The City of Fayetteville’s Economic and Community Development Department is hosting the first of two in-person workshops to help residents build and strengthen their nonprofits.
The workshop held today will start at 6:30 p.m. Residents will learn how to recruit, onboard and manage board members, volunteers and donors from guest speakers who specialize in nonprofit management and development.
The second workshop will be at 6:30 p.m. on May 21. Guest speakers will explain how nonprofits can create stable funding through grants, sponsorships and fundraising campaigns.
“These workshops are designed to equip passionate individuals with the practical knowledge and tools they need to build strong, mission-driven organizations that create lasting impact in our communities,” Chris Cauley, director of economic and community development for the City of Fayetteville, said in a press release.
While not serving as instructors, Economic and Community Development Department staff will be at each workshop to answer any questions, including about city funding opportunities.
Registration is required for both workshops, and space is limited. Residents interested can register for one or both workshops using the Economic and Community Development Department’s online registration form. The workshop’s location will be sent with registration confirmation.
The workshops were previously only offered to Empowering Community Safety Micro-Grant Program recipients. The “low-barrier” micro-grant program gave $52,500 to 20 small organizations and individuals for crime prevention efforts in its sixth funding cycle.
However, the city decided to open the workshops to all residents after officials saw increased interest and the value attendees took from them.
“By offering guidance on essential nonprofit topics such as board management, fundraising and financial reporting, the city aims to strengthen community-based initiatives and build organizational capacity that benefits the broader Fayetteville community,” Cauley told CityView.
The city’s workshops follow the Cumberland County Department of Public Health’s two-part webinar series on nonprofit development and grant applications held late last month. The webinar was spurred by public feedback from opioid settlement spending town halls held last fall. Residents with smaller nonprofits and community organizations told public health officials they need more support to apply for funding.
For more information on registering a nonprofit and other city funding sources for 501(3)(c)s, visit the Economic and Community Development Department’s webpage.
