prepare at least two “best practices” briefs, the first on the issue of initial cash availability to organizations with whom the county is contracting, detailing existing practices at the local, county, state and federal levels.

Business Sector

1. Expand working relationships with the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County (CVC–MC)

How can I get involved?

Nonprofit Montgomery! can only work if you DO get involved. The minimum commitment we ask nonprofit leaders to make is that they will read Nonprofit Montgomery! emails and make every effort to attend convenings and other gatherings.

Involvement in Nonprofit Montgomery! can range from this minimum to a variety of active roles, including:

• membership on the founding steering committee and other leadership groups
• participation in “best practice” teams around critical issues, such as best practices in performance indicators
• participation in discussions around content areas, such as contracting
• bringing the materials shared by Nonprofit Montgomery! and other nonprofit resources serving Montgomery County back to your own community of nonprofits – and bringing the needs of your part of the nonprofit community forward
• reporting back to the sector-wide Nonprofit Montgomery! email contact list on council committee meetings or other important gatherings
• sharing “what works” with other nonprofit leaders, and being willing to share what has not worked
• helping to create an interactive on-line presence for Nonprofit Montgomery! to serve nonprofits throughout the county
• building bridges with sister organizations, such as the county’s Corporate Volunteer Council, to foster exchange and learning
• and so much more . . .
  

“Commitment of interest” forms are distributed by email to those interested in being part of this evolving network. If you think you might not be on the Nonprofit Montgomery! contact list, please email maholohean@nonprofitroundtable.org and we will add your contact information and get a commitment of interest form to you right away!

Nonprofit Montgomery! can only thrive
if you are an actively engaged!