Last year, the dream of creating a nonprofit campus for Southern Arizona became a reality. Thanks to generous support from our donors, the Community Foundation Campus is offering nonprofit organizations multiple opportunities each week to convene, collaborate, and grow.
The Campus opened in January 2019 and within the first six months hosted more than 150 community meetings, educational workshops, and special events, along with countless informal opportunities for nonprofit networking and collaboration. These meetings and events brought together multiple sectors to share expertise and ideas, increasing capacity across the community to tackle emerging and systemic issues.
In May 2019, CFSA launched a series of free “Ask an Expert” workshops at the Campus to provide nonprofits with the specific organizational support they requested through a survey conducted in early spring.
Led by community consultants, “Ask an Expert” workshops tackle topics ranging from board engagement to donor management to emotional intelligence in the workplace. In 2019, these workshops engaged more than 200 nonprofit professionals in 38 hours of free capacity building.
In 2019, these workshops engaged more than 200 nonprofit professionals in 38 hours of free capacity building.
In addition, over 250 community members participated in our nonprofit social events at the Campus last year. These occasions are intentionally “agenda-less” to give nonprofit professionals time to network and build relationships with their peers. The Campus hosts social events quarterly, providing a space where the nonprofit community can connect more deeply and build foundations for future collaborative work.
In March 2019, CFSA hosted a Lunch and Learn workshop at the Campus for nonprofits from across Southern Arizona to learn about Arizona Together for Impact Fund. This new statewide initiative aims to encourage and support formal, enduring collaborations between nonprofit organizations throughout Arizona.
CFSA donor Bonnie Kay hosted a panel discussion, Helping People, Helping Pets, in April 2019 with eight local nonprofit organizations working to care for pets and their human companions at the Campus. Community members learned about research that demonstrates the value of human-animal bonds, and how they can support local efforts helping vulnerable community members with pets.
Amber Mathewson, Director of the Pima County Public Library and CFSA Campus tenant, shared, “We’re thrilled to have our Nonprofit Library at the Community Foundation Campus. It offers a great opportunity to extend our reach into the nonprofit community by providing webinars, social media consultation, information about online resources, and more. This partnership is a perfect fit!”