Startup Tucson, SCORE, and the Center for Healthy Nonprofits kicked off a peer support group on August 28th for startup nonprofits consisting of individuals and organizations at a similar stage of development, aiming to support each other in navigating the challenges of establishing and growing their organizations.
Participants will be encouraged to share insights, resources, lessons learned, and best practices related to fundraising, program development, governance, and community engagement. Regularly gathering, these discussions could facilitate networking, collaboration, and learning opportunities among peers.
We’ll start off exploring how to assess community interest and needs for your new nonprofit and how to find out more about who else is working in that space. Participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with making those connections and testing the possibility of joining forces, perhaps instead of proceeding to set up a new nonprofit or alternatively as two organizations coming together as collaborators/partners.
We’re delighted that Heather Hiscox will be joining us for this session and will share her insights and lessons learned over the years.
Additionally, mentors/advisors with experience in nonprofit leadership and management will help facilitate the exchange of ideas and problem-solving discussions also providing guidance, resources, and support to group members. Megan Finck, Valerie Pullara, and Paula Van Ness will join you for these discussions.
Overall, this new peer group will serve as a supportive community where startup nonprofits can learn from each other and build connections to accelerate their impact. Whether your nonprofit is several years old or brand new, we believe you can build a supportive community that will help you feel less alone in your quest to grow your organization.
If this sounds like something you would like to join, please plan on participating on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM MST on Zoom on September 25th and October 23rd.
Register for the first session on September 25th here.
About the Presenters
Paula Van Ness, MS is a seasoned nonprofit executive with more than 40 years in CEO/Executive Director positions locally and nationally. Previously, she served in the chief executive position for Family Planning Centers of Greater LA, AIDS Project Los Angeles, National AIDS Fund, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Make-A-Wish America, Starlight Children’s Foundation, and Connecticut Community Foundation. She has served in leadership roles for several national and local nonprofit boards including Independent Sector where she was the treasurer, Gift of Adoption Fund which she chaired, and SafeParking LA which she chaired. She currently serves on the board of the Pima Community College Foundation board, where she chairs the audit committee, and her church council, where she chairs the finance committee. She possesses a master’s degree in organizational development from the University of San Francisco, a BS from the University of Arizona, and currently directs the Center for Healthy Nonprofits at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.
Valerie Pullara, SCORE Mentor for the nonprofit sector, has over 45 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has been involved in start-ups, growth, and strategic planning for all types of nonprofits. Her professional positions have included, city management, executive director, development director, and HR director. She also has over 40 years in the animal welfare area and currently serves as the Executive Director of a nonprofit, AGR Foundation. She frequently helps people determine if starting a nonprofit is right for their vision and business journey.
Megan Finck is the Senior Program Manager at Startup Tucson. Through educational programs, mentorship, and member resources, Startup Tucson helps entrepreneurs in Southern Arizona navigate their journey to business success. With a background in education program management, Megan has been part of the team for more than two years and plays various roles, including teaching workshops, offering individual coaching, and providing mentor pairings and resources for our members.
Heather Hiscox the founder and CEO of Pause for Change and the creator of the proven and proprietary PAUSE framework that helps changemakers address difficult challenges and pursue promising opportunities. I am the author of No More Status Quo: A Proven Framework to Change the Way We Change the World and the co-creator, curator, and host of Possibility Project, an online conversion series and growing community of disruptive change makers reclaiming our power through meaningful sparks, connections, and action.