As Collin County grows, so do its challenges with issues such as homelessness, hunger and affordable housing. To help nonprofit agencies that are addressing these pressing needs for Collin County residents, Communities Foundation of Texas and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas have joined forces to create the Collin County Nonprofit Leadership Institute. The initiative will target agencies that primarily serve low-to-moderate income families and individuals and help the agencies develop strategic approaches to addressing community needs.
CFT and United Way partnered in 2016 to support the Data-Driven Decision-Making (D3) for Education initiative, which empowered education-focused nonprofits to improve students’ academic and social-emotional well-being. After seeing much success through the previous collaboration, the two organizations decided to combine resources and share expertise again to offer a curriculum that reflects the unique needs and data of Collin County.
Twelve agencies were selected through a competitive process to be in the initiative’s first cohort. The agencies will attend monthly sessions held throughout Collin County. The training will focus on agency and program leadership, with additional learning opportunities for program staff and board members. Participating agencies can also receive a capacity building grant of up to $5,000, contingent on their participation and attendance.
Selected agencies include Agape, The Assistance Center of Collin County, Children & Community Health Clinic, CityHouse, Cornerstone Assistance Network, Embrace Texas, Habitat for Humanity of Collin County, The Samaritan Inn, Shiloh Place McKinney, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, The Turning Point and Veterans Center of Collin County.
“The Collin County Nonprofit Leadership Institute provides an opportunity for organizations to develop a shared understanding of the community’s current issues and collaborate to address high-need areas, which will ultimately benefit the residents and communities in Collin County,” said Sarah Cotton Nelson, chief philanthropy officer of CFT. “Participants will learn ways to define their long-term goals and improve the way they plan as an agency and evaluate their ongoing results so they are best positioned to address future challenges and opportunities.”
“We are excited to partner with CFT again to have a positive impact on the Collin County community through this truly innovative and rewarding program,” said Ashley Brundage, senior vice president of community impact for United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “The Collin County Nonprofit Leadership Institute will help nonprofits collaborate and use data in more effective and thoughtful ways to enrich the lives of those served in Collin County.”
The Collin County Nonprofit Leadership Institute will host the first cohort’s session from January to June 2019.
Communities Foundation of Texas > United Way of Metropolitan Dallas >
This information was provided as a press release.
